Can anyone give me a short summary of Lord of the Flies novel by William Golding?

Question

We're starting the book, and due to me taking two english classes, and two math classes, I have a lot of work/homework to do. To top it all of, they're all Honor classes, which means it's harder than most classes, and it's English 3 Honors; English 4 Honors; Algebra 3; And then Statistics....Grrr. So, please if you've read this book, I need just a short summary of what it's all about and mostly the MAIN important parts/characters of the story, thank you.

Answer 1

Symbolism played an important part in the development of story. This narrative technique is used to give a significance to certain people or objects, which represent some other figure. The following table lists many of the examples of symbolism used throughout Golding's book.

Object/Character Represents
Piggy (and Glasses) Clear-sightedness, intelligence. Their state represents the status of social order.
Ralph, The Conch Democracy, Order
Simon Pure Goodness, "Christ Figure"
Roger Evil, Satan
Jack Savagery, Anarchy
The Island A microcosm representing the world
The "Scar" Man's destruction, destructive forces
The Beast The evil residing within everyone, the dark side of human nature.
Lord of the Flies The Devil, great danger or evil

There are many other aspects in the story that may be considered symbolism, but the several above are probably the most significant. Another good example of symbolism, brought to my attention by a site visitor, is the shape of the island. The boat shape of the island is an ancient symbol of civilization. The water current around the island seems to be "flowing backwards," giving the subtle impression that civilization may be going backwards for the island or its inhabitants. Additionally, another reader pointed out that Jack could also represent Communism or Fascism. Golding was influenced by events during the time period that the book was written, which was around World War II.


Themes
William Golding presented numerous themes and basic ideas that give the reader something to think about. One of the most basic and obvious themes is that society holds everyone together, and without these conditions, our ideals, values, and the basics of right and wrong are lost. Without society's rigid rules, anarchy and savagery can come to light.

Golding is also showing that morals come directly from our surroundings, and if there is no civilization around us, we will lose these values.

Other secondary themes include the following:

People will abuse power when it's not earned.
When given a chance, people often single out another to degrade to improve their own security.
You can only cover up inner savagery so long before it breaks out, given the right situation.
It's better to examine the consequences of a decision before you make it than to discover them afterward.
The fear of the unknown can be a powerful force, which can turn you to either insight or hysteria.

Lord of the Flies contains numerous characters, all of which are young boys. The most important characters in the novel are listed below, with a short description.

Ralph
Ralph is twelve years old with blond hair, and is the most charismatic of the group. He is described as being built "like a boxer," and is initially chosen as leader due to his many positive qualities. He maintains a conflict with Jack throughout the entire novel, attempting to keep order whereas Jack isn't concerned with it. Ralph and Piggy together represent the struggle for order and democracy.
Jack
Jack is about Ralph's age, with a skinnier build and red hair. His freckled face is described as being "ugly without silliness." From the very beginning, he seems to harbor emotions of anger and savagery. At first, he is the leader of his choir group, who become hunters as the book progresses. Finally, his savage personality and ability to tell people wha they want to hear allows him to overtake Ralph as chief.
Piggy
Piggy is a short and overweight boy who wears glasses and represents order and democracy. He is afflicted with asmtha and doesn't care to do strenuous work on the island. He tries very hard to cling to civilization, and tries his best to keep peace. While probably the smartest boy on the island, he lacks any social skills whatsoever, and has trouble communicating or fitting in with the others. His glasses are a very important part of the book, as they are used over and over to start fires. Piggy's constant polishing of them shows his desire for clear-sightedness and civilization.
Simon
Simon is younger than the three boys above, but older than other littluns. He is very good and pure, and has the most positive outlook. He insist multiple times that they will get rescued, even when Ralph is strongly doubting the possibility. Simon often travels into his tranquil spot in the jungle, but also tries to help out when it is needed. He meets up with a pig's head skewered on a stick, which becomes known as the Lord of the Flies. Simon is killed soon afterward by all of the other boys who were caught up in a savage dance.
Roger
A small boy with dirty and shaggy black hair, Roger represents pure evil and wrongness, moreso even than Jack. He has no mercy, and is the first one to intentionally kill another boy on the island when he smashed Piggy with a boulder. He gets sadistic pleasure from torturing a pig and other boys on the island. Roger is one of Jack's most loyal helpers, and gladly carries out his orders.
Sam and Eric
Sam and Eric are two young twins who always travel and do everything together. Without each other, they are incapable of very much. They represent reliance and unity, and because of this become like one person referred to as Samneric. While seemingly loyal to Ralph, they eventually give in to Jack's threats and join his tribe. While Ralph hoped otherwise, the twins in the end disclose Ralph's hiding spot to Jack. The loss of civilization led them to lose any real sense of loyalty to other.

