LORD OF THE FLIES

Set on a deserted island in the Pacific during an imagined destructive war, Lord of the Flies focuses
on a group of British schoolboys. Their plane has been shot down and the pilot killed, leaving the
boys without adult supervision. The first two boys introduced are Ralph, the protagonist, and Piggy,
a wise, chubby boy.

CHAPTER: 01

The novel begins with Ralph making his way down to a lagoon. There he meets Piggy, who is going
to the same place. Through their conversation, the boys realize that there are no adults on the
island. Ralph is happy at this thought, while Piggy is concerned. Their conversation reveals that the
plane they were on has been shot down and crashed on the island.
Piggy is chubby, has asthma, and wears glasses. Ralph makes fun of Piggy for the nickname that
had been given him at school, which Piggy does not want repeated. Ralph is surprised when Piggy
doesn't join him for a swim and then mocks him for his asthma when he learns the reason. Piggy
goes on to reveal that his parents are dead and he lives with his aunt. Ralph's father is in the navy
and says that his father will come to the island and rescue them. Piggy cautions Ralph that might not
happen because the pilot told them an atom bomb went off and destroyed humanity.

When Ralph gets out of the lagoon, he and Piggy find a conch shell. Upon Piggy's suggestion, Ralph
blows the shell to call any others who survived the crash. Boys start trickling in, the first one being a
six-year-old named Johnny. As the boys arrived, "they sat down on the fallen palm trunks and
waited."

A group of boys dressed similarly in black appear. They are the choir and are led by a boy
named Jack, who expects that an adult called them. When he comes to realize that there are no
adults around, he says that the boys will "have to look after ourselves."
As the meeting begins, Piggy tries to get all the names but is unsuccessful. Jack thinks Piggy is
talking too much and tells him to shut up, calling him "Fatty." Ralph corrects Jack and says the boy's
name is Piggy; everyone laughs.

After more introductions, Ralph says they have to decide about being rescued and that they need a
chief. Jack says he should be chief, but Roger says they should vote. Ralph is elected to be chief for
no strong reason but apparently because, as the narrator says, "there was his size, and attractive
appearance; and most obscurely, and yet most powerfully, there was the conch." All the boys,
including the choir, applaud the decision, which embarrasses Jack. Ralph puts Jack in charge of the
choir. Jack says they will be the hunters.
Ralph says they need to inspect the island to determine with certainty that it is an island and that it's
deserted. He names himself, Jack, and Simon to do the exploring. The three boys are happy to go
and be explorers. Piggy wants to come, but both Ralph and Jack tell him he can't.
When they make it to the top of the mountain, they can see that it is indeed an island. Ralph believes
the island is uninhabited, and Jack says they could hunt for food until adults come for them.

As the three boys head back to where the rest of the boys are waiting, they come across a pig. Jack,
who has a knife, is ready to kill the pig but pauses. When asked why he didn't kill the pig, he
responds, "I was choosing a place. Next time—!"

CHAPTER: 02
Upon returning, Ralph calls everyone together for a meeting using the conch. Ralph tells them that
they are on an uninhabited island. Jack adds that an army is needed for hunting pigs, and Ralph
agrees. Ralph establishes a rule that a boy can only speak if he has the conch.
Piggy takes the conch and states that no one knows they are on the island. Ralph says that they
could be there a long time, adding, "Until the grownups come to fetch us we'll have fun."
A younger boy takes the conch but is unable to speak aloud, so he speaks through Piggy. He asks
what they are going to do about the snake thing or beast. Ralph and the others try to reassure him
that there is no such thing. As the boy insists, the older boys become anxious as well. Jack takes the
conch and after agreeing with Ralph, he says, "If there was a snake we'd hunt it and kill it." Ralph is
annoyed but eventually continues.

Ralph says they should make a fire on the mountain to help passing ships find them. The boys are
excited by the suggestion and run up the mountain. Piggy, who initially stays back with Ralph, mocks
their behavior. Eventually, Ralph goes too, and Piggy follows. Once the wood is gathered, the boys
are at a loss as to how to light the fire. Jack realizes they can use Piggy's glasses to make fire and
snatches them off his head.

