Lord of the Flies Summary
Description
Here you will find a Lord of the Flies summary (William Golding's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.
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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024
Chapters
Chapters Lord of the Flies Summary Overview
During a war, a plane evacuating British schoolboys crash lands on an uninhabited tropical island. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy, find a conch shell that they use to gather the others. They elect Ralph as their leader and he assigns Jack to lead the hunt for food. Ralph, Jack, and Simon, another boy, explore the island and decide to create a signal fire to attract passing ships, using Piggy's glasses to ignite the wood. However, they get distracted playing games and the fire quickly consumes the forest, leading to the disappearance of one of the younger boys. In the beginning, the boys enjoy their freedom, but Ralph is concerned about maintaining the signal fire and building huts. Jack becomes obsessed with hunting, and when the signal fire goes out as a ship passes, Ralph confronts him. Jack has just successfully hunted a pig, and in the ensuing celebration, Piggy criticizes Jack and is hit. Ralph reestablishes order with the conch shell and addresses the boys' growing fears of a monster on the island. Soon after, a dead parachutist lands on the island, but the boys asleep below don't notice. When twins Sam and Eric awake, they mistake the figure for the monster and report an attack. Tension grows between Ralph and Jack, and after Jack proposes Ralph be deposed and is rejected, he splits off to form a new tribe. Jack's tribe kills a sow and offers its head to the imagined beast. Simon, having a horrific vision, understands that the real beast is the savagery within the boys. He attempts to share this realization, but is killed in the chaos of Jack's feast. Jack's group attacks Ralph and Piggy the next day, stealing Piggy's glasses and killing Piggy. Ralph narrowly escapes, hiding while the other boys hunt him. Jack ignites the forest to flush out Ralph, who is discovered by a British naval officer whose ship noticed the fire. Overwhelmed by their rescue and the horrors they've experienced, the boys break down in tears.
chapter 1
A blond boy, Ralph, meets a bespectacled, overweight intellectual, Piggy, at a lagoon along a beach. They reveal they were part of a group of English boys transported during a war whose plane was shot down over an unoccupied island, decimating the plane into the dense forest. The boys are scattered, and the pilot is missing. Ralph and Piggy explore the beach in search of other survivors. They stumble upon a large conch shell, which Piggy suggests could be used as a horn. He persuades Ralph to blow into it, summoning the other boys onto the beach, aged between six and twelve. The group includes a boys' choir, led by Jack, dressed in black robes. They march in unison to the beach, where they ridicule Piggy and his moniker. The group decides to elect a leader. The choir votes for Jack, but the majority supports Ralph. Ralph, now the leader, appeases Jack by asking him to lead the choirboys as hunters. Ralph chooses Jack and another choirboy, Simon, to explore the island with him, despite Piggy's complaints of being left out. The boys are thrilled to explore, forming a bond while playing together in the jungle. They reach the edge of the jungle, where they climb a hill and realize they are alone on an island devoid of civilization. They delight in the breathtaking view of their newfound territory. On their return, they encounter a pig stuck in vines. Jack, the new hunter, advances to kill it but hesitates, allowing the pig to escape. He promises not to falter during his next hunt. The boys navigate through the dense jungle and rejoin the group, ending their expedition.
chapter 2
The explorers reunite, and Ralph uses the conch shell to gather the boys for a meeting on the shore. He informs them of their isolation and emphasizes the need for self-reliance and organization. Jack and Ralph discuss the necessity of hunting for food, and establish that the conch shell will be used as a speaking token in meetings to maintain order. Piggy voices his concern about their potential long-term stay on the island due to their unknown whereabouts, which frightens the boys. A younger child claims to have seen a "beastie," a claim that further instills fear, but the older boys dismiss it as a nightmare. Considering the chance of rescue, Ralph suggests constructing a signal fire atop the island's primary peak. This idea excites the group, and they all rush to start the task, except for Ralph and Piggy, who linger behind. Piggy criticizes the group's immaturity and recklessness. They successfully light a fire using Piggy's glasses, but it quickly dies out. Piggy pleads for more efficiency and caution, while Jack assigns his hunters to guard the fire. During their chaotic attempt to revive the fire, they accidentally ignite a section of the forest. Piggy angrily points out that the boy who mentioned the "beastie" has gone missing amidst the chaos, leaving the group stunned and ashamed, and they choose to ignore the incident.
