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survival is greeted with delight (p. 30). Like playing a game, the group establish
between them the requirement, substance and system of rules.
From the beginning of the story, the boys recognise the need for rules and they embrace
the luxury of adult-free self-governance. One of their first considerations is the need for
a chief. The book’s main protagonists are instated in the ensuing “toy of voting” (p.
18). There is Jack – the arrogant leader of the choristers and head boy at school –
whose confidence and experience mark him out as the most obvious leader. Then there
is Piggy – an almost blind fat boy with asthma – whose glasses become essential for the
groups survival to light fires. Piggy’s intelligence and insights are invaluable to Ralph,
the boy actually voted as leader. Ralph’s size and attractive appearance mark him out,
and at the time of the vote he holds the conch. The shell is quickly established as the
symbol of power; when blown, it emits a commanding sound which effectively calls
the boys to order.
The values of the boys are pivotal in establishing the rules which initially stem from
their recognition of the need for food and shelter and their desire to be rescued. The
norms and conventions from the society the boys come, govern their initial creation. As
Jack explains: “We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages.
We’re English; and the English are best at everything. So we’ve got to do the right
things” (p. 41).
But even in the early stages, perceptions of what is right differ. Ralph values rescue and
the maintenance of fire and smoke to optimise their chances of rescue. For Jack,
hunting for pigs and eating meat is paramount. This clash in values runs like a
deepening fissure all through the novel, rawly exposed at key moments in the story.
Ralph’s faith in, and consistent appeal to the established rules and social order,
contrasts with Jack’s increasing disregard for them.
As time passes, the distance from normal social rules and conventions grows and the
differing values of the chiefs become more apparent and influential. At the beginning it
is a vague source of irritation that Jack would rather be hunting for pigs than
maintaining the fire or building shelter. However, a turning point comes when Jack
leads a hunt for pig, taking with him the boys who were allocated the job of
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