I received a lot of notes, I did not use all of this information, but it might be useful to look through. It is very
thorough notes of the book.
Chapter 1 and Introduction
Setting
• The novel takes place on an island during World War II
• A group of boys, being evacuated from England to Australia, crash lands on a tropical
• island
o No adults survive the crash
• How does Ralph become the dominate person in the relationship in his first meeting with Piggy?
o Doesn’t even bother to ask him his name; not necessary already made an opinion of Piggy yet Piggy continues to cling steadily to Ralph’s shoulder
• Ralph first sees the conch, but Piggy is the one who knows the value, use and how to handle the conch which allows Ralph to collect the group together for their first meeting
• Who has the clearest mindset of the situation?
o Piggy does; he tells them they are on an island, that no one knows where they are and that they are likely to be on the island for a long time without adults
• The isolation of the island is very significant to the story because through the isolation from the real world the boys create a sort of surreal civilization of their own
o Golding uses the island and the boys to make a reflection of our world and give his view of human nature
• This book traces the faults in society to the faults in the individual person
o What is the world like without the structure and restrictions of society?
What is left of a human being? What parts are structured by society and rules and what parts are ethics, morals, integrity
• Introduction to the conch
o Representation of authority and order
o Person holding the conch has the power
o It creates order and rule on the island—when it sounds everyone listens
• What do Piggy’s glasses represent?
o Knowledge and insight
Important Quotes from Chapter 1:
Quote: Within the diamond haze of the beach something dark was fumbling along...Then the creature stepped from the mirage on to clear sand, and they saw that the darkness was not all shadow but mostly clothing (15).
Analysis: The arrival of Jack Merridew and his militant choir is described as the arrival of a beast or creature
-what is the importance of that? Write down the quote and the answer will become clearer as the book progresses
(foreshadowing Jack's transformation from despotic choir leader to pig hunter to murderous dictator later in the novel.)
“They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood (29).
Analysis: Jack fears killing the pig in chapter 1
-what does this fear show? What does lose of this fear symbolize?
(a fear he overcomes as he sheds civilization and adopts the way of the savage.)
Chapter 2
Concrete rules are established for the boys by Ralph:
• No one speaks to the assembly unless they are holding the conch which gives them the floor
The small boy with a “mulberry-coloured birthmark” on his face is urged forwards and proclaims his fear of a “beastie” or “snake-thing” on the island which “came after dark.”
Whose idea is it to use Piggy’s glasses to light the fire?
• Jack’s and he just snatches them off his face and does not deem it necessary to ask for permission
When the fire grows out of control who reprimands the boys for it?
• Piggy does
o He also mentions or states that the most important thing on the island is their shelters and not the fire
o He reprimands them for their impulsive behaviour and for breaking his glasses
Who suffers from Piggy’s broken glasses?
o He also notes that the boy with the birthmark who was worried about the ‘beastie’ is now missing
Watch in upcoming chapters to see if the birthmark youngun is every mentioned again
The conflict between civilization and savagery begins to solidify in this chapter
They are beginning to realize that acting impulsively has massive, irreversible consequences
Piggy knows that they must act with order if they are to be rescued
But the audience is beginning to see that the longer the boys remain apart from the society of adults the more difficult it becomes for them to adhere to the disciplined behaviours of civilization
Reflection: in chapter 1 the boys seem pretty determined to re-create some form of the society which they have lost, but by chapter 2 their desires to play and gratify their immediate ‘needs’ undermines their ability to act collectively
The constraints of society are present around the boys who are showing signs of confusion and embarrassment when they learn that the young boy is missing
This shows that their morality, and ethics are still guiding them along
Chapter 3
• Personal conflict between Ralph and Jack mirrors the overarching thematic conflict of the novel
o The conflict between the two boys begins in Chapter 1 but remains hidden beneath the surface, masked by some form of camaraderie for one another
o Initially they felt they had to work together to build a community
• First sign of violent relations between Jack and Ralph
o Each boy is arguing for their own purpose, which they deem the most significant goal
Ralph thinks building huts and shelter is of extreme importance
Jack can only see the importance of the hunt for food
• Ralph’s goal is for the overall good of the group, while Jack’s goal is due to the exhilaration of the hunt and the title and reputation associated with the role
o Since these two boys are very young they have difficulty expressing their opinions clearly and Golding shows that in the novel deliberately
• The battle between savagery and civilization is still heavily weighted in favour of civilization
• Jack’s main focus is to justify the utter importance of his hunt in order to stay away from having another responsibility which he is not fond of doing
• They are beginning to develop a slang language on the island
o The younger children are ‘littluns’
o The twins Sam and Eric are “Samneric”
• Simon seems to exists outside of the battle between civilization and savagery
o Civilization: Ralph
o Savagery: Jack
Jack
• Golding’s description of jack is filled with animal references
o He is acquiring the dangerous and threatening ways of the jungle
o He is learning to hunt like an animal by depending on his senses of smell, sight, sound and movement
• He becomes so caught up with his hunting that he can’t remember for awhile why they should be rescued (p.58 bottem)
Comparison
• While Jack is beginning to become more and more animalistic he is becoming less and less willing and/or able to express his longings or explain himself
• Ralph on the other hand is trying to learn to express his thought; he is groping toward an understanding of what it means to be a person
o “he wanted to explain how people were never quite what you thought they were” (p.59 middle)
• Ralph’s primary concern is to keep the fire lit in order to get rescued
o Fire/light can be seen as a symbol for communication, civilization, while the darkness Jack envelopes himself in and is becoming quite comfortable represents the polar opposite
Simon
• Generous
• Helpful with the littluns even though the other older boys tend to taunt the youngsters more than aid and assist them
• He is dedicated to doing actions and helping out in order for the common good of everyone
• He sits in the jungle alone and relishes in the beauty of the environment they are in and seems to be the only one who truly sees and appreciates the beauty of the island
• Seems to have a basic goodness and kindness that comes from within
• Seems to have inherited the ideas of goodness and morality from external forces other than civilization
• He is an important figure as a contrast from Ralph and Jack
• He represents the third quality—goodness, kindness that is natural or innate rather than taught or enforced by society
Is Simon a Christ figure?
