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Unit 25: William Golding — Lord of the Flies: Detailed Study of Text-I

25.1 Detailed Study of Text Notes

Chapter One: The Sound of the Shell

On a tropical island, a twelve-year-old boy with fair hair is climbing out of plane wreckage
(referred to as “the scar”) on a beach and towards a lagoon. He faces another child around his
age, a fat boy with glasses. The two, who have not previously met, begin a conversation. The
fair-haired boy introduces himself as Ralph, while the heavy boy accidentally reveals his
nickname at school: “Piggy.” Against the other child’s protestations, Ralph insists on calling
him Piggy. Through their conversation, it is revealed that the boys have survived a plane
crash in the Pacific Ocean, and no adults are present among the survivors. They confirm that
both the pilot and “the man with the megaphone”-perhaps some sort of rescue worker-both
died in the crash. The boys appear to have been escaping from an atomic war in their country,
a place referred to only as the Home Counties (signaling England). When Ralph insists that
his father, a Commander in the Navy, will rescue the stranded boys, Piggy reminds him that
“they”-perhaps the military, perhaps the adult population-were all killed “by the atom bomb.”
Ralph, excited by the idea of living without adult supervision, immediately takes advantage
of the freedom on the island. He disrobes and invites Piggy to join him in a swim. Piggy
nervously declines, explaining that his asthma prevents him from swimming or running, but
eventually-and with much self-consciousness-removes his windbreaker. While Ralph is enjoying
the new sights and pleasures of the tropical water, Piggy reveal that his parents are both dead
and that he lives with his aunt, who operates a candy store. While Ralph is playing on the
shore, Piggy spots a conch shell in the lagoon. He explains to an ignorant Ralph that a conch
is valuable, and the two retrieve it from the water. Piggy, who cannot breathe well due to his
asthma, instructs Ralph about how to blow into the shell so as to produce a loud whistle. After
a few failed attempts, Ralph sounds the shell successfully. The two boys are surprised to see
that the sound has attracted other survivors from the crash, among them Sam and Eric, two
young identical twins, and abrupt, red-headed Jack Merridew, who is accompanied by a party
of boys wearing strange black cloaks and caps, marching in two organized lines. Jack reveals
that the group is a boys’ choir and that he is the leader.
Once a large group is present, Piggy suggests that everyone state their names. Jack insists on
being called Merridew, for Jack is a kid’s name, and demands that he be established the leader
of the survivors, for he is the head boy of his choir. The group decides to settle the question
of leadership by vote. While Jack has natural leadership qualities and Piggy rational intelligence,
Ralph has a calm personality that invites the others’ trust, so he is elected chief. Once appointed,
however, Ralph concedes that Jack may still lead his choir, who will become hunters. He
further insists that the group stay assembled near the lagoon while three of the boys explore
the territory to determine whether or not it is an island. For this task, Ralph chooses himself,
a mild-tempered boy named Simon, and, at his own insistence, Jack.

Notes When Piggy requests to join the explorers, Jack dismisses the idea, humiliating
Piggy, who is still ashamed that Ralph revealed his hated nickname.

Ralph, Simon and Jack search the island, climbing up the mountain to survey it. On the way
up, they push down the mountain a large rock that blocks their way. When they finally reach
the top, they determine that they are indeed on an island. The island is described as “boat-
shaped,” bordered by rocks and containing both lagoon and forest areas. Ralph, looking at the

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