chapter 3
Armed with a crude spear, Jack attempts to hunt a pig in the dense jungle, but the animal eludes him. Frustrated, he returns to the beach where Ralph and Simon are struggling to build shelters for the younger boys. Ralph's frustration stems from the structures collapsing prematurely and the lack of assistance from the other boys, excluding Simon. Meanwhile, most of the boys are frolicking carelessly in the lagoon. Ralph voices his annoyance about the lack of productivity among the boys, who seem enthusiastic during planning meetings but uninterested in seeing the plans into fruition. Ralph highlights Jack’s hunting team's lack of success. Jack assures him that though they haven't yet caught a pig, they will soon. Ralph also expresses concern over the smaller children suffering from nightmares and insomnia. However, Jack, engrossed in his hunting strategies, disregards Ralph's concerns. Ralph, frustrated at Jack and the hunters for avoiding work under the guise of hunting, implies that the boys merely desire meat. Their disagreement escalates, creating a hostile tension between them. They try to reconcile by swimming together in the lagoon but their animosity persists. Meanwhile, Simon strolls through the jungle alone. He assists the younger boys, referred to as "littluns", in reaching fruit on a high branch. Venturing further into the forest, he discovers a serene jungle glade teeming with flora and fauna. Ensuring he is alone, Simon immerses himself in the tranquil scene, appreciating the richness and beauty of life around him.
chapter 4
A routine begins to shape the boys' life on the island. Mornings are calm and refreshing, allowing the boys to enjoy their games. However, as the day progresses, the scorching heat forces some of them to seek refuge in sleep, where they are often haunted by strange apparitions over the water. Piggy writes these experiences off as mirages. Evening brings the much-needed relief from heat, but the quick onset of darkness is scary and challenging. The smaller boys, the littluns, spend their time feasting on fruit and playing, but are frequently troubled by nightmares. Their excessive fruit diet causes upset stomachs and diarrhea. They fear the "beastie" that they believe lurks in the dark. Despite their mostly separate existence, the older boys occasionally torment the littluns. Roger, a particularly cruel boy, and Maurice destroy a sand castle built by the littluns. Roger even hurls stones at a boy, though he makes sure not to hit him. Jack, driven by his desire to kill a pig, paints his face with clay and charcoal and ventures into the jungle to hunt, accompanied by a few boys. Meanwhile, Ralph and Piggy spot a ship on the horizon, but their signal fire has gone out. Despite their best efforts, they fail to reignite it in time, and the ship sails past. Ralph is angry as it was the hunters' duty to keep the fire going. Returning from their hunt, Jack and the hunters arrive covered in blood, chanting a strange song, and carrying a dead pig. Ralph confronts Jack about the fire, but the hunters, drunk on their successful hunt, hardly pay heed. When Piggy criticises the hunters' actions, Jack retaliates by slapping him, breaking his glasses, and mocking his voice. Eventually, Jack concedes his failure concerning the fire but doesn't apologise to Piggy. When Ralph uses Piggy's glasses to ignite a fire, Jack begins to resent Ralph. The boys roast the pig and celebrate with wild dancing and singing around the fire, reliving their primal hunt. Ralph declares a meeting and leaves for the beach alone.
chapter 5
Ralph, growing frustrated with the unruliness of the group and his own unkempt appearance, decides to hold a meeting to restore order among the boys. As night falls, he blows the conch shell to call them to assembly. Holding the conch, Ralph criticizes the boys for their disregard of the rules: their refusal to build shelters, collect water, or maintain the signal fire; their lack of use of the assigned toilet area. He tries to reassure the increasingly frightened littluns there are no monsters on the island. Jack joins Ralph in asserting there is no beast, pointing out that fear is a natural part of life. However, despite Piggy backing Ralph's claim, an undercurrent of fear still lingers. A littlun claims to have seen a monster, suggesting it may emerge from the sea at night. This ignites fear among the boys, throwing the meeting into chaos. Jack seizes the moment to declare he and his hunters will kill the beast if it exists. He mocks Piggy and leaves, followed by several boys. Only Ralph, Piggy, and Simon remain as the distant sounds of hunters' chants fill the air. Piggy implores Ralph to call back the boys with the conch shell, but Ralph fears this might collapse any remaining order if ignored. He considers stepping down from leadership, but Piggy and Simon assure him of his crucial role. As they drift to sleep, the cries of a frightened littlun resonate along the beach.
chapter 6
After carrying a young boy to the shelter, Ralph and Simon retire for the night. A battle unfolds in the skies above the sleeping boys, with none aware of the chaos overhead due to Sam and Eric, the fire watchers, also asleep. A lifeless parachutist descends onto the island during the conflict, his chute becoming entangled in rocks and casting eerie shadows on the ground. Upon waking, Sam and Eric stoke the fire, casting light on the disfigured parachute jumper. They misconstrue the shadowy figure as a monstrous creature. In panic, they rush back to inform Ralph, sparking an urgent meeting. The twins' monster tales terrify the group, leading to a mission to hunt for the beast. Armed with wooden spears, all but Piggy and the younger children embark on the search. Ralph delegates leadership of the search to Jack. The boys venture into unexplored territory, a narrow path leading to a hill punctuated by small caves. Fearful, they send Ralph ahead alone. His fear subsides once isolated, and Jack soon joins him in the cave. The boys climb the hill, igniting a sense of camaraderie between Ralph and Jack. However, the rest of the boys become distracted, engaging in games and losing sight of their mission. Ralph reprimands them, reminding them of their beast-hunting objective and the need to reestablish the signal fire. Despite their reluctance and fantasies of constructing a fort, the boys grudgingly comply with Ralph's directives.
