Chapter Three Notes – Huts on the Beach

* Chapter 3 opens with Jack hunting; his appearance & behavior have a SAVAGE cast to them; appears somewhat wild, like an animal on all fours with a mad look in his eyes; OBSESSED. * Ralph – picture of RATIONALITY; busy at building huts; understands the need for PROTECTION. Only Simon helps, realizing the importance of shelter.

* Other boys have shirked responsibility and run away from work. The author suggests that this is TYPICAL behavior in human society. * Ralph – feels the weariness of duty and responsibilityits a CHORE to maintain the fire and build huts. Boys do NOTHING after saying they will; Ralph feels RESPONSIBLE for the littluns. * Simon is more clearly developed; willing to give up fun (to make a sacrifice) to help Ralph in building huts. Wanders off alone where he can observe beauty of nature.

* Contrast Simons experience in the jungle with Jacks: Simon appreciates nature; doesnt disturb a thing. Jack plows through the jungle with an eagerness to destroy and killnever noticing the beauty.

* Chapter 3 defines the characters of Ralph and Jack. Ralph focuses his attention on building shelters. Jack is stalking pigs. Simons character is also developed when he goes off by himself into the woods. The author is establishing Simon as a LONER.

* Theme: the breakdown of socialized behavior. * Ralph continues to work for CIVILIZED goals of shelter, order, and protection. Jack focuses on the more PRIMITIVE aims of hunting and killing (SAVAGERY). * Foreshadowing & Symbol: Simon in the woods. Simon goes off by himself (first time); Simon represents absolute GOODNESS that the author keeps apart from the evil that exists in the other boys; author uses LIGHT & DARK images to reinforce Simons relationship with goodness and evil.

* Parallelism: Biguns and Littluns. Ralph puts up shelters; the littluns mirror this by erecting sandcastles. Golding uses the littluns play as a transition into the realities that will soon confront the boys.