After the fire goes out, Piggy says they could not keep such a fire going. He and Jack have an
argument before Ralph steps in. He takes the conch and suggests they have certain special people
care for the fire. Jack volunteers the choir to be responsible for the fire.

The fire begins to burn out of control. Piggy notes they need to be more careful and thoughtful about
how they do things. His instructions get on Jack's nerves, and they squabble again. Piggy says they
would have been wiser to build shelters first. He continues on with what he feels they should have
done and criticizing their behavior. Piggy realizes that the boy who mentioned the beast is gone. No
one knows what to say about the boy, though they realize he has most likely been burned up by the
fire.

CHAPTER: 03

Jack is by himself in the forest, stalking a pig. He throws his spear at the pig, but he misses it. He
goes back to the beach and finds Ralph and Simon working on huts. Ralph is frustrated at the poor
state of the shelters. He blames this on the others who are not helping but enjoying themselves.
Simon believes Ralph should call a meeting, but Ralph says they talk and plan but then everyone
ends up wandering off anyway.
When Ralph adds hunting to his complaints, Jack becomes annoyed. The two disagree about what
the priority should be. When Ralph notes that most of the hunters came back and were swimming,
Jack defends himself. After Ralph reminds Jack that he has not gotten any meat yet, the anger
between the two of them increases.

Ralph implies that Jack is not contributing and explains why they need shelters. Beside the
possibility of rain, the littluns are having nightmares and screaming out. Simon mentions the beast,
but neither Jack nor Ralph want to talk about it, saying that it's a good island. Jack admits to sensing
something when he is alone in the forest. The boys start talking about the fire and rescue. Jack says
he hopes to catch a pig first.

Simon goes off into the forest. After getting fruit for the littluns, he goes off on his own. He sits down
in the middle of the forest and enjoys the surroundings.

CHAPTER: 04
Mornings are pleasant for the boys, but middays are strange. Mirages and illusions arise. The end of
the afternoon is also pleasant, but darkness sets in quickly.

The boys settle into patterns, including referring to the smaller boys as the littluns. They are all
around six years old and lead a distinct life. They spend their days picking fruit and eating it, whether
it is ripe or not. They also play on the beach and build sand castles. They are terrified at night,
however, and huddle together.

Three of the littluns are playing on the beach. Roger and Maurice, two of the older boys, go for a
swim and walk through the area where the littluns are playing. Roger strides through the castles,
knocking them over and destroying them. Maurice follows along, laughing and also destroying.
Roger decides to follow one of the littluns. He hides and throws stones at him but deliberately
misses.
Jack finds Roger, and he continues to talk about hunting. He puts on camouflage paint, convinced
that he cannot kill a pig because the animals see his skin and run away. The two of them, along with
others, are on the hunt.
Ralph and Piggy have been swimming. Piggy talks about building a sundial. Ralph is disinterested
and goes back to swim again. Piggy follows him, and Ralph sees a ship. He and Piggy realize that
their signal fire is out, so Ralph runs up the mountain. He's followed by a few others. They arrive too
late to restart the fire, and Ralph is furious.
Just then, Jack and his crew come up the mountain while chanting a war chant. They have killed
their first pig, and Jack wants to tell the story. Ralph complains that they let the fire go out, but Jack
says they can relight it. Ralph tells them that there was a ship. Piggy starts reprimanding Jack, and
Ralph resumes his own recriminations. Jack doesn't know what to say. When Piggy starts attacking
him again, he cannot take it anymore. Jack hits him, and the blow breaks one of Piggy's lenses.

Jack mocks Piggy's complaining, and the other boys laugh. Ralph borrows Piggy's glasses to relight
the fire, and they cook the pig. The boys have a feast. During the feast, they reenact how they
caught the pig. Ralph calls a meeting.

