Lord of the Flies Chapters 1 - 2 – 3 “The Sound of the Shell” “Fire on the Mountain” “Huts on the Beach”

Characters Ralph Piggy Sam’n’Eric Simon Jack Merridew Roger Littl’uns (including the boy with the mulberry mark)

Key Events The boys gather and choose a leader (Ralph) Ralph and Jack compete for leadership Jack fails to kill a pig They start a signal fire, which gets out of control; a “littl’un” disappears Awhile later, they discuss how things are going so far

Character Development Piggy is ostrasized, starting with Ralph Jack is an aggressive personality, but cannot deliberately commit violence (the pig) The boys are slowly creating their own society, with jobs, responsibilities, rules, cliques, etc. Ralph struggles with leadership—being a role model, establishing and enforcing rules, etc.

Character Development Simon is young but mature, and somewhat philosophical Piggy emerges as the “brain”—practical thinking and aversion to the physical “…that proclaimed no devil” (Ralph) First description of Jack is unflattering

Chapter One “…the long scar smashed into the jungle” = man making his impression on the natural world “No grown-ups!” = adolescents’ Utopia “We was attacked!”, “…the atom bomb? They’re all dead.” = allusion to outside war State of undress reflects “back to nature” state

Chapter One “They used to call me ‘Piggy’” = first cruel act “…he’ll come rescue us” = belief in adults as rescuers The untouched natural world is chaotic, dangerous, mysterious: “I bet nobody’s been here before.” “This belongs to us.” = Man claims nature

Chapter Two First rule: Hands up to speak (like at school) Jack is more concerned about punishment than order: “We’ll have rules! Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks ’em—” Despite trying to create order, Piggy rightly (and ironically) comments they’re all “like a crowd of kids”

Chapter Two Ralph and Jack bond: “…they grinned at each other, sharing this burden.” Jack takes Piggy’s glasses to start a fire (which therefore starts and ends with violence) Is the fire going out of control foreshadowing?

Chapter Three The boys’ society is more settled Things are getting done, with some success Jack’s eyes while hunting seem “nearly mad” Ralph and Jack are both frustrated in their own ways

Motifs Civilization vs. Anarchy Conch = order “The children gave him the same simple obedience that they had given to the men with microphones.” “After all, we’re not savages.” (Jack)

Motifs Leadership Jack’s reasoning to be leader is that he can sing C sharp and is head boy (ridiculous) Why is Ralph chosen? Whoever has the conch (symbol of order and civilization) has [temporary] leadership

Motifs The darkness within people “…even the tiniest child joined in. For a moment the boys were a closed circuit of sympathy with Piggy outside…”, “We don’t want you.” (of Piggy) Pointless violence: Pushing the big rock into the jungle canopy Jack is unable to kill the pig: “because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood.”

Motifs “Unwillingly Ralph turned away from the splendid, awful sight.” (the fire) Jack: “He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up.” Ralph to Jack: “But you like it! You want to hunt!”

Motifs The loss of innocence Chapter One: The hunters begin their job, but Jack cannot go through with it Chapter Two: Unintentional death of the littl’un is so terrible that the boys (who caused it) deny it Chapter Three: The boys are trying to act more like grown-ups now

Final Thoughts What is the “beast”? “a snake-thing” that “came in the dark” and “wanted to eat him” “As if it wasn’t a good island. As if the beastie…was real.” (Simon) “There’s nothing in it of course. Just a feeling. But you can feel as if you’re not hunting, but—being hunted; as if something’s behind you all the time in the jungle.” (Jack) Why does Simon go off into the jungle by himself?