Lord of the Flies (Ch 1)

I don't understand the line on page 7, "All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat."

I found it odd, on page 8, and almost ironic that the fat boy said, "Perhaps there aren't any grownups around." The use of the word grownup make him seem young and naive, yet he used the word perhaps, which made him seem more mature, and I wasn't sure of his age anymore.

I don't understand the fair boy's explanation regarding the pilot on page 8...

How can both of the boys just drop the subject of the boys that were in the part of the plane that was burning? (page 8-9)

I'm confused as to why Ralph saw it necessary to take off his clothes. (page 10)

On page 14, I like the phrase "wrestling with the brilliance of the lagoon." However, I don't understand the whole metaphor.

So I guess I can assume the boys are from Europe, more specifically Britain, or at least Piggy is because he said "pounds" referring to payment.

For some reason, in the descprition of the choir boys, the fact that they wore a cross stood out to me.

Why on page 24 does Ralph accept Simon to go exploring with them, even though Simon had just fainted and he had heard of Simon's fainting spells?

On page 31, though I thougth Jack was a fool for wasting the opportunity to kill the pig, I understood because where he lived, he probably had every meal served to him and never had to kill an animal himself.