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- The first chapter establishes the setting, introduces the central characters, launches the story, and plants the seeds of the novel’s themes. Golding structures the plot as an exploration of human nature and human societies.
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How does Ralph maintain order in Chapter 1?
Who leads the boys in Lord of the flies?
Is Lord of the flies a political allegory?
Is the civilization established in Lord of the flies a product of social instincts?
How do Ralph and Piggy become civilizing forces?
How does Jack separate from Ralph's group in Chapter 7?
The conch shell itself is one of the most important symbols in the novel. The conch shell represents law, order, and political legitimacy, as it summons the boys from their scattered positions on the island and grants its holder the right to speak in front of the group.
- Quick Quiz
Quick Quiz - Lord of the Flies Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis...
- Full Book Summary
In the midst of a raging war, a plane evacuating a group of...
- Chapter 12 Quiz
Chapter 12 Quiz - Lord of the Flies Chapter 1 Summary &...
- Symbols
The Lord of the Flies is the bloody, severed sow’s head that...
- Important Quotes Explained
This passage from Chapter 4 describes the beginnings of...
- Character List
Sam and Eric are always together, and the other boys often...
- Suggestions for Further Reading
A critical guide to Lord of the Flies. This may be more...
- Related Links
William Golding - Lord of the Flies (BBC Radio 4) This is a...
- Quick Quiz
An English schoolboy of about twelve years old explores a jungle. A second boy soon joins the first. The first boy is tall, handsome, and athletic. The second is fat and wears glasses. The boys discuss what happened and how they got to the jungle.
Summary. Chapter 1. The novel begins with Ralph making his way down to a lagoon. There he meets Piggy, who is going to the same place. Throu... Read More. Chapter 2. Upon returning, Ralph calls everyone together for a meeting using the conch.
ChapterSummaryChapter 1The novel begins with Ralph making his ...Chapter 2Upon returning, Ralph calls everyone ...Chapter 3Jack is by himself in the forest, ...Chapter 4Mornings are pleasant for the boys, but ...Summary and Analysis Chapter 1. Lord of the Flies opens with Ralph meeting Piggy. Their conversation provides the background of their situation: In the midst of a nuclear war, a group of boys was being evacuated to an unnamed destination. Their plane crashed and was dragged out to sea, leaving the boys stranded on an unfamiliar island.
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
After a group of boys find themselves stranded on a deserted island, ranks begin to form. Ralph is elected leader of the boys, and he appoints Jack as leader of the hunters. Read a full Summary & Analysis of Chapter 1
Ralph establishes rules to maintain order during meetings. Fear starts to spread among some of the boys who realize they might be stuck on the island for an indefinite amount of time. They are further shaken after one of the boys mentions seeing a beast on the island. The boys attempt to light a signal fire, but mistakenly set nearby trees on fire,...
Tensions between Ralph and Jack grow after Ralph criticizes Jack and some of the other boys for not contributing to their efforts to build huts for the younger boys and for failing to catch a pig. Meanwhile, Simon finds an idyllic location on the island. Read a full Summary & Analysis of Chapter 3
Ralph and Piggy spot a ship in the distance, but the signal fire has gone out. Ralph is furious with Jack and his hunters who were supposed to maintain the signal fire, however, Jack, overjoyed and in a frenzy after finally catching a pig, ignores Ralph’s complaints. After Jack assaults and breaks Piggy’s glasses, the boys roast the pig and dance m...
Ralph blows the conch shell and calls a meeting to reiterate the importance of keeping the signal fire lit and to reassure the littluns that there is no monster on the island. The meeting quickly turns to chaos, and after Jack and the other hunters run off, only Ralph, Piggy, and Simon remain. Piggy and Simon assert that they need Ralph’s leadershi...
The twins, Sam and Eric, mistake the body of a dead parachutist for the beast, and after informing Ralph, the boys organize an expedition to search the island for monsters. The boys encounter an unexplored part of the mountain, and Ralph and Jack share a friendly moment. Ralph upsets the boys after scolding them for having fun rather than searching...
The boys reenact the boar hunt from earlier in the day with a boy named Robert pretending to be the boar, but the boys take things too far and almost kill him. Though Ralph does not think they should hunt for the beast later that night, he joins the hunt. The boys become horrified after witnessing a giant ape-like figure. Read a full Summary & Anal...
Jack separates from Ralph’s group and forms a tribe of his own. Jack and his group leave a pig’s head on a stake in the clearing as an offering to the beast. Simon returns to the beautiful site he discovered, but finding the pig on the stake covered in flies, he begins to hallucinate that the head is talking, claiming itself to be the “Lord of the ...
Simon discovers the dead body of the parachutist and realizes that the boys mistook it for the beast. While at Jack’s feast, a storm hits the island, and the boys begin dancing frantically in the rain. When Simon emerges from the woods hoping to tell them about the reality of the beast, he is attacked and murdered by the boys who mistake him for th...
Ralph is ashamed of the events of the previous evening, while Piggy refuses to accept his role in the murder of Simon. Jack rules his tribe on the Castle Rock, the top of the mountain, and decides to raid Ralph’s now-small group. Jack and his tribe attack Ralph and Piggy while they sleep, and they steal Piggy’s glasses in order to make fire. Read a...
The opening chapter of Lord of the Flies establishes the novel as a political allegory. As a whole, the novel explores the need for political organization and dramatizes the clash in human nature between instinctual and learned behavior.
When the other boy takes his cue from Ralph and begins to undress, the two are spotted by a group of boys. The boy suggests that they should get the boys’ names and try and convene a meeting. The boy represents the rigid, bureaucratic approach to life.
