Lord of the Flies
By: Wiliam Golding
Main Character Description
Piggy: A large kid, one of the older ones. He was made fun of and teased about his
weight and it drove him crazy. He met Ralph first. Piggy wore glasses, which later proved
vital for fire making. The best way to get to Piggy was to take away his "specs" because
without them, he couldn't see a foot away from anything. He is later killed in the book.
He falls fourty feet onto solid rock and his head splits open.
Ralph: Ralph is chief of the group on the very first day. He was voted above Jack and
his small band of kids. Ralph is one of the oldest. He first meets Piggy and was the
original founder of the Conch Horn. Ralph comes up with many useful ideas during the
novel, like the shelters on the beach. He is hunted right before they are rescued.
Jack: Has his own band of kids that he later names, his "hunters." In the group, they
are responsible for the hunting of the pigs of the island; to bring in meat. Otherwise,
the only thing they had to eat was the fruit of the island. Later on in the novel, Jack
leaves the group of kids to be on his own.
Simon: Quiet, out-spoken by everyone, Simon is one of the hardest-working of them all.
He helps Ralph with the shelters and the little ones with fruit. He is later killed in
the novel.
Sam 'n Eric: Sam and Eric are twins. They help in various problems during the novel and
survive until the end of the novel. Neither of them play a vital role in the novel.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 1- In the first chapter, the time is right after the plane has wrecked and they
all wake up from the crash. Ralph and Piggy meet each other, walk around and soon look
for other people on the plane. Ralph soon finds the Conch shell and uses it like a horn
to beacon the others. The survivors eventualy find themselves together in a group; Ralph,
Piggy, Jack and his hunters, Sam 'n Eric and Simon included. They vote Ralph the chief of
the group, make a few rules (like, whoever has the Conch Shell has the right to speak)
and designate Jack and his band as the group's "hunters." Ralph, Simon and Jack explore
the island and climb it's pink mountain to see if the place they were at is trully an
island. They find it is.
Chapter 2- An idea is formed for the group. They decide to designate a place on the top
of the mountain and make a fire-pit for a signal to ships or planes that may be passing
by. The whole group colects tons and tons of wood and dead leaves and heaves them alll
into a pile. They use Piggy's specs to start the fire by placing them between the sun and
the pile. Soon, the fire consumes all of the materials they had collected and very little
smoke had been created. Piggy is made upset and he starts a much bigger fire. They all
get in an argument. Then meet back down at the meeting place.
Chapter 3- In this chapter, the group attempt to make huts on the beach. It turns out
that Ralph and Simon end up doing all the work. The shelters are not very good ones and
the progress is slow. Jack is upset that he cant get any meat for the group to eat, and
that his band of hunters spend all their time in the bathing pool.
Chapter 4- In this chapter, a few of the kids find out about camoflauge and such. Some of
them paint their faces for hunting. Jack included. He decides white and red to plit his
face then a black line from his right eye to his left jaw. A ship came within sight of
the island, but Jack and his group of kids went hunting so the fire was left and went
out.
Chapter 5- Three shelters have been built by this time in the novel and a restroom was
about to be built by the bathing pool. They were going to build the restroom by the
bathing pool so the tide can clean everything out. (their camping area was getting a
little dirty) Chief Ralph also made a new rule that no fire ever be made unless it's on
the mountain. And that if they didn't keep that fire going, they'll die. A rumor was
spread sayingthat a gigantic squid was seen, bigger than a whale. Towards the end of the
chapter, Jack riles up an assembly and they all go running after the "beast."
Chapter 6- The beast-hunting party makes their way up the pink rock mount. There was only
one place on the island that Jack had not visited. It was a large pile of rocks near the
fire-site. It turned out to be monster-free, and an ideal fort area. Jack realy liked
that fort. They name the place "Stone Castle." Using a mean tone of voice and loud voice,
Ralph convinces Jack that the priority right then was to keep the mountain-top firing
burning...at all times. And he emphasised that.
Chapter 7- The beast / pig-run party finds what they think may the infamous "beast" that
so frightens the little ones. The creature is actually a boar. While sneaking upon it
and striking at the thing with their spears, Jack is injured in his arm. (he sucks it and
it's all better) They follow the beast's tracks somewhat and eventually find it.
Chapter 8- In this chapter, Jack leaves the group of kids after a big argument with
Ralph. (one of the many many they've had) Jack attempted to mutiny Ralph's authority and
accused him of being a coward while hunting the beast. He said he did all thw work while
Ralph hung back and did all the work. He puts it to a vote, should he be impeached as
chief and Jack take his place or should he stay. Not one child voted for impeachment.
This gave Jack a mixed feeling of embarassment and rage and he stormed off, saying he
didn't want to be any part of "Ralph's lot."
Chapter 9- In this chapter, Jack calls his own sort of assembly after leaving Ralph's
lot. Everybody attended, even Piggy and Ralph. Jack announces that he is starting his own
tribe and Ralph objects to the idea. Jack ignores his rejections and asks who will join
his tribe. Many of the kids do join and the assembly is dismissed.
Chapter 10- In this chapter, the group of kids had finally broken up and Ralph's lot was
pondering just what that meant. When Jack went to recruit people for his lot, he
mentioned how much fun they would have and that they wouldn't have much work to do. So,
naturally, most people joined Jack's lot and only a few stayed with Ralph and Piggy.
Jack's fort, Castle Rock, was his group's sanctuary. Later that, following the dismissal
of Jack's assembly, Jack's hunters and he attacked Ralph's shelters and the two group's
got in a fight. They were fought back and retreated, but managed to complete their
objective...which was to steal Piggy's glasses.
Chapter 11- Ralph's lot are in shock because Piggy's specs were taken and they
immediately decide how to get them back. After an assembly is called, they get each other
so riled up that they just storm the castle rock. The two twins, Sam'n Eric get tied up
and are threatened to be hanged If they do not join Jack's lot. In the struggle, Piggy is
pushed off a cliff and falls forty feet to his death after getting his smashed by a rock.
Chapter 12- Ralph goes back to the shelters (or whats left of them) and eventually Jack's
lot finds it necessary to hunt Ralph down and kill him. Ralph escapes the oncoming group
of killers and is chased throughout the forest. A naval ship, notices the smoke, and
comes by. A naval officer greets Jack from the beach and the kids cry.
My Opinions on the Book
This bomk was easily the best book I've read in a long time. It was my favorite on the
list so far. I really likedthe idea of kids surviving on their own in an isolated
environment. And I think this bok really did what it was supposed to do, well. That is,
it was a great way to express theopinion that humans are not generally good creatures
corrupted by society, but generally rotten creatures that are civilized by society. And
that's how I feel. Awesome book.
|