Lord of the Flies

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Chapter 1 & 2 Analysis - The Sound of the Shell &

  • Introduced to Ralph, followed by Piggy
  • Boys find a conch - Shows how they are still civilised
  • Choirboys arrive - "Something dark" - foreshadowing of later on in the book
  • This chapter is optimistic - Ralph is elected as Chief - recreating society that they are used to
  • They think the island "belongs" to them
  • Jack is humiliated by Ralph being chosen as chief - shows there may be tension later on
  • Jack is frustrated when  he fails to kill the piglet - Beginning of the hunting obsession
  • The description of the island isn't very nice - "threatening weight", "skull-like" coconuts
  • The boys bully Piggy - They don't realise Piggy's intelligence
  • The boys establish rules - "Hands up" 
  • Jack wants to punish those who break the rules
  • First signs of fear - Little'uns say there is a beast - Irrational fear- Jack undermines Ralph's authority
  • They get carried away by building a signal fire - Death happens - made people fearful - hints that it isn't a classic adventure story
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Chapter 3 & 4 Analysis - Huts on the Beach & Paint

  • Jack hunts alone - Determined to kill a pig - ditched school uniform - hair has grown longer - Losing his old civil self
  • Differences between Jack and Ralph become more obvious - Argue about different priorities - fire vs hunting
  • Simon goes off by himself into the forest - Seen as spiritual
  • Violence begins - Roger and Maurice and the stones
  • Jack paints on a mask - Begins savage nature
  • Boys see a ship but the fire is out - everyone is upset - shows they haven't forgotten their old lives
  • The fire shows the difference between Jack and Ralph - starts the violence
  • Conflict between Jack and Ralph becomes violent - Ralph trusts the conch
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Chapter 5 & 6 Analysis - Beast from Water & Beast

  • Ralph realises things are going wrong - Doubts his ability as a chief - He calls a meeting  but they begin to ignore his
  • The beast divides the group between who believes and who doesn't
  • The conch becomes less important 
  • "******** to the rules" 
  • Jake causes chaos
  • The body of a dead airman is found
  • The dead airman is the sign from the adult world that the boys asked for
  • Jack and Ralph have different plans to deal with the beast - Jack wants to track the beast, Ralph wants to wait
  • The boys reactions at Castle rock reflect their leadership styles
  • Jack thinks it would be a good place for a fort
  • Ralph thinks it is a "rotten place" to set up a base
  • No food or shelter - shows the sensible from the savage
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Chapter 7 & 8 Analysis - Shadows and Tall Trees &

  • Ralph feels trapped on the island - Ralph gets a sense of "remoteness of the sea"
  • Ralph joins a pig hunt - Gets why hunting is so appealing
  • The boys re-enact the hunt and Ralph joins in - gets out of hand 
  • Ralph and Jack struggle to control the group - Jack suggests that Ralph is "frightened"
  • Jack tries to take over as chief - He loses the vote, but people secretly start joining his tribe
  • Jack's new group kills a pig viciously - Jack seizes power without a vote
  • Simon is terrified of the Lord of the Flies
  • Simon finds the pig head - The Lord of the Flies - KEY EVENT
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Chapter 9 & 10 Analysis - A View to a Death & The

  • Simon finds dead airman - "The beast"
  • Jack's power grows - Every has a feast, including Ralph and Piggy
  • The tribe murders Simon - Everyone is shaken by it
  • The boys' savagery and violence reach a peak when they murder Simon
  • The boys act as a "Single organism" when they murder Simon
  • The boys react to Simon's murder in different ways
  • Piggy claims it was an accident
  • Ralph is the only character who admits it was murder
  • Jack tells the tribe they were attacked by a beast
  • Ralph has lost all his power to Jack
  • Only Ralph, Piggy, Sam and Eric are the only ones left to look after the littluns
  • Jack's tribe steal Piggy's glasses
  • Ralph is surprised that they didn't take the conch, he hasn't realised that the conch - and all it stands for - is of no interest to Jack
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Chapter 11 & 12 Analysis - Castle Rock & Cry of th

  • Ralph and Piggy still believe in the power of the conch - Ralph's group still use the conch to take it in turns to speak 
  • Piggy believes that if he goes to Jack holding the conch, Jack will return his glasses because "right's right". He still believes the conch can inspire decent behaviour.
  • The atmosphere at Castle Rock is hostile
  • Piggy's death is symbolic of logic and reason
  • Ralph doesn't take a lot of notice
  • Ralph realises that his life is in danger
  • Golding's use of language creates a terrifying atmosphere
  • Short sentences - Describes the hunt from Ralph's point of view to enhance how scared Ralph is
  • They are saved by a naval officer 
  • Ralph is saved just as his death is certain
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