Who Dies in Lord of the Flies?
Three boys die in Lord of the Flies: a small boy with a birthmark, Simon and Piggy. Ralph and Jack both survive, and the book ends when a naval officer finds the boys.
A fourth body appears in the story, a dead parachutist, but he is a fighter pilot from the war and not one of the boys.
| Who | How | When |
|---|---|---|
| The boy with the birthmark | Lost in the signal fire | Early in the book |
| Simon | Killed by the frenzied boys | Chapter 9 |
| Piggy | Hit by a boulder | Chapter 11 |
| Ralph | Survives | |
| Jack | Survives |
Who is the first boy to die?
The first death happens early and passes almost unnoticed. When the boys build their first big signal fire, it spreads through the dry wood on the mountainside. A small boy with a birthmark across his face had spoken about a snake-thing, and he is not seen again after the fire. Nobody knows his name, and the older boys avoid talking about him.
↑ Back to the topHow does Simon die?
Simon is a quiet boy who often goes off alone. In the forest he finds the real source of the "beast": the body of a dead parachutist, tangled in the lines and moving in the wind. He runs down the mountain to tell the others.
He reaches the beach during a storm, when Jack's hunters are dancing and chanting. The frightened boys take him for the beast and attack him, and he is killed. Ralph and Piggy are at the edge of the crowd and join in the shouting. Later Ralph admits that it was murder, while Piggy tries to explain it away. The tide carries Simon's body out to sea.
↑ Back to the topHow does Piggy die?
Piggy dies when he and Ralph go to Jack's camp to demand the stolen glasses back. Piggy holds the conch and tries once more to speak sensibly. Roger, standing above, pushes a boulder down on him. Piggy falls and is killed, and the conch shatters. Both the voice of reason and the symbol of order are gone at once.
↑ Back to the topDo Ralph and Jack die?
No. After Piggy dies, Jack's tribe hunts Ralph and sets the forest on fire to drive him out. Ralph runs to the beach and falls at the feet of a British naval officer, who has come ashore because of the smoke. The boys, including Jack, are rescued, and they cry as they realize what they have done.
↑ Back to the topHow many people die in Lord of the Flies?
Three boys die on the island: the boy with the birthmark, Simon and Piggy. The pilot is a fourth body, but he dies before the story. The three victims are an overlooked child, the group's quiet visionary and its voice of reason.
↑ Back to the topMore about Lord of the Flies
This guide covers the book only. Film and TV versions differ in places.