Chapter 1: The Sound of the Shell
Piggy and Ralph meet up with each other after escaping from their shot-down plane. A large scar was made in the untouched jungle, symbolizing the first of man's destruction on the island. A war is going on in the outside world, and now for the rest of the book, everyone will be isolated from it and put into their own "world."

Piggy spots a conch shell, and tells Ralph how to use it to make a noise. Ralph does so, and calls all of the other boys on the island who crashed down with the plane. Jack and his Choir, Simon, Sam and Eric, and many other characters join in an assembly (including the littl'uns, which are the youngest kids at about 6 or 7 years old). Rules are set down, and Ralph is to be chief. There is no one else on the island but the young boys, so Jack decides to take his choir out to hunt for wild pigs, although he is unsuccessful in killing a small pig with his knife.

Significance: While Jack's first attempt to kill the pig failed, his quote "next time..." foreshadowed his future of savage hunting.

Chapter 2: Fire on the Mountain
Ralph calls another assembly, and reminds everyone that they are completely alone on the island, and there are no adults. Jack recounts his failure in killing the pig, and reiterates the need for skilled hunters. Several rules are made up, such as "whoever holds the conch gets to speak." Unexpectedly, an unnamed littl'un with a birthmark on his face tells about a "beastie" that he saw somewhere on the island. The general consensus from the others is that there is no such thing, and it must be his imagination.

Ralph then suggests making a signal fire, which would be necessary if they hope to get rescued. The boys scramble off to gather wood to build a fire. Unsure of how to light it, they finally grab Piggy's specs and focus the sunlight to ignite their fire. They were not careful, however, and soon the fire is engulfing half the forest near the mountain. The little boy with the birthmark is noticed to be missing, swallowed up by the raging fire.

Significance: Piggy is averse to most of the other boys, who he thinks are acting like little children (they are children, obviously, but Piggy acts like the adult figure). He cites their irresponsibility in dealing with the fire. Jack also shows signs of belligerence when he argues with Ralph about the signal fire, and claims that "The conch doesn't count on the mountain!"

Chapter 3: Huts on the Beach
Jack is busy tracking a pig at the start of this chapter, when he arrives at the beach where Simon and Ralph are constructing huts. Ralph complains no other boys are helping them with their shelters, but Jack tries to argue that hunting is more important; this expands into yet another argument between Ralph and Jack. When Jack again brings up hunting, Ralph presses that keeping the signal fire is much more important than hunting. Jack disagrees, and they boys continue on their path of mutual dislike.

Ignorant to the fussing of the other boys, Simon picks fruit for the littl'uns and makes his way into the jungle finding a clearing. He climbs onto a mat of creepers, and remains there; he enjoys the tranquility of this spot, where he can be in touch with nature.

Significance: Jack is solely concerned with hunting, and cannot see the necessity of other things that can keep them alive. Ralph and Jack are really beginning to fight in this chapter, and it foreshadows much more future conflicts down the line. Simon's actions present him as a very good, peaceful and helpful character, in contrast with many others.

Chapter 4: Painted Faces and Long Hair
Roger is knocking down sand structures made by littl'uns, and throwing rocks at a young boy, although intentionally missing. Jack calls Roger away, asking him to watch him paint his face for hunting pigs.

