In the fifth chapter of Lord of the Flies, William Golding refers to the assembly place as a triangle, and this holds some symbolic significance. Let's look at the triangle and what happens within it in more detail.

Ralph has called another assembly because there are some issues that the boys must discuss and some corrections that must be made. The assembly place is shaped like a triangle with logs on all three sides. Ralph sits alone on the largest log that runs parallel to the beach. He is at the base of the triangle, and this represents his solidity and thoughtfulness. Ralph is the one who gives the boys something of a foundation that can support them if they want it.

There is another large log on another side of the triangle where some of the boys sit and four smaller logs on the third side. One of the smaller logs tends to tip and send the boys sitting on it sprawling. This is funny at first but then annoying, although no one, not even Ralph, thinks to fix it. This little log symbolizes the weakness of the triangle and the weakness of the boys' loyalty to and unity with one another. It also represents what the boys fail to do, which is one of the biggest obstacles to their survival.

The assembly breaks up in conflict, leaving only Ralph, Piggy, and Simon in the triangle. These three actually form a triangle of their own, for they are the most practical of the boys who really care about others and want to make sure that everyone survives. Yet they are also the three who are most opposed or ignored by the others, who tend to want to run wild.