exchange reveals the significance of the shelters.  By building them, Ralph attempts to inject some normalcy into the boys' lives, a temporary home, but also one to give them a sense of security.  The huts on the beach protect them from the weather and storms, but also more significantly will give a much needed morale boost to the boys who so desperately need a way to feel connected to their former lives.

The huts on the beach are symbolic of the boys’ attempts to enforce civilization in an uncivilized land, and their utter failure to do so.

In this chapter, Ralph tries out his leadership skills by trying to get the boys to construct some huts that can provide shelter in the storms.  Unfortunately, the boys are not focused enough or skilled enough for such a task.  The boys have been working “for days” and have accomplished little.

Ralph explains what is going on to Jack.

Two shelters were in position, but shaky. This one was a ruin.
“And they keep running off. You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished?” (ch 3)

Jack is not contributing to the hut building at the beginning of the chapter.  He is in the woods hunting.  This difference between Jack and Ralph’s approaches to solving the boys’ problems is a pattern. 

Ralph and Jack also disagree on how to lead the group.  Their dichotomy of shared leadership is breaking down.  Ralph complains that all they do is talk and get nothing one.  Ralph wants everyone to be more productive, and Jack feels hurt that he is not being given credit for his hunting efforts.

As early as this, there is foreshadowing of the boys' destruction.  Simon goes off and meditates, Jack tries to hunt, and Ralph tries to keep everyone together.  Everyone is pulling in different directions, and therefore not accomplishing anything.

The significance of the title applies to the events unfolding in the story. In the chapter entitled "Huts on the Beach," the boys fail in building several sturdy structures located on the beach. Under Ralph's supervision, all the boys work on the first shelter before the majority of the group abandons the project to play on the island. A few boys help build the second shelter, and then Ralph and Simon are the only ones left to build the third, shaky structure. The huts metaphorically represent the degeneration of civility on the island. As the story progresses, the boys gradually descend further into savagery. Ralph and Jack's disagreements and fundamental differences are also portrayed throughout this chapter. Ralph believes it is important to build huts for protection and peace of mind, while Jack thinks the project is a waste of time. Ralph's ideals illustrate his affinity for civilization, while the opposite can be said about Jack. Jack favors savagery over civility and opposes Ralph's decision to build the huts. It is remarkably clear that civility will not flourish on the island after the huts are poorly built.

The struggle between civilization and savagery is apparent in this chapter.

Ralph feels the priority should be shelter, building huts on the beach.

Jack does not care about that, he wants to hunt. His descent into savagery is apparent. The struggle between the two powers and priorities is obvious in this chapter.

The chapter is called “Huts on the Beach” because the title is a juxtaposition of the boys’ attempts at civilization, “the huts,” and the reality of the situation, the beach.  The boys are mimicking the world they came from, but they are unable to accomplish a real structured lifestyle, or shelter.

The huts are also a test of Ralph’s leadership.  He cannot seem to get everyone working.

“And they keep running off. You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished?” (ch 3)

Ralph cannot keep the boys working, and even the ones that try are not able to be productive.  In the end, the allure of the beach and the island are competing with mediocre leadership skills and lackluster effort.  This foreshadows the breakdown of their society that is soon to come.

The huts on the beach represent order and civilization. The children must discipline themselves to build them, to use proper latrines, and to follow other rules. Ralph is a leader in this regard, but the children instead want to play. When Ralph tries to talk seriously to the children in Chapter 5, to get them to “shape up” so that there is some order on the island, he reminds them that he and Simon were the only two that participated in building all three of the huts. The huts give them a sense of community within, a place together to be safe from everything they fear in the night, which is darkness and the “beast” they think within it.

The boys have divided themselves into two groups: hut builders and hunters.  Jack is in charge of the hunters and Ralph is in charge of the builders.  This is significant because a hunt for animals can be seen as destructive since a hunt ends with the death of an animal and Jack is a destructive force among the boys.  Ralph is seen as a positive force, trying to build a society as well as huts.  Just as Ralph is unsuccessful in building a productive, civilized society among the boys, he is also unsuccessful in building the huts.  What the boys end up with are a few rickety structures that won't withstand weather and time.   He is frustrated at the lack of progress and at how the boys would rather play than work.  Ralph is angry with Jack because all Jack is concerned with is hunting and killing a pig while Ralph is worried about shelter and about signal fires so that they boys might get rescued.