Plot: Arriving

The novel begins with a group of English boys stranded on an uninhabited island after their plane is shot down during a war.
Ralph and Piggy, two of the boys, find a conch shell on the beach which Ralph blows to gather the other survivors.
The boys elect Ralph as their leader due to his charismatic qualities and the symbolic power of the conch.
Jack Merridew opposes Ralph’s leadership. He is the head of the choirboys, who have survived the crash, and later become ‘hunters’.
Ralph decides that maintaining a fire on the island’s mountain is vital as a distress signal for potential rescuers to see.
The boys begin to build shelters and establish some semblance of order and civilization, revealing Golding’s theme of society versus savagery.

Characters: Arriving

Ralph is portrayed as level-headed and democratic, valuing the common good and the rule of law.
For Piggy, his asthma, weight, and glasses make him a target for the others, accentuating the theme of weakness and power.
Jack Merridew is introduced as a natural and dictatorial leader with a deep love for power and control, symbolizing the brutal part of human nature.
The choirboys who follow Jack are also introduced, forming the nucleus of the ‘savages’ in the later part of the novel.

The issue of leadership is introduced. Ralph’s democratic approach is contrasted with Jack’s authoritarian style.
Golding presents an ideal of civilization (shelter building, meetings, democratic leadership), which gradually disintegrates into savagery as the boys’ primitive instincts take over.
The motif of the conch shell is introduced, symbolising law, order and civilization early in the novel.
The contrast between the boys’ civilized past and their primitive present situation begins to unfold, serving as a backdrop for the ensuing breakdown of society on the island.