Lord of the Flies Plot Summary - Full Lesson - Schooling Online

Summary

In the midst of a tropical island, British schoolboys must navigate survival after their plane crashes. Initially setting rules under Ralph's leadership, they face conflicts between order and chaos. As fear of a mythical beast grows, divisions lead to brutality. Tragic consequences follow, marked by the deaths of Simon and Piggy. Ultimately, their rescue comes from a naval officer, though the boys' innocence is irretrievably lost. The story explores themes of civilization versus savagery and the inherent darkness within human nature.

Highlights

• Ralph and Piggy discover a conch shell, using it to gather the boys. 🐚
• A leadership struggle ensues, with Ralph elected as leader while Jack heads the hunters. 👑
• Fear escalates when a 'beast' is imagined, leading to chaos among the boys. 🐾
• Piggy's glasses, essential for fire, become a symbol of diminishing intelligence and reason. 🔥
• Simon discovers the 'beast' is a dead parachutist, but is tragically killed before revealing the truth. ☠️

Key Takeaways

• Ralph, representing order, struggles to maintain control against Jack's savage instincts. 🌴
• The conch symbolizes authority and civilization, but its destruction marks the descent into chaos. 🐚
• Fear of the 'beast' drives the boys into hysteria and violence, highlighting irrational fears. 😱
• The boys' society breaks down, revealing the thin veneer of civilization. 🏝️
• Rescue offers little comfort as the boys confront the irreversible loss of innocence. ⚓

Overview

In 'Lord of the Flies', a group of British schoolboys find themselves stranded on a tropical island after their plane crashes. Initially, Ralph takes leadership, and the boys aim to maintain order and civility with the hope of rescue. They establish rules and work towards maintaining a signal fire for passers-by. However, fear emerges in the form of an imagined 'beast', and the group dynamics begin to shift.

As fear and paranoia mount, Jack's faction grows increasingly savage, leading to the brutal deaths of Simon and Piggy. Piggy's conch shell and glasses, symbols of reason and order, are destroyed, signifying the collapse of civilized behavior. The search for rescue becomes desperate, with the forest set ablaze in a final bid to eliminate Ralph.

