Lord of the Flies

Chapter One: The Sound of the Shell: The novel begins in the aftermath of a plane crash in the Pacific Ocean during an unnamed war in which a group of English schoolboys are isolated on what they assume to be an island under no adult supervision. The pilot died in the crash and the plane has been swept to sea by a storm. Among the survivors are a young, fair-haired boy of twelve named Ralph …

…do find themselves in an Edenic area. Simon views the jungle as a place of beauty and tranquillity, in comparison to Jack, who sees only the dangers that the boys face. In his excursion away from the boys, Simon shows himself to be the one character who has an affinity with nature. There are strong religious overtones to the area that Simon finds, which, with its candle-buds and serene stillness, resembles a place of worship.