Chapters 3 and 4

Chapter 3: Huts on the beach

This chapter opens with Jack hunting in the jungle. He is stalking pigs and has a spear. The description of Jack suggests that the boys have been on the island now for some time: his hair is 'considerably longer' and lighter than it had been when the boys first landed on the island; his shorts are very tattered; his back is freckled and peeling from lots of exposure to the sun.

Jack is frustrated. He has been hunting all day, apparently without success. Returning to the beach to get some water, he finds Ralph and Simon trying to build shelters on the beach, also with little success. Ralph appears to be just as frustrated as Jack at his failed project. Both boys have received little help from the others, who spend their time swimming, eating and playing.

Simon has been helping Ralph, but Ralph finds him a bit strange. Jack, unlike Ralph, does not seem to care that he has no help in his hunting mission. He is obsessed with the idea of killing a pig. Ralph is resentful that Jack spends so much time doing this because so far Jack has not actually succeeded in providing them with meat and Ralph thinks he might as well be spending his time helping them to build shelters.

The resentment and frustration each is feeling flares up more than once in their discussions on the beach. They nearly burst into full arguments, but manage to the discussion from getting out of control. Ralph raises the issue of the 'beast'. He states that they need shelters to provide a kind of home for the smaller boys who are having nightmares about it.

The boys wander further down the beach to where they can see the smoke from the fire on the mountain, which is still being tended by the boys from the choir. While peering up at it, Jack has a revelation that the pigs must rest somewhere up there on the mountain during the day time. He says the boys should paint their faces so that they can hide, sneak up on the pigs and make a kill. In the meantime they go down to have a bathe, but Jack suggests he might try hunting again afterwards, even though it will be nearly night-time by then.

Meanwhile, Simon has wandered into the jungle instead of following the other two to the lagoon. The little boys run in after him. Simon helps them to get fruit from trees that they cannot reach. It appears this has happened before. There is a suggestion that the little boys have come to trust Simon.

Simon then continues on his own. He lets the path lead him into the jungle and finds a clearing where he can hide himself amongst a tangle of creepers. He remains here on his own until after dark.

Chapter 4: Painted faces and long hair

The boys are getting used to the island and to a 'rhythm' of idyllic mornings, roasting hot afternoons and nights filled with nightmares. The little boys, collectively called the 'littluns', keep to themselves most of the time.

A scene early in Chapter 4 depicts a small group of the littluns playing around a sand castle they've built. Two of the older boys come and destroy it. In the process one of the older boys, Maurice, accidentally gets sand in the eye of one of the littluns who bursts into tears as a result. Maurice remembers having done the same thing on another occasion before coming to the island and being punished for it by adults. Even though there are no adults on the island now, the association between wrongdoing and punishment is still strong. He leaves the scene quickly to avoid punishment.

The other older boy, Roger, later throws stones near to one of the littluns who is playing in the sand. He, too, displays his conditioning about wrongdoing by being careful not to actually hit the littlun. There is a sense with both incidents that it is not the older boys' individual consciences but their previous discipline by adults that keeps them from hurting the younger boys.

Roger is interrupted from his stone-throwing by Jack, who is accompanied by the twins, Sam and Eric. Jack is painting his face with clay and charcoal as part of a plan to camouflage himself so that the pigs won't see him when he tries to hunt them.

Meanwhile, Ralph and Piggy are on the beach. They see smoke on the horizon and realise it must be a ship. Just as they are getting excited by the possibility of rescue they realise that their signal-fire on the mountain has gone out. They rush up the mountain to the fire but find that there is no-one there keeping it going. It was the twins - now off elsewhere with Jack - who were supposed to be watching it. Ralph is furious.

While they are standing there they see a procession making its way towards them. It is led by Jack and includes the twins and some of the choir boys. They are carrying a pig that they have killed. They are ecstatic at their accomplishment and are chanting as they come up the mountain. Simon, who is with Ralph, looks on in fear.

When they reach Ralph he accuses them of having let the fire go out. Jack is conscious that he is at fault by calling the twins away from their duty to guard the fire, but he is adamant that he needed their help to hunt the pig. He is also too ecstatic to care much. He recounts the story of the hunt.

Piggy, like Ralph, is extremely angry at Jack's carelessness. In the heated argument that follows, Jack breaks Piggy's glasses. Simon is very angry about this and gets them for him. Jack then apologises for letting the fire go out. In the eyes of most of the others this absolves him of his guilt, but Ralph is still furious. He orders the fire to be re-lit. He is so angry that he refuses to move from where he is standing, which happens to be on the spot where the previous fire was. This forces the other boys to build the fire elsewhere and reinforces Ralph's leadership.

The underscoring of Ralph's position in the group makes Jack angry and the antagonism between the two boys increases.

The boys roast the pig over the new fire and then eat it. Jack refuses to give any of the meat to Piggy, but Simon shares his piece with him instead. The hunters recount the tale of the hunt again and act it out.

The chapter ends with Ralph calling another assembly.