The arrival of a naval officer seemingly promises salvation, but the boys' experiences have profoundly changed them. Their physical rescue signifies a return to civilization, but not before they confront their own capacity for evil. Golding's novel explores the tension between the civilized impulse and primal instinct, posing questions about human nature itself.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 02:00: Introduction to the Island The chapter introduces the setting of a tropical island where there are no grown-ups. The island features a lagoon, a warm bathing pool, fresh water, plenty of fruit, and wild pigs. The characters ended up on the island due to a plane crash, which might have been the result of being shot down. Importantly, they believe no one knows they are there, setting up a challenging situation for the protagonist.
• 02:00 - 03:00: Meet Ralph and Piggy The chapter introduces Ralph, a British school boy stranded on an island after a plane crash due to a nuclear war. Ralph meets another boy named Piggy, who is knowledgeable despite being somewhat annoying. Piggy shows Ralph how to blow into a conch shell found on the shore.
• 03:00 - 05:00: Establishing Order Ralph uses a booming call to gather all the boys to a meeting platform, where the group of boys is divided into 'littluns' (younger boys) and 'biguns' (older boys). At this meeting, they hold an election to choose a Chief. Despite Jack Merridew's expectations to win, Ralph is elected as the leader.
• 05:00 - 06:30: Life on the Island Jack remains in charge of his choir, and they take on the role of hunters. Despite being stranded on an island, the group views it as a good place to live until rescue. They establish a few basic rules to follow and aim to enjoy their time. However, the younger children, referred to as "little ons," are not having fun. One small boy claims that a beast visits at night and attempts to eat him. Although initially mocked and laughed at by the others, the older children try to reassure him.
• 06:30 - 07:00: The Fire Incident The chapter titled 'The Fire Incident' covers a tense debate among the children about the existence of a beast. Despite dismissing the idea of a beast, focus shifts to rescue strategies. Ralph, one of the children, assures others of imminent rescue by his father in the British Navy. The chapter concludes with their attempt to build a signal fire on the mountain to attract any passing ships.
• 07:00 - 09:00: Fear and the Beast In the chapter titled 'Fear and the Beast,' Piggy contributes to building the wood pile, and the group uses his glasses to start a fire. However, the fire quickly grows out of control, threatening to ignite the entire island. Amidst the chaos, it becomes apparent that one of the younger boys is missing, adding to the tension and fear among the group.
• 09:00 - 12:30: The Hunt for the Beast As the weeks progress, Ralph, Jack, and Simon take on the tasks of building shelters, learning to hunt, and debating the existence of the Beast. Meanwhile, the younger boys play and swim during the day but are terrified at night, believing the Beast is after them. Despite their fears, the older boys assert that the Beast doesn't exist, though they recognize the importance of creating shelter for their safety.
• 12:30 - 15:00: Simon's Revelation Simon has adapted to the jungle environment and is comfortable being alone, even discovering a secret cave where he can relax. Despite being a loner, Simon is portrayed as kind-hearted. In contrast, another character, Roger, is also a loner but lacks kindness, as evidenced by his enjoyment in throwing stones at others. The chapter explores the contrasting personalities of Simon and Roger.
• 15:00 - 18:00: The Feast and Aftermath In this chapter, the narrative follows a sequence of intense events that reveal character dynamics and thematic elements. Jack is portrayed indulging in his sadistic impulses during a pig hunt. Meanwhile, Ralph notices a ship passing by and quickly ascends the mountain to check the smoke signal, only to find that the fire is out. This failure signifies a missed opportunity for rescue, as the ship disappears from view. The responsibility for this oversight falls on Jack's Hunters who were supposed to maintain the fire. This incident underscores the tension between Ralph and Jack, highlighting themes of responsibility and the consequences of neglect.
• 18:00 - 20:30: The Fracture of the Group In this chapter titled 'The Fracture of the Group', the dynamics among the boys take a turn for the worse following Jack's first successful hunt. Jack's initial excitement quickly fades when he faces Ralph's anger, which becomes a catalyst for further conflict. Piggy, voicing dissent, becomes a target for Jack's aggression; Jack's assault results in the damage to Piggy's glasses, critically impairing his vision. Although a meal of roast pig provides a temporary uplift in spirits, the underlying tensions remain, with Ralph noticeably holding on to his displeasure.
• 20:30 - 23:30: Piggy's Tragic Fate In the chapter titled "Piggy's Tragic Fate," Ralph becomes frustrated with the group after returning to the beach. He calls a meeting to emphasize the importance of their survival priorities if they want to be rescued. He insists that they need to manage fresh water supplies, build shelters, and properly use the toilet area. However, the most crucial task is to ensure that the fire keeps burning to create smoke signals for potential rescuers. Ralph stresses that making smoke is their key to being discovered and rescued.
• 23:30 - 27:30: The Final Hunt The chapter "The Final Hunt" begins with a discussion about the Beast's existence on the island. This conversation leads to wild speculation among the boys about giant squids, ghosts, and the philosophical idea that the Beast might reside within each of them. The meeting ends unfavorably as Piggy and Jack argue over the Conch, a symbol of order among the boys. Disregarding the rules, Jack dismisses the group and leaves to dance with his Hunters, showing a shift away from civilization and towards savagery.
• 27:30 - 30:00: Rescue and Reflection In the pre-dawn light, a parachuter's dead body lands near a signal fire on a mountain top, mistaken for 'the Beast' by Sam and Eric, who flee in fear.

