At the start of the novel, there has been an atomic explosion, and the children have been evacuated in an aircraft with a detachable passenger tube. The aircraft has been attacked and released the tube while flying over tropical seas. The tube has crash landed in the jungle of a tropical island, and the plane has flown off in flames. This is the point when the novel starts. There are four main characters in the …showed first 75 words of 4362 total…

…showed last 75 words of 4362 total…living flesh?the unbearable blood." (P.41). When Jack is introduced into the novel, we recognize him as an organised natural leader with evil potential. Over the first five chapters of the book, this is born out in his transformation from a choirboy to a fearless, furtive hunter. His priority has changed from being rescued to hunting and killing pigs. He has become less and less civilized, until his appearance becomes one of a tribal nature.