CHAPTER: 05
Ralph is on the beach in deep thought. He contemplates how he wants the assembly to go. When it
begins, Ralph says they need to "put things straight" and then rebukes the boys for not following the
rules. They did not keep the coconuts filled with water, help with the shelters, or use the agreed-
upon area for going to the bathroom. Finally, Ralph brings up the fire, which he says should be the
top priority. A new rule is added—there is only to be one fire going and that is the one on the
mountain.
Ralph says that they began happy but that things have gotten worse because of fear. He
encourages a conversation on the fear and admits he is afraid sometimes, too, but knows that it's
nonsense. Jack says he is angry at the littluns for their talk of beasts and their doing nothing to help.
He assures them all that there are no beasts and adds if there were they would deserve to get hurt
because they're useless. He says the island is not suitable for a beast and that he has been all over
it and seen nothing. Piggy concurs with Jack and says some people have fear inside their head, but
fear does not exist. There are doctors for that, and everything is scientific. Piggy says they should be
afraid of people.
A littlun, Phil, says he got up the previous night and saw something moving. Ralph suggests he was
sleepwalking, but Simon admits he likes to go somewhere in the jungle. Another littlun, Percival, is
ready to speak up but then starts crying. All the littluns join him in crying. Maurice makes jokes to
stop them. Jack grabs Percival and asks where the beast is. The littlun whispers to Jack and then
falls to the ground asleep. Jack reports Percival's response, which is that the beast comes from the
sea.
This response raises fear in all the boys. They debate whether it's possible that an animal is coming
out of the water. A silence ensues but is broken by Simon. He tries to speak up but is unable to fully
articulate his thought. Arguments break out again as the boys talk about ghosts. Jack has had
enough. He tells Piggy and then Ralph to shut up. He does not care about the rules and says if there
is a beast, he and the hunters will hunt it down.

Jack goes off and others follow. They pretend to be hunting. Piggy tells Ralph to blow the conch and
reconvene the meeting, but he declines, fearing that they won't come back and that the failure to
restore order will doom them. Ralph considers giving up being chief, but Piggy and Simon convince
him not to.

CHAPTER: 06
On a dark night with only a sliver of a moon, while the boys sleep there is an air battle in the sky
above the island. One of the crew parachutes out of his plane and dies upon landing on the
mountain. His parachute flaps in the wind and his body moves along with it.

The next morning, Samneric, who were on the mountain tending the fire, awaken. While gathering
more tinder wood for the fire, the twins discover the deceased crew member. They mistake the
parachutist for the beast and run off to tell Ralph.
Ralph calls a meeting, and the twins say that they saw the beast. Jack calls for a
hunt. Piggy suggests they stay there and avoid the beast, but this idea is rejected. When Piggy tries
to talk again, claiming the right because he has the conch, Jack says it does not matter anymore. In
the end, Piggy stays back with the littluns while the others, including Ralph, follow Jack on the hunt.
As they walk, Simon contemplates the beast and is frustrated with himself for not being able to talk
at the meeting. When they get to their destination, Ralph says he will go alone because he is chief.
As he first sets out, Ralph feels fear but calms as he continues. Jack quickly follows Ralph, and the
two of them recall their earlier adventure.
Ralph says they must go to the mountain where Samneric saw the beast so they can keep the signal
fire burning. Jack thinks he worries too much about the fire. They go back to the other boys who
soon start playing. They want to continue to do so, but Ralph insists they relight the fire. The others
are annoyed with him, but eventually they agree. Jack again leads the way.

CHAPTER: 07
Ralph dreams of cleaning himself up. Looking out into the ocean, he feels condemned to remain on
the island forever. Simon senses his thoughts and tells him he'll get back all right.
Roger notices pig droppings, and the boys go on a hunt for the animal. They come upon a boar, and
Ralph throws his stick and hits it. Excited about the hit, he feels that hunting is "good after all." The
boar gets away, and the boys pretend that Robert is the pig. They get carried away, and their play
gets violent.
As they continue toward the mountain, the boys grow nervous and want to put off the hunt until the
next day. After giving multiple excuses, they continue. As they proceed, Ralph says they can't
leave Piggy alone with the littluns. The boys are scared of going back and decide it is a one-person
job. Simon volunteers to do it.
When Ralph suggests they stop because of coming darkness, Jack says he doesn't mind going. He
challenges Ralph, who gives in, and all continue. When they get to the mountain, no one wants to
climb it except Jack. Again, Ralph feels challenged and goes with Jack. Roger soon joins them.
Ralph believes they are foolish and stops, but Jack continues on to the summit.
Jack comes back and says he saw something, and all three go for a look. Ralph goes forward. He
sees a rounded shape that seems to move. The three boys run, leaving their sticks on top of the
mountain.
CHAPTER: 08
Ralph tells Piggy what they saw, which he identifies as the beast, but Piggy can hardly believe
it. Jack says the hunters can handle the beast, but Ralph dismisses them as nothing but boys armed
with sticks.
Jack calls a meeting and tells all the boys that Ralph has insulted the hunters and is not fit to be
chief. He calls for a vote on chief and asks for their support. When the boys do not vote for him, he is
hurt. Jacks runs off, declaring he will no longer "play" with them and inviting others to follow him.
Ralph tries to stop Jack but cannot.