Ralph and the other boys are swimming in the bathing pool later on, when smoke from a ship is spotted in the distance. The signal fire was out , not being watched, obliterating their chances of rescue. Oblivious, Jack and his hunters come proudly marching carrying their first kill, trying to convey their excitement to Ralph. When Ralph yells that a ship passed them by and no fire was going, excuses are made and Jack tries to say that hunting is of utmost importance. In the ensuing fight, Jack punches Piggy, breaking and knocking off his specs.

Finally, the fire is lit again, the pig is roasted, and everyone eats. The hunters reenact the hunt, with a wild tribal dance and one boy being the pig; this is the first time of many that the dance is performed.

Significance: Roger's first showing of aggression foreshadows his becoming a very evil and sadistic figure, Jack's invitation to watch him paint his face is the start of their "evil friendship." Jack's mask of face paint represents a cover that he can hide behind, which liberates and frees him, allowing him to do anything when wearing it, without worrying about any important matters. Jack still does not understand Ralph's concern with the fire, and doesn't seem to care much for getting rescued. The primal dance performed by the hunters highlights their transition into savagery.

Chapter 5: Beast From Water
At another assembly, Ralph mentions that work isn't getting done, and rules aren't being followed. He tries to drive home the fact that "...we ought to die before we let the fire out."

All the young children, however, are preoccupied with the Beast, which they still believe in as some kind of animal living on the island. Jack says that he's been everywhere, and there is no beast, and Piggy says that a beast can't exist in a world with science. However, a littl'un still steps up and says that he saw something horrid in the forest (which was actually Simon returning in the dark from his peaceful area). Another littl'un says that there's a "Beast from the water," which is further debated. Simon finally tries to settle the matter by saying that there may be a beast, but that "it's only us." However, this is responded to with mocking and joking, as it seems a preposterous notion.

During the assembly, Jack tries brings up the fact that Ralph isn't a good chief, because he can't hunt or sing. Piggy and others are against the idea, but Jack is starting to become more and more savage and overpowering. The assembly soon falls apart and the hunters begin to chant and dance.

Significance: Simon is the only one to realize that there really isn't any "beast," but just a force of evil or savagery inside all of them that can manifest itself in different ways. The boys are beginning to split into two factions, those that support Ralph and those that support Jack and his more savage ways. The conflict between them is continuing to build up.

Chapter 6: Beast From Air
A man from a shot-down fighter plane parachutes down from the sky. The man is already dead, however, and the body and parachute float up to the island, eventually snagging on rocks. The wind continually grabs the parachute, lifting the body up and down, which is seen by Samneric. Terrified, they run to tell about this "Beast from the Air," and an assembly is called. Most everyone now thinks they are in grave danger, and Jack suggests they go hunt it.

Jack, Ralph, and a group of hunters set out to get the Beast, while Piggy stays at the beach with the littl'uns. They first check Castle Rock, where they had never been before. Although they find nothing, Jack thinks the place would be a great fort, and he and his hunters heave a large boulder off a ledge. Ralph prods them along, and they decide to continue to the mountain to look for the Beast.

Significance: The fighter plane being shot down at the beginning symbolizes the war going on in the real world, and links it to the boys and their island. Jack's intrigue with Castle Rock foreshadows his future use of the location as a fortification.

Chapter 7: Shadows and Tall Trees
Ralph begins to ponder about their appearance and dirtiness as they walk to the mountain; he would love to get his hair cut back down to a half inch. Simon sees Ralph staring out to sea and repeatedly reassures him that they will get home safely.

Jack, his hunting instincts always engaged, finds traces of a boar which they begin to hunt. Ralph manages to hit it with his spear, but the animal escapes. Another tribal dance is formed, with a boy named Robert as the Pig. Unlike before, Ralph actively participates, and their acting becomes overly realistic, actually striking and hurting Robert.

Finally, they move on towards the mountain, and send Simon back to tell Piggy they won't be back soon. Jack scales the mountain and reports a sighting of a moving creature, initiating a mass climb to the summit. When they see what they believe to be the Beast (the body being lifted by the parachute), they make haste to leave.

