Chapter 1: The Sound of the Shell
Chapter 1 introduces the main characters and setting of Lord of the Flies. A group of British schoolboys find themselves stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes during an evacuation. The two main characters, Ralph and Piggy, discover a conch shell on the beach.
Ralph uses the conch to summon the other survivors, including Jack Merridew and his choir boys. The boys decide to elect a leader, choosing Ralph over Jack. Ralph appoints Jack as the leader of the hunters, responsible for procuring food. The chapter establishes the initial order and civilization among the boys, but hints at the underlying tensions to come.
Highlight: The conch shell becomes a powerful symbol of order and democracy throughout the novel.
Quote: "We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages."
Vocabulary: Conch - A large spiral shell of a marine mollusk, used here as a trumpet to call assemblies.