Lord of the Flies Plot Summary - Full Lesson - Schooling Online Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] we're on a tropical island with no grown-ups woohoo the island has a lagoon a warm bathing pool fresh water heaps of fruit and wild pigs unfortunately we're here because our plane crashed it may have even been shot down so no one knows we're here this is the situation faced by our protagonist or main character
• 00:30 - 01:00 Ralph he's part of a group of British school boys who were evacuated after the outbreak of nuclear war but their plane never arrived at its destination and the wreckage was dragged out to sea in a storm one of the first boys Ralph meets on the island is piggy he's a bit annoying sometimes but piggy knows things like how to blow into the con shell that Ralph finds on the shore and
• 01:00 - 01:30 make it boom that's how Ralph calls all the other boys to the Rock platform for their first meeting there are littens or little boys aged from about six and bigin or big boys aged into their teens one of the first things they do is vote for who will be Chief Jack merido thought he was a shoe in for the role but the tribe vote for Ralph instead good choice Lads
• 01:30 - 02:00 Jack can stay in charge of his choir they'll be the hunters now they may be stuck on an island but it's a good Island so until they're rescued they'll live by a few basic rules and try to have fun but the little ons aren't having fun a tiny boy tells the group about a beasy that comes at night it tries to eat him after they finish laughing at him the bigin assure
• 02:00 - 02:30 the littens that there is no beasty but the littens aren't convinced beasts aside they need to discuss rescue Ralph explains that his father is in the British Navy so rescue is only a matter of time so they must build a signal fire to attract any passing ships up on the mountain everyone except
• 02:30 - 03:00 piggy helps to build the wood pile then they snatch Piggy's specks Focus the light on the kindling and Presto we have a fire but before the boys even realize the Fire gets away on them it's bad enough they nearly set the whole island on fire but then a terrible realization is made one of the littl ons is missing he was last seen down there there oh
• 03:00 - 03:30 no as the weeks pass the boys muddle on with building shelters learning how to hunt and pondering the question of the Beast well that's what Ralph Jack and Simon do the others mostly muck around in the bathing pool but at night the littl on scream in fear of the Beast that hunts them the bigin still agree that there is no beasty but shelter will
• 03:30 - 04:00 make them all feel safer meanwhile Simon has embraced the jungle he's not afraid to walk alone and has even found a secret cave to chill out in Simon's a bit of a loner but he has a kind heart then we have Roger he's also a bit of a loner but he doesn't have a kind heart at all in fact Roger enjoys throwing stones at litts and Longs for
• 04:00 - 04:30 the chance to inflict pain for now he'll have to satisfy his sadistic impulses on Jack's pig hunt back on the beach Ralph spots a ship he scrambles up the mountain to check the smoke signal but the fire is dead and deserted Jack's Hunters were supposed to tend the fire in shifts as the ship vanishes on the horizon Jack and his Hunters appear with a freshly
• 04:30 - 05:00 killed Pig Jack's so excited about his first kill that he barely registers Ralph's rage eventually Jack's humiliation turns to anger when piggy voices his opinion Jack attacks him causing Piggy's specks to fly off one of the lenses is smashed leaving piggy half blind thanks Jack a meal of roast Pig lightens the mood of bit but Ralph is still
• 05:00 - 05:30 annoyed after they all return to the beach Ralph calls a meeting if they're serious about being rescued they need to pull their heads in fresh water needs to be brought shelters need to be built and they must use the toilet area properly but the most important thing is the fire Ralph makes this point clear we make smoke or we
• 05:30 - 06:00 die the last issue on the agenda is the Beast is there one on the island this leads to Wild speculation about giant squid ghosts and whether the Beast lives inside us all the meeting breaks down and piggy and Jack fight over the Conch eventually Jack scoffs at the rules and goes off to dance with his Hunters that night night as the boys
• 06:00 - 06:30 sleep there's an explosion in the sky followed by a falling parachute the wind carries it to the top of the mountain plonking the dead parachuter near the signal fire when the twins samon Eric arrive for their early shift at the signal fire they get a nasty shock in the dim pre- Dawn light the wind Ruffles the parachute and disturbs the corpse it must be the Beast the twins flee down
• 06:30 - 07:00 the mountain positive that they're being chased they tell Ralph and he calls a meeting the hunt for the Beast is on piggy stays with the little ons while all the bigin grab Spears and head for the rocks at the other end of the island that's where they think the Beast hides during the day when they get there Ralph finds a Nifty cave but no Beast when they see there's nothing to fear the
• 07:00 - 07:30 boys swoop in to check out the cave wow what a cool Fortress now that it's daytime the boy's fears have evaporated but Ralph needs them to smarten up the Beast may still be out there and they must relight the fire back on the hunt the only thing that jumps out at the boys is a terrified Pig it gets away on them so they enjoy a frenzied game of kill the
• 07:30 - 08:00 Pig instead Robert pretends to be the pig and is very lucky not to get hurt eventually the boys get tired so Ralph Jack and Roger go on while the others head back to Camp by the time they reach the top of the mountain it's quite dark and their old fear of the Beast returns when the wind blows something thing moves the boys step closer to see
• 08:00 - 08:30 an ap-like figure with its head bowed when the wind blows again the parachute causes the figure to sit up and glare at them with its ruined face the boys flee in such a panic that they leave their Spears behind early the next morning piggy can barely believe his ears when Ralph tells him about the beast when Jack suggests his Hunters could kill it Ralph
• 08:30 - 09:00 dismisses them as boys armed with sticks this angers Jack who calls a meeting to get Ralph sacked as Chief when this doesn't work Jack throws a tantrum and goes off on his own for good Piggy's super pleased about this and happily carries on the meeting without Jack since the Beast crouches near their signal fire piggy suggests they start another fire on the beach