Significance: Simon's reassurance of their rescue strengthens his position as a positive and good character. Ralph, on the other hand, showed his faltering in blocking his inherent savagery when he joined in on the pig hunt and dance. Even to Ralph, "the desire to squeeze and hurt was overmastering." Even the mock pig hunt is becoming something of danger and greater brutality.

Chapter 8: Gift for the Darkness
Piggy is told about the encounter, and everyone tries to decide what to do. Jack calls an assembly, and insists that the Beast is a major threat that should be hunted. Ralph upsets him, though, when he calls his hunters cowards. Enraged, Jack asks if anyone thinks Ralph shouldn't be chief. Nobody responds, so he asks again for anyone to come with him, then runs off with tears in his eyes. Their signal fire is being blocked by the Beast, as they believe, so they decide to move the fire to the beach. When they get there, they notice that most of the older boys did in fact decide to go off with Jack, except for Ralph, Simon Piggy and Samneric.

Jack's tribe begins to hunt, and they come across a sow and baby piglets in the clearing near Simon's domain. They attack and kill the mother sow, while the piglets escape. The head is severed and put on a stick, which is embedded into the ground as a gift for the Beast. Jack finally realizes that they'll need fire to cook the meat, so they raid Ralph's camp and steal a flaming log, and invite them to come feast. Ralph maintains that the fire is more important, but has to be reminded why by Piggy.

Simon encounters the Pig's head, and manages to start talking to the thing, although it is mostly in his imagination. The black cloud of flies coating the head causes it to now be called "The Lord of the Flies." The Lord of the Flies says "I'm part of you...We're going to have fun on this island." It continues to say that if Simon tries to talk to the others about the Beast, that he will be killed by everyone, including Ralph and Piggy. After taking this all in, Simon feels a faint coming on and collapses.

Significance: Jack's killing of the mother pig shows his great lack of foresight, as by killing the mother, they were losing all the other piglets who would've been a future source of food. The events with Simon are also some of the most important in the book, hence the book's name. Simon's conversation with it is the basis of the theme of the novel, and is partly his imagination, and partly some kind of "message" from the unknown. The Lord of the Flies basically confirms to Simon that the Beast really is "inside" everyone, but says that everyone would rather have fun than worry about anything else. The threat of being killed clearly foreshadows the ending of Simon's life.


Chapter 9: A View to a Death
A violent storm is raging on the island, while Simon finally wakes up from his faint. He staggers towards the beach to tell the other boys about his ordeal. Piggy and Ralph already decided to check out the roasting of the Pig, where Jack then asks everyone to confirm their loyalty to him. Ralph tries to persuade them to follow himself and keep the fire alive, but most of the boys are already overcome by Jack's leadership and ability to tell them what they want to hear.

Insistent, Ralph tries to talk some sense into them, asking them what they will do without shelters. Jack just orders the boys to begin their dance, oblivious to any dangers. Roger plays the pig, and as the boys begin dancing, even Piggy and Ralph feel the strong lure to be part of the group, take part in this primal ritual. As before, the dance escalates into real attacking, but they are distracted by a figure emerging from the jungle. They call out that "it's the Beast!" and begin to attack it relentlessly. The beaten and dead body of Simon is then carried out to the sea by the current.

Significance: The beating of Simon by all the boys, even Ralph and Piggy who were caught up in the frenzy, fulfills the Lord of the Flies' "prophecy." Even these boys were overcome with their savage side when in such close contact with all the other boys.

Chapter 10: The Shell and the Glasses
Samneric are collecting wood for the fire, while Ralph and Piggy discuss the murder of Simon; the rest of the boys pledge their loyalty to Jack. Piggy claims that the whole affair was an accident, and that they just got all caught up.

Jack meanwhile is guarding his fort on Castle Rock, where Roger is always ready to use a lever to drop a boulder on intruders. Jack has a boy tied up and beaten, for no reason except to show what happens if anyone gets in his way. His savagery is obvious now, and his face is always painted.