chapter 7
Halting their journey for a meal, the boys reflect on their conditions. Ralph, in particular, is disheartened by their lack of order and discipline and the vast ocean that seems to be a barrier to their rescue. Simon, however, offers him some comfort by expressing his belief that Ralph will eventually return home. During their continuing journey in the afternoon, the hunters stumble upon pig droppings. Jack proposes they hunt the pig while also seeking the beast. The boys track a large boar, and Ralph, a hunting novice, experiences the thrill of the chase. Although his spear only grazes the boar's snout, Ralph feels a sense of accomplishment. Jack, too, shows off a minor injury, which he claims was caused by the boar's tusks. The boys, despite the boar's escape, remain ecstatic and simulate the hunt. Robert, pretending to be the boar, is surrounded and jabbed at with spears; a playful act that almost turns fatal. Oblivious to the severity of their actions, the boys enjoy the mock hunt, with Jack suggesting a littlun for their next 'game'. Ralph, trying to restore sanity, insists they were just playing, while Simon offers to notify Piggy and the younger boys about their late return. As night falls, Ralph suggests waiting until daylight for their climb, but Jack challenges him. In an effort to maintain his status among the boys, Ralph, along with Roger and Jack, ascends the mountain. After climbing alone to the summit, Jack claims to have seen the beast. Ralph and Roger also witness a horrifying sight: a looming, ape-like form making eerie sounds in the wind. Terrified, they rush back to alert the others.
chapter 8
The news of the creature has the boys in a frenzy as they convene at the shoreline. Piggy, who didn't witness the creature on the mountain, is confused by the boys' tales. Jack grabs the conch and clumsily summons for a gathering. He asserts the existence of the beast and accuses Ralph of cowardice, urging for his removal from leadership. The boys, however, refuse to dethrone Ralph. A furious Jack leaves the group, offering an open invitation to anyone who wishes to follow him. Ralph is left in a state of distress, not knowing how to proceed. Piggy expresses relief in Jack's departure, and Simon proposes a return to the mountain to hunt for the beast. The suggestion is met with fear and hesitation. Ralph descends into melancholy, but Piggy brightens his spirits with a suggestion to construct a new signal fire at the beach. This idea rejuvenates Ralph's hope for rescue. As they set to work on the fire, many boys secretly join Jack's camp. Piggy attempts to reassure Ralph that they're better off without the defectors. Elsewhere, Jack gathers his followers and proclaims himself as the leader. In their primitive frenzy, they slay a sow, and Roger gruesomely impales it from behind. The sow's head is left on a stake in the forest as an offering to the beast. The sight of the dripping blood sends the boys scampering away. While Piggy and Ralph sit discussing the absentees, Jack's tribe invades, stealing burning sticks from their fire. Jack extends an invitation to his feast and his tribe to Ralph's followers, tempting them with the promise of pork. Prior to the invasion, Simon retreats to the jungle where he once admired nature's beauty. Now, he discovers the sow's head impaled on a stake, surrounded by flies. The sight hypnotizes him, and he hallucinates the head speaking to him as the 'Lord of the Flies,' ominously stating that he exists within all humans and promises to torment Simon. This horrifying vision causes Simon to faint.
chapter 9
Simon regains consciousness in the dark, humid conditions preceding a storm. With a bloody nose, he makes his way dazedly towards the mountain, where he encounters the lifeless body of the pilot, his parachute flapping in the wind. Recognizing the parachute as the harmless object the boys mistook for the deadly beast, Simon is compelled to tell them the truth about their imagined threat. After freeing the parachute from the rocks, he heads towards Jack’s feast with the intention of dispelling their fears. At the feast, Piggy and Ralph hope to maintain some influence over the group. Amidst the laughter and enjoyment of the roasted pig, Jack commands with the authority of a king, painted and served by the other boys. He extends an invitation to Ralph’s followers to join his tribe, an offer most accept despite Ralph’s attempts to deter them. Ralph questions Jack’s preparedness for the coming storm, pointing out the lack of shelters. Instead of addressing this, Jack rallies his tribe into a wild hunting dance. Caught in the frenzy of the dance, even Ralph and Piggy join on the outskirts. As they reenact the pig hunt, their energy reaches a fever pitch. Suddenly, Simon emerges from the forest. The boys, too consumed in their wild excitement, mistake Simon for the beast and attack him, ultimately killing him in their frenzy. The storm then engulfs the island, driving the boys to seek shelter. The storm carries away Simon’s mutilated body into the sea, encircled by glowing fish. Similarly, the wind sweeps the parachute-bound corpse off the mountain to the beach, sending the boys fleeing into the night in terror.
