When their plane crashes on a deserted island, a group of British schoolboys creates their own community and social structure of “biguns” and “littluns.”  Several leaders emerge, and the group chooses Ralph to be their chief and Jack to be in charge of hunting for food. Although they set up a signal fire to draw the attention of potential rescue ships, the boys are tempted by idleness and distracted by power struggles and fearful superstitions, and they miss several opportunities to be rescued. The young boys’ fears get the best of them as they become increasingly convinced a monster is lurking in the water around the island.  Ralph loses most of the boys’ allegiance to Jack, who promises to kill the beast and rallies them as a new group under his leadership.  While Jack’s tribe is in the throes of bloodlust after killing a pig, they attack and kill one of the older boys, Simon, believing him to be the sea monster.  Ralph and Jack then engage in a battle for leadership, which results in the loss of yet another boy. As emotions continue to escalate, the younger boys turn on Ralph, who runs away and barely escapes death as the boys hunt him down in bloodthirsty revelry.  Determined to capture Ralph, the boys light the forest on fire to smoke him out, which ironically turns out to be an act of salvation as the fire attracts a naval ship which comes to their rescue. The boys, savagely covered in blood, are overwhelmed with the knowledge that they are safe and will return to civilization despite the horrible acts they performed on the island.