Ralph is still pondering over watching the fire, and he always has to be reminded that the fire is a necessity. Ralph tries to reassure the twins that what they are doing is right, and Jack is wrong, in response to their protests. They finally concede to leave the fire and go to their shelters. They are woken up by unusual sounds, and fear it may be the Beast, but it turns out to be Jack and tribe searching for fire. They break into the shelter and begin to fight for Piggy's glasses, cutting and knocking teeth loose in the process.

Significance: The murder of Simon is somewhat of a wake-up call for Ralph, who doesn't accept that it was just an accident. The constant need to be reminded about the fire, though, shows that he is losing touch with civilization, and responsibility. Roger being ready with the massive boulder foreshadows some future use for it, undoubtedly to cause harm. The stealing of Piggy's glasses shows a disappearance of a symbol of order and clear-sightedness, as they unwillingly drift from civilization.

Chapter 11: Castle Rock
Ralph calls an assembly in worry, and Piggy, the twins and a few littl'uns are the only ones left to attend. Ralph suggests to the bruised boys that they may be able to go to Jack and demand the specs back, since they are not savages and rescue is not just a game. Ralph and Samneric set off carrying spears, leading Piggy holding the conch.

At Castle Rock, Roger orders the boys to halt, but Ralph blows the conch. Ralph tells them he is calling an assembly, and Jack steps forward. He laughs at their request to return the specs, and a fight ensues. Jack then orders his tribe to grab Samneric, and tie them up. Suddenly, interrupting the fighting, Piggy speaks up, asking everyone if it is better to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill. Everyone remains silent and hears his message. As Piggy continues his preaching of democracy, Roger slams the lever holding the boulder and it goes careening down. Ralph dodges the rock, but the unseeing Piggy is struck, sending him flying 40 feet straight down and shattering the conch. Even Jack is a bit surprised with Roger's quick and brutal action, but he assures Ralph that it will happen to him next. Ralph begins to run away, and the tribe eventually gives up pursuit under Jack's order.

Significance: Piggy's willingness to come along for what he believes is right, and his standing up and speaking out shows that he has gained greater courage and confidence since the beginning of the novel. His tragic death and the shattering of the conch represents the disappearance of some of the last remnants of democracy. With Samneric taken under Jack's control, Ralph is the only one left with the waning sense of democracy and goodness.

Chapter 12: Cry of the Hunters
Ralph is huddled in the jungle near Castle Rock, as dusk passes. Samneric, who are guarding Castle Rock under Jack's leadership, are approached by Ralph. They inform him that Jack's tribe will be out hunting him the next day, and they have "sharpened a stick at both ends." Ralph tells Samneric of his hiding spot, and proceeds back to it. Scared by Jack's power, Samneric tell Jack about Ralph's hiding spot the next morning. Another boulder is rolled down, but misses smashing Ralph. Other attempts of getting Ralph from his hiding spot are unsuccessful, so they set the entire area on fire in desperation.

Ralph begins to run from the advancing fire, making his way to Simon's mat of creepers where he hides and lays low. The savages advance with the fire, searching, hunting for Ralph. They finally reach Ralph's hiding spot, and Roger looks in. Ralph attacks him, knocking him over, and continued running to the beach. Running wildly, he almost crashed into a Naval officer standing at the beach, who was attracted by all the fire and smoke. He assumes that their stay on the island must've been all "fun and games," but is surprised at the spears and face paint on many of the boys. Some are crying, many are confused. The officer is told that two boys were killed, and everyone is taken to a Navy cruiser.

Significance: The "stick sharpened at both ends" is a reference to what they did with the Lord of the Flies, impaling one end in the head and the other in the ground. This shows the brutality of what they planned to do to Ralph, who indeed felt like a pig being hunted by the savages. The fire set on the entire island shows the tribe's complete lack of foresight, as if they were not rescued, they would have no food or shelter. Ironically, the fire meant for evil started by Jack turned out to be what got the boys saved. The arrival of the Naval officer thus seems like a happy and ironic ending, but if one digs deeper it is just a continuation from one war to another. Once all the boys get on the Navy cruiser, they'll most likely just be subjected to more battle and fighting, this time on a worldwide level, due to the war taking place in the outside world.

