What are some of the obstacles the boys in Lord of the Flies have to overcome on the island?

Answer 1

There are a number of basic obstacles which the boys had to overcome on the island. Initially they first have to determine whether they actually on an island, this they acheived when Ralph, Jack and Simon climbed to the top of the mountain. Next they decide that they needed to have a signal fire to attract the attention of passing ships or aircraft. This proved only to be a partial sucess. They were resourceful enough to use Piggy's glasses to light a fire but crucially they didn't keep the fire lit and missed an opportunity to be rescued by a passing ship. The boys also had the basic requirements of water, food, shelter and toilet facilities. Again there were only partial successes in overcoming each of these obstacles. They found water, in a nearby stream, but failed on their intention of keeping coconuts filled with water near to the shelters. Fruit was very easy to obtain but the boys required meat. Once again there was only partial success in overcoming this obstacle. Quite some time passed before Jack and his hunters managed to kill a pig. When they did eventually manage to kill pigs this was done more for the pleasure of hunting and killing than for meeting the requirements of obtaining food. At least three pigs were eventually killed but rather than this killings being a simple fulfilment of their duties as hunters Jack sought to turn the entire thing into a political statement, by emphasising that it was he who brought them meat and therefore he should be their leader. Ralph complained that although all the boys agreed to build shelters the third one was build by only Simon and himself, as the other boys had lost interest and gone off to play and bathe. Ralph also complained that although the boys had agreed to use some rocks, which were washed clean by the sea, as a toilet some boys were simply answering the call of nature everywhere and anywhere, even among the fruit trees which supplied most of their food. Perhaps the most basic obstacle which they completely failed to overcome was a natural disinclination to see tasks through, they agreed to do many things but failed to carry most of them through to the end. They all agreed to follow Ralph's lead but failed to carry out most of his decisions and then joined Jack's tribe to 'have fun' even though they had twice rejected Jack as a leader. They never even managed to determine something as simple and as fundamental as just how many of them there were on the island.