Lord of the Flies: Plot Summary (AQA GCSE English Literature): Revision Notes

Lord of the Flies: Plot Summary

Lord of the Flies begins with a group of boys stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes during a wartime evacuation. Initially, the boys, led by Ralph and supported by Piggy, try to establish order by building shelters and maintaining a signal fire for rescue. They use a conch shell to call meetings and make decisions.

However, as time passes, the boys' behaviour becomes increasingly savage. Jack, who leads the choir boys, breaks away from Ralph's group to form his own tribe focused on hunting. The boys' descent into savagery escalates when they start believing in a mythical "beast" on the island.

Violence erupts, leading to the deaths of Simon, who is mistaken for the beast, and Piggy, who is killed by a boulder. The conch is shattered, symbolising the end of any remaining order. In the final moments, Ralph is hunted by the other boys but is rescued by a naval officer who arrives on the island, shocked to find children so far gone from civilisation. The novel ends with Ralph weeping for the loss of innocence and the darkness of human nature.