Hope this helps. Keep up the good work!!

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Rent the movie.

It's about a bunch of kids stranded on a desert island. They break into two groups. One of the groups has an authoritative leader who claims there is a monster on the island that they should all be on the lookout for, and kill on site. The other group is shunned by the former group and they're just eeking by, yet continue to try and convince some of the others that there is no monster. Parallels are abound in present-day society.

Answer 4

Use what's written above by the others, but also make sure you add that Golding wrote LofF as a social commentary. He created an island that is a "microcosm" of the world as he saw it. Use of the word microcosm = good marks. Trust me!

Answer 5

2

Answer 6

lengthy hair is nice but requires maintenance and u have to grow that out for a long time

Answer 7

I prefer hair which is shoulder length or longer, And also since that men who like ladies are more often then not right, they like long hair because that looks more feminine, as most males have short hair.

Answer 8

Its about a bunch of rotten little school boys who kill their teacher I think. It has been a long time. They get totally out of hand and the more they are egged on by the evil one the more they gang up.
Below is a link that gives a summary

Answer 9

You chose to take such a course load, so don't expect us to do your work for you.

Besides, if all you read is a summary, you will not get what the book is about and you will fail your tests. A guy in my class only read the Cliff's Notes before doing a speech on this book. Since the Cliff's Notes left out some major parts, he got an F and ended up failing English, which meant he failed his senior year.

Answer 10

it's been awhile, but i wrote this book report four times in different schools (i moved around alot). in short, private school kids crash on a deserted island. they end up fending for themselves, and split into tribal factions. one group promotes order and democracy, another is relatively anarchic and laissez-faire. they encounter obstacles real and imagined (a 'monster', really a dead parachutist; hunting boars, etc.). jack, one leader, tries to save piggy (big nerd) from the other boys who seek to demean and destroy him. the whole island devolves until civilization is non-existent, and the 'wild' boys seek to kill the 'good' boys until the deus ex machina aka adults show up to liberate and rescue the children, just before jack's death at their hands. it's basically an argument that man himself is base and untrustworthy, and that without societal laws and maxims he is destined to break down into chaos (in my opinion).

