Lord of the Flies Chapter Summaries

Key Events:

• The boys continue to recreate familiar rules
• They decide that their rescue relies on fire. Their fire gets out of control and destroys part of the island
• The idea of a beast is first mentioned
• Piggy continues to be ostracised by society
• The first death (a little-un) happens out of sight: the buys are to blame

Significance:

• The conch becomes recognised as a symbol of order, respect and civilisation
• Golding hints at how much the boys could achieve if they worked together. He also foreshadows the geographical divide of the tribe
• Piggy emerges as a figure of sense but not authority
• The boys are unprepared for survival and we see the beginnings of ‘herd mentality’
• The fire symbolises their civilisation and also foreshadows their decent into chaos as they give into their savage instincts
• Golding prepares us for further deaths to come

Key Events:

• Jack hunts pig; he has adapted to life in the jungle
• Ralph and Simon built huts for their ‘civilisation’ whilst the others play
• Ralph and jack verbally argue about their different priorities (rescue/meat)
• Jack is becoming wilder but shows a rare empathy with the Littleuns. He talks of the jungle of being threatening to the boys
• Simon finds his own secret place in the jungle

 Significance:

• Golding uses zoomorphism to describe Jack: the animal attributes and solo focus emphasise his separation from the other boys
• Structure: Golding brings the three original explorers back together. Each boy advocates a different perspective on human purpose
• Despite the tensions, the conflict between civilisation and savagery still heavily leans towards civilisation
• The boys find verbalising their feelings difficult which emphasises their immature age
• Simon’s secret place allows the mystical side of the island, and his character, to emerge

Key Events:

• Golding describes the boy’s daily rhythms. Groupings are now well established; the boys are settling into life on the island
• Some Littleuns play; Roger and Maurice destroy their sandcastles and roger throws stones at Henry
• Jack camouflages up – creating his ‘hunting mask’
• The boys miss being rescued by a ship because the hunters let the fire go out
• The hunters kill their first pig and the buys feast. Jack breaks Piggy’s glasses in an argument about the fire

Significance:

• This chapter marks the beginning of the de-civilisation of the boys. Rules and morals from their old lives are still present, but are fading
• The boys community mirrors a political society; the faceless Littleuns resemble the masses of common people and the older boys fill positions on power which begin to conflict
• Jack’s bloodlust has overwhelmed his interest in civilisation. He paints his face like a barbarian and leads wild chants among the hunters. He craves power through savagery

Key events -

• Ralph calls an important meeting at dusk and considers the weight and responsibility of being chief
• He raises 5 issues central to their wellbeing and rescue: fresh water; shelter; lavatories; fire; fear of the beast
• Different interpretations of the beast arise and the boys have very different perspectives about it
• Jack disregards the rules and the conch and the assembly breaks up

Significance -

• We start to see growth in Ralph: Golding’s use of a free indirect style of narrative enables us to see how his understanding of life and of leadership is maturing. He even develops a new found respect for Piggy and his clear thinking
• Pathetic fallacy: the meeting takes place at dusk – heightens the boys’ feelings of fear; reflecting the increasing symbolic ‘darkness’ of their experience on the island and how they can’t ‘see’ properly. Golding also presents ideas about eh boys making the island ‘dirty’ as they move away from civilised behaviours
• Order is collapsing: the group have begun to fracture, the power of the conch is fading and the boys wish for a sign from the grownups to help them. Golding is reflecting the fracturing of society when is threatened
• Fear is growing: the beast develops from an indescribable/imagined feeling of fear at the start to being a possible, tangible sea monster. Simon is the only boy who recognises the truth of what the beast is