• Golding uses many ideas from the bible
• Simon’s name is the only name in the story that is from the bible
o In the story of the crucifixion, a man named Simon carries the cross (Luke 23:26)
• They both feed people
o Jesus feeds his followers with bread and fish
o Simon feeds the littlun fruit in the novel
“Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands” (p. 61)
• They both withdraw themselves from society
o According to the story, Jesus “withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (Luke 5:16)
o Simon also retreats into the wilderness: “Simon turned away from them and went where the just perceptible path led him. Soon high jungle close in…(p.61)
Chapter 4
1. Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law.
This passage from Chapter 4 describes the beginnings of Roger’s cruelty to the littluns, an important early step in the group’s decline into savagery. At this point in the novel, the boys are still building their civilization, and the civilized instinct still dominates the savage instinct. The cracks are beginning to show, however, particularly in the willingness of some of the older boys to use physical force and violence to give themselves a sense of superiority over the smaller boys. This quotation shows us the psychological workings behind the beginnings of that willingness. Roger feels the urge to torment Henry, the littlun, by pelting him with stones, but the vestiges of socially imposed standards of behavior are still too strong for him to give in completely to his savage urges. At this point, Roger still feels constrained by “parents and school and policemen and the law”—the figures and institutions that enforce society’s moral code. Before long, Roger and most of the other boys lose their respect for these forces, and violence, torture, and murder break out as the savage instinct replaces the instinct for civilization among the group.
2. His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed in on the struggling pig, knowledge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink.
This quotation, also from Chapter 4, explores Jack’s mental state in the aftermath of killing his first pig, another milestone in the boys’ decline into savage behavior. Jack exults in the kill and is unable to think about anything else because his mind is “crowded with memories” of the hunt. Golding explicitly connects Jack’s exhilaration with the feelings of power and superiority he experienced in killing the pig. Jack’s excitement stems not from pride at having found food and helped the group but from having “outwitted” another creature and “imposed” his will upon it. Earlier in the novel, Jack claims that hunting is important to provide meat for the group; now, it becomes clear that Jack’s obsession with hunting is due to the satisfaction it provides his primal instincts and has nothing to do with contributing to the common good.
This quotation, also from Chapter 4, explores Jack’s mental state in the aftermath of killing his first pig, another milestone in the boys’ decline into savage behavior. Jack exults in the kill and is unable to think about anything else because his mind is “crowded with memories” of the hunt. Golding explicitly connects Jack’s exhilaration with the feelings of power and superiority he experienced in killing the pig. Jack’s excitement stems not from pride at having found food and helped the group but from having “outwitted” another creature and “imposed” his will upon it. Earlier in the novel, Jack claims that hunting is important to provide meat for the group; now, it becomes clear that Jack’s obsession with hunting is due to the satisfaction it provides his primal instincts and has nothing to do with contributing to the common good.
• Beginning of chapter fours details the events of life as a littlun
o Roger, Maurice (two of Jack’s hunters) harass the boys, Percival, Johnny and Henry
o Precursors to later on tragedies
They are still influenced to some degree from their old traditions
The invisible wall of protection around Henry whom Roger throws stones near
• The conditioning of the old world is present but will soon wear off
• The adoption of face paint by Jack and the hunters
o Hunting behind the disguise of the mask
o Golding explains that with the masks, the boys were “liberated from shame and self-consciousness
• Piggy thinking about a sun-dial
o Piggy is thinking logically about tools which could help the boys
o Ralph does not accept this idea as practical
o “There had grown up tacitly among the biguns the opinion that Piggy was an outsider, not only by accent , which did not matter, but by fat, and ass-mar, and specs, and a certain disinclination for manual labour.”