After Jack leaves, Piggy says they can get along without him, while Ralph says he will be
back. Simon suggests that they climb the mountain but offers no better reason than "what else is
there to do?" No one takes him seriously. Piggy says they should light the fire on the beach, and
everyone agrees.
After they get the fire going, Piggy and Ralph talk, noting that most of the big kids have followed
Jack. This fact depresses Ralph, and Piggy and Samneric make a feast to try to cheer him up.
Jack addresses his group. He says they will hunt and that they will not bother about the beast. He
says that when they kill a pig, they will leave some for the beast in hope that it then won't bother
them. Jack and Roger lead a successful hunt. The boys laugh at the blood on Jack's hands from
killing the pig.
Jack says they will have a feast and he will invite Ralph and his boys. When Roger asks how they
can make a fire, Jack says they will raid the other boys' camp "and take fire." Before they leave, at
Jack's suggestion the boys leave the pig's head as an offering for the beast.

Ralph and Piggy talk. Ralph admits he is scared and doesn't understand why the others don't want
fire. He turns to Piggy for answers. During this time, the others come and take some burning sticks
from the fire of Ralph's group. Jack invites all those with Ralph to join his tribe in a feast on the
beach. They have a meeting and decide to go to the feast.

The chapter ends with Simon, who had wandered off on his own, coming across the offering. He
imagines the head talking to him. The head is referred to as the Lord of the Flies. Simon has a
conversation with the Lord of the Flies and faints.

CHAPTER: 09
Simon awakens from his fit and leaves the area of the Lord of the Flies. He ascends the mountain
and recognizes that what they thought is the beast is the dead parachutist. From the mountaintop,
he can see the boys and decides that he must tell them the true identity of the beast.
The look of the clouds reminds Ralph of when the boys landed on the island. Piggy reacts with
unusual anger at Ralph when teased by him. He attributes it to a headache. Piggy and Ralph debate
Piggy's suggestion that they go to the feast. While Piggy wants meat, he says the reason to go is "to
make sure nothing happens."
When they come to the feast they find a party, the boys laughing and eating. Jack's face is painted,
and he sits on a log like a chief. When the boys notice that Piggy and Ralph have come, they
become silent. Ultimately, Jack orders that they be given meat.
After asking if everyone has eaten their fill, Jack asks who is going to join his tribe. He says he got
them food and that he and his hunters will protect them from the beast. Ralph protests that he is the
chief and reminds them all of the plan to keep the fire going. The two yell at each other and debate
the relevance of the conch. When Jack asks again who will join his tribe, the boys say they will.
Piggy, sensing trouble, tries to get Ralph to leave. Ralph continues talking, now mentioning the
shelters as lightning and thunder strike.
Jack calls for the dance, and Roger pretends to be the pig. The boys begin their "Kill the beast!"
chant, and all are swept up in the frenzy. They see Simon crawling out of the forest. He calls out
about the dead parachutist, but the boys don't hear or recognize him. Seeing him as the beast, they
kill him with their bare hands and teeth.
The storm takes the dead parachutist's body onto the beach and into the sea. The boys run at the
sight of this. The storm then washes Simon's body into the sea.

CHAPTER: 10
The next morning, Piggy and Ralph are on the beach and realize they, along with Samneric and the
littluns, are the only ones left. Ralph brings up Simon, but Piggy refuses to discuss what happened
and chalks it up to fear. When Samneric come back with firewood, they say they became lost the
previous night. Piggy says he and Ralph came back early because they were tired.
Jack and his tribe are at the Castle Rock. A boy has been tied up; Jack is going to beat him for no
apparent reason. Jack tells his tribe that they will go hunting the next day, but some will need to stay
back to fix up and defend their shelter, a cave. They believe that the beast is not dead and can come
back. When they realize they will need fire, Jack plans to go and get fire from the others. Maurice
and Roger volunteer to come with him.
Piggy and the others wish for ways to get off the island. While collecting firewood, Samneric start
wondering whether doing so has a point. Ralph encourages them to continue. Before he falls asleep,
Ralph again wishes for ways to get off the island. Piggy warns Ralph that if they do not leave soon,
they are all going to go crazy.