Answer 11

Hi there,
As I've been in the same boat as you, I won't be a hypocrite by saying "Do your own homework!" Haha I know how hard it can be to fit everything in when you have a demanding academic schedule along with work/social life on top of that.
Are you familiar with Sparknotes.com? I'd be surprised if you weren't, but if you are, they can be very helpful. I read LOTF in high school so I can vouch that Spaknotes is accurate with this novel. (confession: I read the novel and watched the movie, and hated both! and I'm a university English major! haha--don't feel bad).
I am cutting and pasting (you can groan--sorry) the plot overview from Sparknotes and I'll provide links (they have more detailed chapter synopses and character evaluations).
PLOT SUMMARY:
In the midst of a raging war, a plane evacuating a group of schoolboys from Britain is shot down over a deserted tropical island. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy, discover a conch shell on the beach, and Piggy realizes it could be used as a horn to summon the other boys. Once assembled, the boys set about electing a leader and devising a way to be rescued. They choose Ralph as their leader, and Ralph appoints another boy, Jack, to be in charge of the boys who will hunt food for the entire group.
Ralph, Jack, and another boy, Simon, set off on an expedition to explore the island. When they return, Ralph declares that they must light a signal fire to attract the attention of passing ships. The boys succeed in igniting some dead wood by focusing sunlight through the lenses of Piggy’s eyeglasses. However, the boys pay more attention to playing than to monitoring the fire, and the flames quickly engulf the forest. A large swath of dead wood burns out of control, and one of the youngest boys in the group disappears, presumably having burned to death.
At first, the boys enjoy their life without grown-ups and spend much of their time splashing in the water and playing games. Ralph, however, complains that they should be maintaining the signal fire and building huts for shelter. The hunters fail in their attempt to catch a wild pig, but their leader, Jack, becomes increasingly preoccupied with the act of hunting.
When a ship passes by on the horizon one day, Ralph and Piggy notice, to their horror, that the signal fire—which had been the hunters’ responsibility to maintain—has burned out. Furious, Ralph accosts Jack, but the hunter has just returned with his first kill, and all the hunters seem gripped with a strange frenzy, reenacting the chase in a kind of wild dance. Piggy criticizes Jack, who hits Piggy across the face. Ralph blows the conch shell and reprimands the boys in a speech intended to restore order. At the meeting, it quickly becomes clear that some of the boys have started to become afraid. The littlest boys, known as “littluns,” have been troubled by nightmares from the beginning, and more and more boys now believe that there is some sort of beast or monster lurking on the island. The older boys try to convince the others at the meeting to think rationally, asking where such a monster could possibly hide during the daytime. One of the littluns suggests that it hides in the sea—a proposition that terrifies the entire group.
Not long after the meeting, some military planes engage in a battle high above the island. The boys, asleep below, do not notice the flashing lights and explosions in the clouds. A parachutist drifts to earth on the signal fire mountain, dead. Sam and Eric, the twins responsible for watching the fire at night, are asleep and do not see the parachutist land. When the twins wake up, they see the enormous silhouette of his parachute and hear the strange flapping noises it makes. Thinking the island beast is at hand, they rush back to the camp in terror and report that the beast has attacked them.
The boys organize a hunting expedition to search for the monster. Jack and Ralph, who are increasingly at odds, travel up the mountain. They see the silhouette of the parachute from a distance and think that it looks like a huge, deformed ape. The group holds a meeting at which Jack and Ralph tell the others of the sighting. Jack says that Ralph is a coward and that he should be removed from office, but the other boys refuse to vote Ralph out of power. Jack angrily runs away down the beach, calling all the hunters to join him. Ralph rallies the remaining boys to build a new signal fire, this time on the beach rather than on the mountain. They obey, but before they have finished the task, most of them have slipped away to join Jack.
Jack declares himself the leader of the new tribe of hunters and organizes a hunt and a violent, ritual slaughter of a sow to solemnize the occasion. The hunters then decapitate the sow and place its head on a sharpened stake in the jungle as an offering to the beast. Later, encountering the bloody, fly-covered head, Simon has a terrible vision, during which it seems to him that the head is speaking. The voice, which he imagines as belonging to the Lord of the Flies, says that Simon will never escape him, for he exists within all men. Simon faints. When he wakes up, he goes to the mountain, where he sees the dead parachutist. Understanding then that the beast does not exist externally but rather within each individual boy, Simon travels to the beach to tell the others what he has seen. But the others are in the midst of a chaotic revelry—even Ralph and Piggy have joined Jack’s feast—and when they see Simon’s shadowy figure emerge from the jungle, they fall upon him and kill him with their bare hands and teeth.
The following morning, Ralph and Piggy discuss what they have done. Jack’s hunters attack them and their few followers and steal Piggy’s glasses in the process. Ralph’s group travels to Jack’s stronghold in an attempt to make Jack see reason, but Jack orders Sam and Eric tied up and fights with Ralph. In the ensuing battle, one boy, Roger, rolls a boulder down the mountain, killing Piggy and shattering the conch shell. Ralph barely manages to escape a torrent of spears.
Ralph hides for the rest of the night and the following day, while the others hunt him like an animal. Jack has the other boys ignite the forest in order to smoke Ralph out of his hiding place. Ralph stays in the forest, where he discovers and destroys the sow’s head, but eventually, he is forced out onto the beach, where he knows the other boys will soon arrive to kill him. Ralph collapses in exhaustion, but when he looks up, he sees a British naval officer standing over him. The officer’s ship noticed the fire raging in the jungle. The other boys reach the beach and stop in their tracks at the sight of the officer. Amazed at the spectacle of this group of bloodthirsty, savage children, the officer asks Ralph to explain. Ralph is overwhelmed by the knowledge that he is safe but, thinking about what has happened on the island, he begins to weep. The other boys begin to sob as well. The officer turns his back so that the boys may regain their composure.