Chapter Summaries Flashcards
1
Q
chapter 1 summary
A
- the novel opens with the description of a fair-haired boy (Ralph) and a boy who is ‘shorter’ and ‘very fat’ (Piggy) moving through a jungle
- their discussion reveals that they and some other children have been in a plane crash and may be stranded on an island without any adults
- they find a conch (a type of seashell) and Ralph blows it like a trumpet
- other boys, including a group of choristers led by Jack, appear on the beach
- the boys vote for Ralph as their chief
- Jack, Ralph and a boy called Simon set off to explore and they discover that they are indeed on an uninhabited island
- while returning to the others they find a trapped piglet
- Jack hesitates to kill it and it escapes however Jack claims that the next time the pig will not escape
2
Q
chapter 2 summary
A
- the boys meet on the beach
- Ralph declares that the conch shell will be used to determine who has the right to speak
- a small boy claims that he saw a snake-like ‘beastie’ or monster during the night
- Ralph suggests that the group build a large signal fire on top of the island’s mountain to attract attention from any passing ships
- the boys rush off to build the fire, realising that that can use the lenses for Piggy’s glasses to light it, but the fire gets out of control
- the small boy, who told the boys about the ‘beastie’ goes missing; they pretend that nothing has happened
3
Q
chapter 3 summary
A
- chapter 3 begins with Jack practising his skills as a hunter like an animal alone in the wild
- when he returns to the beach, he finds Ralph and Simon struggling to build shelters; the rest of the boys are not helping as they had promised
- it became increasingly clear that Jack and Ralph have different priorities on the island
- the two boys have a tense exchange about the fact that the shelters have not been built and that Jack and the hunters have still not killed a pig
- Simon reminds the boys of their fears of the ‘beastie’ on the island
- when Ralph and Jack leave to go and continue the hunt, Simon is left to contemplate the situation of the island on his own
4
Q
chapter 4 summary
A
- Roger throws stones near a ‘littlun’ but does not hurt the boy because he remembers the rules of the adult world
- Ralph and Piggy are stunned when a ship passes the island and they realize that the hunters have let the fire and smoke signal die out
- meanwhile, Jack has camouflaged his face and succeeds in killing a pig
- Ralph and Piggy argue with the returning hunters about the fire and then watch enviously as the boys re-enact the pig’s capture in a celebratory, tribal dance
5
Q
chapter 5 summary
A
- as he walks along the beach, Ralph thinks about the qualities a chief needs and how he can fulfil the role
- he hold an assembly to try and get everyone to take their responsibilities seriously; he insists they keep the fire going in the hope of being rescued
- the ‘littluns’ voice their fears about ‘the beast’ and it becomes apparent that they are very frightened, especially Percival
- Jack decides that he and his hunters will search for the beast
- he quarrels with Piggy before breaking up the assembly
- most of the boys follow him, except for Ralph, Piggy and Simon who are left alone on the beach
6
Q
chapter 6 summary
A
- during the night a dead aircrew member drops by parachute into the trees
- none of the boys see this
- Sam and Eric, who are supposed to be watching the fire, fall asleep
- when they wake up they believe they have seen ‘the beast’ and run back to the camp
- the boys go on a hunt for the beast and discover a part of the island where they have not been before
- they are initially scared but then want to build a fort and play in what they call ‘Castle Rock’
- Ralph reminds them that they have to go back and build the fire
7
Q
chapter 7 summary
A
- Ralph is starting to give up the idea of ever being able to escape from the island
- Simon reassures Ralph that he will get home
- that afternoon, the hunters find pig droppings and Jack suggests they hunt the pig
- the boys track a large boar and chase it
- the boar escapes, but the boys are thrilled with the chase and re-enact the scene with Robert and the pig
- Jack challenges Ralph to continue the hunt for the beast and he eventually agrees
- Ralph, Roger and Jack start to climb the mountain
- Jack claims to have seen the beast, which Ralph and Roger then confirm
- the three boys flee from the mountain top in terror
8
Q
chapter 8 summary
A
- Jack calls an assembly using the conch
- he tells the others about ‘the beast’ and claims Ralph is a coward and should no longer be the leader
- the other boys refuse to vote Ralph out of power and Jack leaves the group in tears
- Piggy suggests to Ralph that they build a new fire on the beach whilst many of the older boys leave to join Jack’s group
- Jack declares himself the chief of the new chief of the new tribe and they kill a sow, leaving the head as an offering to the beast
- Jack’s group steal fire from Ralph’s group and invite them to their feast
- meanwhile, Simon has slipped away from the group and finds the pig’s head, which speaks to Simon as the ‘Lord of the Flies’ terrifying Simon into a faint
9
Q
chapter 9 summary
A
- Simon awakens from his ‘fit’, climbs the mountain and encounters the dead parachutist
- he realises that this is what the boys have mistaken for the beast
- he frees the parachutist from the rocks and goes to tell the boys what he has seen
- meanwhile Ralph and Piggy go to Jack’s feast in the hope that they will be able to regain control
- the majority of the boys decide to join Jack’s tribe; they dance and chant in frenzied excitement after joining in the feast
- Simon emerges from the forest; the boys assume he is the beast and they kill him in a moment of hysteria
10
Q
chapter 10 summary
A
- the morning after the death of Simon; Piggy and Ralph are ashamed of their actions
- Piggy believes Simon’s death was an accident whereas Ralph insists it was murder
- everyone but Sam and Eric and a few littluns have joined Jack’s tribe
- at Castle Rock, Jack is a brutal leader and the boys are punished for no apparent reason
- Jack states that they must continue to guard against ‘the beast’ for it can never be truly dead
- Jack sends a group of boys to attack Ralph’s camp; they beat Ralph and the others badly and steal Piggy’s glasses
11
Q
chapter 11 summary
A
- Sam, Eric, Ralph and Piggy go to the other end of the island to see Jack and demand Piggy’s glasses
- Roger sees the boys and defends the entrance at Castle Rock
- Jack returns from hunting and argues with Ralph, while Piggy begs for Ralph’s protection
- the argument becomes violent as Jack and Ralph fight
- Sam and Eric are tied up and the boys clash again, while Piggy protests
- the tribe listen for a moment, but Roger releases a rock which hits Piggy and kills him, breaking the conch
- Ralph gets injured in the chaos that results, but runs away from the tribe as Roger asserts authority
12
Q
chapter 12 summary
A
- Ralph is wounded and in hiding, fearful for his life
- he debates whether he should stay on his own or try to join Jack’s tribe
- he discovers and destroys the pig skull (the Lord of the Flies), thinking it is alive
- he approaches Sam and Eric who warn him that he is in danger
- he spends the night hiding while the tribe chant and feast
- Sam and Eric are forced to betray Ralph and reveal his hiding place
- the hunters drive him out into the open by setting fire to the undergrowth
- they chase him across the island
- he flees to the beach and collapses at the feet of a naval officer, whose ship has spotted the smoke and has come to investigate
- the boys realise they are rescued and begin to weep for themselves and their lost friends