Ralph and Piggy hear something and fear it is the beast. Suddenly, they are fighting with Jack and
the others. After the others leave, Ralph checks on everyone. Ralph and Samneric talk about the
fight and feel pride that they got in some blows and held their own. Piggy says he thought they
wanted the conch, but they came for something else. He plaintively asks, "What am I going to do?"
Meanwhile, Jack and the others are headed back to Castle Rock with Piggy's glasses.

CHAPTER: 11
The next morning, Ralph and his crew find they cannot light a fire without Piggy's glasses. Ralph
blows the conch at the urging of Piggy, who cannot see, and the two of them, Samneric, as well as
some littluns gather. Piggy asks Ralph what he is going to do, but Ralph rambles on about what has
happened. They decide to go to the others and make Jack and his tribe see reason.
Ralph suggests they wash up and go. Samneric say they should bring spears, but Piggy says he is
not going to bother. Ralph warns him that he will be hurt. They take the conch shell, and Piggy says
he'll show Jack that this is the one thing he, Jack, has not got.

When they arrive at Castle Rock, they find armed guards. Ralph blows the conch, and the boys of
Jack's tribe appear. Roger, who is standing above them all, flings a rock between the twins, and its
nearness startles them. Ralph states why he is there, and the boys laugh at him. Jack returns from
the forest with two hunters and a dead sow.
Ralph tells Jack they need to return Piggy's glasses. He then rebukes Jack, who objects to being
called a thief and swings his spear at Ralph. The two seem ready to fight when Piggy reminds Ralph
of the reason they came: the glasses. Ralph tells them he needs Piggy's glasses back to keep the
signal fire going. Jack tells Samneric to get back. When they freeze, Jack instructs his crew to grab
them and tie them up.

Ralph insults Jack, and they charge at each other. Piggy demands to speak. There's a pause. While
he is talking, Roger pushes a rock down the cliff, which kills Piggy and destroys the conch in his
hands. His body is pushed off the mountain. Jack throws his spear at Ralph, and the others attack
him. As Ralph escapes to the forest, Samneric are taken and tortured.
CHAPTER: 12
Ralph, whose body is bruised and scratched in many places, is hiding in the forest not far from
Castle Rock. He recognizes that the savagery will only grow and that Jack's crew will come after
him. He comes across the Lord of the Flies and knocks it off the spear that is holding it, taking the
spear as a weapon. Ralph longs to join the others and pretend things had not gone as they had, but
he knows this will not work.
He sees Samneric guarding the Castle Rock. Ralph goes to them, but they tell him he must flee
because the tribe is going to hunt for him the next day. They also say that Roger has sharpened
both ends of a stick, making a more dangerous weapon. Ralph can't understand why they want to
hurt him. When Ralph asks Samneric to come with him, they refuse out of fear. He tells them of his
plan to hide near the hunters' camp, figuring Jack and his followers would not look for him there.
Before Ralph leaves, Samneric give him a piece of meat, an act of kindness. As Ralph goes away,
he can hear one of the twins being beaten.
Ralph goes to sleep in the thicket. The next morning he overhears Jack questioning Samneric, who
give him up under more beatings. A few of the boys go toward the area the twins indicate. Ralph
escapes. Jack and his tribe push big boulders toward the area. Then Jack and his tribe set the forest
on fire to smoke Ralph out.

Ralph escapes the fire and reaches an opening. A boy stands between him and the rest of the
forest. Ralph launches himself at the boy and gets past him. He runs into the forest with the boys in
full pursuit. He hides again, anxious about how to get away.

A boy finds Ralph while he is hiding. Ralph runs past him, gets to the beach, and falls down in
exhaustion, Jack's tribe in full pursuit. When he looks up he sees a naval officer and his ship. The
officer says, "We saw your smoke. What have you been doing? Having a war or something?" Ralph
begins crying, and others cry as well.