Lord_of_the_Flies_Synopsis

Jack becomes an immediate threat to Ralph’s leadership, obviously envious of Ralph’s ascent to chief. Actuated by his jealousy, Jack endeavours to empower himself instead by turning his choir group into “hunters”, who are responsible for hunting for meat and taking care of the fire. Together, Ralph, Jack, and a black-haired boy named Simon become the supreme trio among the children, going on a short expedition to confirm that they are indeed on an island. Piggy, the most sensible of the bunch, is quickly outcast by his fellow “biguns” and becomes an unwilling source of mirth for the other children. Ralph, in addition to supervising the project of constructing shelters, feels an instinctive need to protect the “littluns”. The original semblance of order imposed by Ralph quickly deteriorates, with little work being done by most. They fail to put their plans of constructing shelters into action due to their idleness. At one point, Jack summons all of his hunters to hunt down a wild pig, even the ones who were supposed to be maintaining the fire. While they are preying on the pig, a ship passes near the island; however, with no one to maintain the smoke signal, the children are not discovered, let alone rescued. Although the chase of the pig turns out to be the group’s first successful hunt, Ralph is greatly infuriated upon learning that they have missed a potential rescue. Around the same time, many of the “littluns” begin to believe that the island is inhabited by a monster, quickly referred to by all as “the beast”. After the smoke signal incident and because of the legendary monster which has begun to fill the boys’ nightmares, Ralph convenes them to refute rumours of such a creature once and for all. The meeting, however, turns into something of a riot and Jack gains control of the discussion by boldly promising to kill the beast, again challenging Ralph’s authority as chief. Later, Ralph envisages relinquishing his position, though Piggy discourages him from doing so while the two of them and Simon yearn hopefully for some guidance from the adult world. The following morning, in the final sequence of the book, Jack and Roger lead their tribe on a manhunt for Ralph with the intention of killing him. Ralph has secretly confessed to Sam and Eric (believing them still loyal to him) where he will hide. The twins, however, are forced to betray Ralph’s position. Yet he escapes with his life in many close calls as the savages tear apart the island to track him down. Jack, now nearly complete in his demonic role as the ultimate savage, sets the island foliage ablaze, which has until then been the only source of food and shelter for the boys. Ralph skilfully evades capture on multiple occasions but soon is so stricken by terror and exhaustion from running that he abandons all hope, expecting to be discovered and slain. However, the fire which Jack has started attracts the attention of a nearby warship. A naval officer lands on the island near where Ralph is lying, and his sudden appearance brings the children’s fighting to an abrupt halt. Upon learning of the boys’ activities, the officer remarks that he would have expected better from British boys, believing them only to be playing a game, unaware of the two murders (of Simon and Piggy) that have occurred and the imminent occurrence of a third one. In the final scene, although now certain that he will be rescued after all, Ralph cries, in mourning for his friend Piggy, his own loss of innocence, and his newfound awareness of the darkness of human nature.