Plot summary

what happens at the very start? (beggining)

• Boys crash on the island

• set on a deserted island in the pacific during a destructive war (WW2)

• Boys plane shot down & pilot killed - no grown ups

What does Ralph do in the rising action?

• Calls a meeting using the Conch shell - during which he’s elected chief & rules are established:

  • have to be holding the shell to speak

  • The signal fire is a top priority - want to be rescued

What does Jack become (rising action)?

• Jack becomes obsessed with hunting - ignores other chores

What do Ralph & Simon concentrate on? (rising action)

• Ralph & Simon concentrate on building shelters because Ralph feels its more important → causes arguments between Jack & Ralph

• This tension keeps going all throughout the book

Why does the boat pass? (rising action)

• A boat passes because the signal fire was unlit

• When Jack returns with his first successful kill Ralph yells at him

• When Piggy rebukes him Jack smacks Piggy & breaks his glasses → see a build up of tension over respect

What do Samneric discover? (rising action)

• Samneric discover what they think is the beast

• Piggy wants to avoid that part of the island but Jack says he & his hunters will go out there & kill it

• Jack & Ralph & the other boys lead an expedition to find the beast - on the way they find a pig & Ralph participates in a hunt

What does Jack do after the expedition? (rising action)

• Jack runs away to form his own group (‘I won’t play anymore!’ )

• Tries to take over power from Ralph but the other boys don’t vote for him

• Jack forms his own tribe with the hunters → they paint their faces, spend their time hunting & they mount a pig’s head on a stake as an offering to the beast → becomes known as the Lord of the flies.

What does Simon do during the climax?

• Speak to the Lord of the Flies & is killed while trying to tell the boys about the parachute

• The other boys are having a feast & are whipped into a frenzy, they mistake knowingly/ not Simon for the beast & kill him

What do the remaining boys do in the falling action?

• The remaining boys approach Jack’s tribe & try to get Piggy’s glasses back

• Samneric are captured, Jack & Ralph fight & Piggy while trying to reason with everyone is killed by Roger

• The Conch shell is smashed in the process → symbolising the destruction of civility

What does Ralph do during the resolution?

• Ralph flees for his life from Jack & his hunters who are trying to burn the jungle down in an attempt to smoke Ralph out

• Ralph makes it to the beach where he runs into a naval officer who asks if the boys have been up to a war or something

• Ralph breaks down crying, so do Jack & his hunters

• Ralph sobs for not only his loss of innocence but the loss of his friend Piggy

• The naval officer embarrassed for their emotion turns his back to the boys to give them a moment