Chapter two establishes that the boys are alone on a previously uninhabited island with no adults. The first signs of Ralph and Jack's differing objectives are revealed and the subject of the "snake-thing/beastie" is raised for the first time by a small boy with a mulberry-coloured birthmark. Ralph tells the boys that they should build a signal fire to attract passing ships and airplanes so that they can be rescued. Jack, who initially seemed only interested in hunting pigs, then leads the boys off to the mountain, already subtley challenging Ralph's leadership. At the end of chapter two the intended signal fire becomes an out of control inferno and the boy with the mulberry-coloured birthmark is never seen again. These events perhaps foreshadow the burning of the island in chapter 12 and the deaths of Simon and Piggy.
Copyright © 2026 eLLeNow.com All Rights Reserved.