Books and Bakes: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies begins during a time of war. A plane carrying British schoolboys is brought down, leaving the boys stranded on a tropical island with no adult survivors. At first, the island feels like a strange kind of freedom: warm weather, fruit to eat, and the excitement of being somewhere new. Yet it quickly becomes clear that survival will depend on whether the boys can organise themselves, cooperate, and keep hope of rescue alive.

Two boys emerge early as key figures. Ralph, confident and practical, takes the lead. Piggy, less physically able but sharp-minded and thoughtful, becomes Ralph’s closest adviser. Piggy finds a conch shell, and when Ralph blows it, the sound gathers the scattered boys together. They decide the conch will be used in meetings, giving the holder the right to speak. With the conch as a symbol of order, the boys elect Ralph as chief.

Ralph sets out clear priorities: build shelters, keep a signal fire burning on the mountain in case a ship passes, and establish basic rules to hold the group together. Jack, who leads the choirboys, is resentful at not being chosen as chief but is given responsibility for hunting. At this stage, the boys still believe they can behave sensibly and that rescue will come if they stay focused.

However, the difficulties begin almost immediately. The younger boys struggle with fear and restlessness. A rumour spreads about a “beast” on the island — something unseen that might be watching them. Ralph and Piggy attempt to dismiss the idea, but fear is not easily reasoned away, especially in an unfamiliar place with no adult reassurance. Meanwhile, the work of building shelters and maintaining the fire becomes unpopular. Many of the boys drift away from responsibility, preferring to play.

As time passes, Jack becomes increasingly consumed by hunting. What begins as a practical task turns into an obsession, tied to pride, excitement, and a desire for dominance. He paints his face while hunting, a change that seems to free him from embarrassment and restraint. The painted masks create a feeling of anonymity and power, and the hunters’ behaviour grows wilder and more aggressive.

Tensions between Ralph and Jack intensify. Ralph continues to prioritise rescue and order, repeatedly urging the group to keep the signal fire going and to commit to building shelters. Jack, in contrast, focuses on the thrill of the hunt and the promise of meat. His confidence and intensity attract followers. The boys begin to split into those who want structure and those drawn to Jack’s energy and certainty.

The fear of the beast grows stronger after the boys discover what they believe to be physical evidence of it. A dead parachutist from the war lands on the mountain at night, tangled in his parachute. In the darkness, the body’s movement appears frightening and unnatural. When some of the boys see it, panic spreads and the belief in the beast becomes even more convincing. Anxiety and uncertainty begin to dominate the group’s thinking.

Jack uses this fear to build his authority. He argues that rules are less important than strength, and that he and his hunters can protect the others. The atmosphere shifts: meetings become less effective, the conch carries less weight, and the boys increasingly respond to fear and excitement rather than reasoned planning.

Simon, one of the quieter boys, begins to sense that the “beast” is not what the others think. He is reflective and observant, often spending time alone. At one point, Jack’s hunters kill a pig and mount its head on a stick as an offering to the beast. Surrounded by flies, the pig’s head becomes known as the “Lord of the Flies.” When Simon comes across it alone, he experiences a hallucination in which the head seems to speak to him. The message is chilling: the beast is not something outside them — the darkness they fear is within the boys themselves.

Simon later discovers the truth about the “beast” on the mountain: it is the dead parachutist, not a monster. Weak and desperate to tell the others, he runs back towards the group. But the boys are gathered in a storm, caught up in a frenzied ritual dance driven by fear, chanting, and adrenaline. In the chaos, they mistake Simon for the beast and kill him. His death marks a major turning point. It is no longer simply that the boys are struggling — they have committed an act that reveals how far they have fallen.

After Simon’s death, the remaining structure of the group collapses rapidly. Jack breaks away completely, forming his own tribe. He offers meat, belonging, and protection, and most of the boys follow him. Ralph is left with Piggy and only a few others, still trying to keep the signal fire going and hold onto the idea of rescue.

When Jack’s tribe steals Piggy’s glasses, the loss is devastating. The glasses are the tool the boys use to light the fire, but they also represent insight, logic, and the ability to “see” clearly. Without them, Ralph’s group is powerless. Ralph and Piggy decide to confront Jack and demand their property back.

The confrontation ends in tragedy. During the argument at Jack’s camp, a large rock is deliberately pushed from above. It strikes Piggy, killing him instantly. In the same moment, the conch shell is destroyed. The symbolism is unmistakable: Piggy, the voice of reason, is gone — and the conch, representing order, rules, and shared agreement, is shattered. Ralph is now completely alone.

In the final part of the novel, Jack declares Ralph an enemy. The boys hunt him across the island as if he were an animal. They search the forest, set traps, and finally set the island on fire to flush him out. The fire spreads quickly, destroying much of the island in a desperate, violent attempt to capture one boy.

Ralph runs towards the beach, exhausted and terrified. Just as he collapses, he finds himself face-to-face with a naval officer who has come ashore after spotting the smoke from the fire. Ironically, the destructive blaze meant to kill Ralph becomes the signal that brings rescue. The officer is shocked by the boys’ appearance and behaviour, initially assuming they have simply been playing. He is unprepared for the reality of what has happened on the island.

Ralph begins to weep — not only for Piggy and Simon, but for the loss of innocence and the knowledge of what people can become when rules and restraint fall away. The novel ends with the boys rescued, yet profoundly changed by what has taken place.