Throughout the book the reader gets glimpses of the roles that adults played in the boys' lives back home. Piggy and Ralph are the ones who share most of these insights. In the first chapter, Piggy refers to his "auntie," whom he has lived with since the death of his parents. His auntie gave him candy, told him how to manage his asthma, and provided Piggy with an education, both formal and practical. Piggy has book knowledge and knowledge of how to blow the conch; a variety of experiences that adults introduced him to have helped him develop his mind.
The boys have experience listening to and obeying adults who organize them and tell them what to do and how to behave. The boys respond to the conch because it reminds them of "the man with the megaphone" who instructed them during the evacuation. Jack's leading the choir boys in line and ordering them when to stop or take their "togs" off mimics what the boys have seen adults do. Ralph is convinced his father, a Navy commander, will find the boys and rescue them because his father has told him that "the Queen has a big room full of maps and all the islands in the world are drawn there." This shows the adults, at least in Ralph's life, instill knowledge as well as national pride in the boys.
Ralph and Piggy, as well as the littluns, seem to miss the adults the most. Several times the issue of who is watching or not watching the littluns comes up; the role of caring for young children was obviously performed by adults back home, and although Piggy tries to fill in, he is inadequate. Piggy laments multiple times, "What's grownups going to think?" This shows that the adults provide moral guidance and approval of proper behavior and disapproval of improper behavior. One of the most poignant discussions about grownups is this conversation between Piggy, Ralph, and Simon:
"Grownups know things," said Piggy. "They ain't afraid of the dark. They'd meet and have tea and discuss. Then things 'ud be all right—"
"They wouldn't set fire to the island. Or lose—"
"They'd build a ship—"
The three boys stood in the darkness, striving unsuccessfully to convey the majesty of adult life.
This shows that adults, in the boys' experience, have superior intellectual and social skills, allowing them to be effective problem solvers.
When the boys realize there are no adults on the island, they attempt to form a civilization, electing Ralph as chief. He starts out saying that they have two goals—to have fun and to be rescued. Although Ralph, Piggy, and Simon attempt to fill the roles of adults, the other boys don't, and that leads to the downfall of their civilization.
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