chapter 10
The following morning, Ralph and Piggy, both physically hurt and mentally disturbed from the prior night's events, gather on the seashore. Piggy is in denial about his involvement in Simon's death, dismissing it as an unfortunate accident. Ralph, however, is in a state of hysteria and vehemently asserts they contributed to a murder, a claim Piggy vehemently denies. The rest of the boys, except for Sam, Eric, and a few younger boys, have aligned with Jack’s group, which is now rooted at Castle Rock. Jack exercises total control at Castle Rock, introducing a reign of terror with arbitrary punishments. A prime example is Wilfred, a boy whom Jack confines and assaults without any clear reason. Jack further alarms the boys by depicting Ralph’s small group as a threat to the tribe. Despite killing Simon, the boys, including Jack, are convinced that he was the beast and that it can take any form. Jack plans to continue defending against the beast and proposes a raid on Ralph’s camp for more fire. Meanwhile, the boys at Ralph's camp are losing hope and interest in maintaining the signal fire. Ralph’s sleep is troubled by nightmares and soon, the camp is ambushed by Jack’s hunters. The hunters brutally attack Ralph and his group, who are clueless about the reason behind this hostility as they would have willingly shared the fire. Piggy, however, understands their motive - they have taken his glasses, the only means of creating fire.
chapter 11
Ralph and his small group struggle to ignite a fire due to the absence of Piggy's glasses. Piggy, whose vision is impaired, insists on a meeting to figure out their next move. Ralph sounds the conch shell, summoning the boys who have remained loyal and not defected to Jack's tribe. They resolve to approach Castle Rock to convince Jack and his followers to see sense. Ralph takes the conch shell with him to Castle Rock, hoping its presence will assert his former authority amongst Jack's followers. Once they reach Jack’s camp, they are met by armed guards. Despite Ralph sounding the conch shell, the guards dismiss them, hurling stones but purposely missing. Jack makes a dramatic appearance with hunters from the forest, dragging a slain pig. A confrontation ensues, with Ralph demanding the return of Piggy's glasses and Jack ordering him out of his camp. Despite Ralph emphasizing the crucial role of the signal fire in their rescue, Jack commands his hunters to capture and bind Sam and Eric. Enraged, Ralph lunges at Jack. A second brawl erupts between Ralph and Jack. Amidst the chaos, Piggy attempts to remind the group of the significance of rules and rescue. However, Roger sends a massive boulder rolling down the mountain. Ralph narrowly avoids it, but Piggy isn't as lucky; he is struck by the boulder, smashing the conch shell and sending him plummeting off the cliff to his death. Jack hurls his spear at Ralph, prompting the others to join in the attack. Ralph manages to escape into the jungle while Roger and Jack subjugate Sam and Eric, forcing them to concede to Jack's authority and join his tribe.
chapter 12
Ralph retreats into the wilderness, despondently pondering the disorder that has consumed the island. He contemplates the loss of Simon and Piggy and the complete eradication of any semblance of civilization. He encounters the now decaying sow's head, the Lord of the Flies, reduced to a brilliant white skull as pale as the conch shell. In his anger and revulsion, Ralph smashes the skull to the ground and arms himself with the stake upon which it was impaled, intending to use it against Jack. During the night, Ralph infiltrates the camp at Castle Rock where he encounters Sam and Eric on guard duty. The twins provide him with food but decline to ally with him, revealing Jack's plans to mobilize the tribe against him. Ralph takes refuge in a thicket, eventually falling asleep. He awakens to the sound of Jack interrogating and tormenting one of the twins for information about his hiding place. Despite the tribe's attempts to breach the thicket, Ralph manages to hold them off. However, the smell of smoke alerts him to Jack's plan to smoke him out by setting the jungle ablaze. Ralph is forced to leave his hiding place, pushing his way through Jack and his hunters. Pursued by a band of painted warrior boys brandishing sharp spears, Ralph desperately seeks a new hiding spot, until he stumbles upon the beach, collapsing in exhaustion with his chasers close behind. He is surprised to see a naval officer standing over him, who explains his presence on the island due to the raging fire. The sight of the officer halts Jack’s hunters in their tracks. The officer naively assumes the boys have been playing games, but is aghast when he learns of the events that have transpired. He scolds them for their regression from civilization. Ralph, consumed with relief at his rescue and narrowly escaping a brutal end, breaks down in tears, a sentiment echoed by the rest of the boys. The naval officer, touched and uncomfortable, turns away, allowing the boys to compose themselves.