• 09:00 - 09:30 he's such a thinker that piggy but by the time the new Fire is lit Ralph notices that most of the bigin have snuck off even Simon is missing down the other end of the beach Jack rejoices with his new tribe they unleash their bloodthirsty excitement in a gruesome pig hunt the S suffers a terrible death and Jack tops It Off by sticking its
• 09:30 - 10:00 head on a stake this will be their offering to the Beast then the plan is to steal fire from Ralph's camp and lure more followers with the promise of meat Simon sees and hears all of this from his cave the sa's head becomes the Lord of the Flies and it speaks to Simon run away child
• 10:00 - 10:30 back on the beach a tropical storm gathers as Ralph and piggy sit by the fire suddenly painted figures burst out of the Jungle and steal flaming branches then Jack appears and invites the boys to join his tribe and enjoy tonight's Feast meanwhile Simon is still wigging out in the forest the Lord of the Flies scolds him like a school master and
• 10:30 - 11:00 confirms what Simon already knew the Beast lives in all of them this continues until Simon has a fit and Falls unconscious when he wakes the air is electrified by the Gathering storm in a days Simon staggers up the mountain when he reaches the summit he learns the truth the beast is just a rotting corpse he must must tell the
• 11:00 - 11:30 others down on the beach Ralph and piggy finally abandon the signal fire to join the feast Jack is happy to share because the show of generosity Works in his favor the tensions between Ralph and Jack start to rise again and piggy gets a very bad feeling then the storm breaks and Jack channels the boy's hysteria into a hunting dance
• 11:30 - 12:00 as the ritual reaches its climax Simon stumbles out of the Jungle in the dark chaos of the dance and the storm Simon is perceived as the Beast the boys attack him with their Spears even as he yells out about the dead man on the mountain Simon's broken body is left on the sand for the waves to claim then a mighty Gale lifts the parachute from the top of of the mountain as the corpse is towed over the
• 12:00 - 12:30 Lagoon the terrified boys Run for Cover the next morning the boys are awkward with each other when Ralph mentions murder piggy tries to convince him it was an accident but deep down Ralph knows they're all responsible for a terrible thing Ralph piggy salmon Eric and now the only Biggins Who Remain at the
• 12:30 - 13:00 signal fire the rest have defected to Jack's tribe over at Castle Rock no one in Jack's tribe mentions anything about Simon or murder it was the beast in Disguise and it will be back in the meantime they'll hunt feast and leave another offering for the beast but how will they have a feast without a fire no problemo they'll just take what they need that night Jack
• 13:00 - 13:30 Maurice and Roger raid Ralph's camp and steal Piggy's specks it's a low blow piggy is now totally blind and the signal fire is a lost cause the next morning Ralph calls a meeting things have gotten completely out of hand and there's only one thing to do go to Jack and ask for Piggy's specs back so Ralph piggy Sam and Eric March
• 13:30 - 14:00 up the beach towards Castle Rock when they get there the reception is Frosty Jack has no intention of returning piggy specks and won't be reasoned with so Ralph and Jack have a violent Showdown on the narrow neck of land leading to Castle Rock Sam and Eric are also taken as prisoners when Ralph and Jack pause to catch their breaths piggy stands with
• 14:00 - 14:30 the Conch he tries to reason with Jack's tribe but they just mock him cruy above them all stands Roger who releases a giant boulder from the top of Castle Rock The Enormous thing tumbles down the neck of land striking Piggy on its way through the Conch explodes in his hands and he falls Landing heavily on a flat rock below Piggy his skull opens on impact and he lays there until
• 14:30 - 15:00 a wave claims his body jack is thrilled he wanted piggy to die and Ralph is next he hurls a spear at Ralph and injures him badly panicked and outnumbered Ralph escapes into the safety of the forest Ralph decides to hide in the bushes near Castle Rock but his is tormented by the smell of roasting meat
• 15:00 - 15:30 so he limps over to the fruit trees to eat on his way back he comes across the pig's head remember the Lord of the Flies Ralph smashes the ugly thing and grabs the steak to use as a spear the tribe will feast tonight but what happens tomorrow when Ralph sees Sam and Eric take over as the night Watchmen he climbs Castle Rock to get
• 15:30 - 16:00 answers sammon Eric can't save him but at least they give Ralph some meat and warn him about tomorrow's big hunt Ralph tells the twins where he'll be hiding so they can keep the tribe away from him as Ralph climbs down the rock the chilling warning comes Roger has sharpened a spear at both ends Ralph wonders what the heck that even means the next morning Ralph wakes to the
• 16:00 - 16:30 sound of the hunt unfortunately one of the twins has been bullied into giving away his Hideout when they set the Bush on fire to smoke him out Ralph wriggles out and runs for his life but he can only run and hide for so long they'll get him eventually then there's another threat the fire starts engulfing the entire Island those those fools Ralph tears through the forest
• 16:30 - 17:00 with the hunters in Hot Pursuit trees explode into flame and walls of fire block his path so Ralph speeds towards the open beach he tumbles onto the warm sand and braces himself but the blow doesn't come Ralph gets to his feet and sees a British naval officer standing before him his ship is mored nearby they'd seen smoke billowing from the island and
• 17:00 - 17:30 pulled in to investigate the hunters are now all gathered on the sand behind Ralph from the officer's point of view they look like a bunch of Ratty kids having a nasty little war what a shame this group of British boys couldn't behave better suddenly Ralph begins to cry then all the boys are sobbing they' done terrible things on this island and their
• 17:30 - 18:00 innocence is truly lost they will be rescued but how will they cope with the evil they've seen and done what would you have done in their place would you have chosen common sense or succumbed to the inner Beast we hope you enjoyed this schooling online
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