They also hate him because he is unwilling (like Ralph) to give up logic and order of the old world of adults
o Jack and his hunters abandon the fire
The ship couldn’t see them because there was no smoke signal
Jack shrugs the situation off
“There was the brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill, and there was the world of longing and baffled common sense.”
“This was fascinating to Henry. He poked about with a bit of stick, that itself was wave-worn and whitened and a vagrant, and tried to control the motions of the scavengers. He made little runnels that the tide filled and tried to crowd them with creatures. He became absorbed beyond mere happiness as he felt himself exercising control over living things. He talked to them, urging them, ordering them.” (p. 66)
“Roger stooped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry—threw it to miss. The stone, that token of preposterous time, bounced five yards to Henry’s right and fell in the water. Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins.” (p.67)
“He knelt, holding the shell of water. A rounded patch of sunlight fell on his face and a brightness appeared in the depths of the water. He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger. He spilt the water and leapt to his feet, laughing excitedly. Beside the mere, his sinewy body held up a mask that drew their eyes and appalled them. He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. He capered towards Bill and the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self consciousness.” (p. 69)
Chapter 5
• The unknown concept of the beast
o Compare it to the terrorist attack threat in America
o The beast represents terror and the primordial desires for violence, power, and savagery that lurk within every human soul
o In a religious sense the beast is a representation of the devil
The urges and desires of the human unconscious mind (the id)
• Jack uses this fear and uses it to his own advantage
o He manipulates the fear
o He continues to hint that the beast might actually exist when he knows it actually might not
This manipulation leaves the rest of the group fearful and more willing to give more power to Jack and his hunters, more willing to overlook the barbaric ways of Jack for the sake of maintaining some form of safety
The beast becomes a source of power for Jack (indirectly)
• Political point of view
o End of p. 83-84—Ralph is becoming discontent with his looks and shabby appearance
Growing frusterated with his inability to change roles
o Ralph would be president and Piggy would be the vice president ( a major supporting role)
P.99 piggy asking the boys if they are men or savages
P.101 ralph refusing to blow the conch for fear of completely losing failure
P.102 Jack getting his revenge on Ralph through Piggy
Piggy is continually losing more and more authority—he is referenced to the killing pigs—the joke of killing Piggy
o Ralph is losing his authority over many of the boys, especially Jack and the hunters
Piggy reminds him that he is becoming too focused on minute details, like the hunters, Ralph too is growing more and more susceptible to the beast’s power of persuasion
o Jack is someone who takes a crisis and uses it to his advantage
When there is a crisis people tend to be more willing to accept garish ideas and promises for the hope of security (think of America)
Chapter 6
• The balance between civilization and savagery shifts and Ralph’s control over the group diminishes
o At the beginning he quite easily holds the power because the boys all understand the need for order and purposive action
o By this point their civilization is beginning to erode
o Jack becomes a much more powerful figure on the island
Miscommunication: Sam and Eric’s description of the beast (p. 109)
How parallel is what Golding describes and what the boys tell the group?
• Jack’s manipulation
o He asks Ralph if he is afraid in front of the other boys (p.110)
o This question forces Ralph to act irrationally for the sake of trying to preserve his status amongst the other boys
• The groups desire for: morality, order, and civilization is excused by the presence of the monster
o The beast is assuming an almost religious significance amongst the boys
• The air battle and dead parachutist bring the reader back to the larger setting or reality of the story (p.104)
• A horrible war is being waged somewhere else in the world
• The outside world and the world on the island are both struggling
o The conflict between civilization and savagery
• War is a representation of savage outbursts in civilization when the desire for violence and power overwhelms the desire for peace and order
• The war in the real world shows that though the real world tried to teach the boys the importance of civilization sometimes a seemingly civilized society falls savage
o Hurricane Katrina
• Similarity between Ralph and Jack
• They are both dreamers
• Jack wishing to destroy and hunt
o Ralph wishing to be rescued, carried back to his home and father and the ponies of which he dreams (P.108)
• They have opposing ideal and patterns of behaviour
o They are similar in personality and motive
o They seem to be distant from the true needs of those they ‘govern’
o When the littluns have nightmares Ralph is quite selfish dreaming happy thoughts of home
o Jack hardly bothers with the littluns either, referring to them repeatedly throughout the story are ‘crybabies’
• The concept of procrastination or avoidance
o (p.112) where do the boys look for the beast first?
o What happens when the beast is not at cliff? Jack says they shouldn’t go to the original spot because he won’t be there anymore (p. 117)
• Who goes first, by themselves to look for the beast?
o (p.113) Ralph does and it shows he is brave and courageous
Chapter 7
• Ralph is unable to avoid the instinctive excitement of the hunt and gets caught up in the other boys’ bloodlust
o Golding is implying that every individual, however strong his or her instinct toward civilization and order, has an undeniable, innate drive towards savagery as well
• Robert replaces the boar for the re-enactment of the hunt
o He is nearly killed as the other boys get caught up in their excitement and lost sight of the limits of the game in their mad desire to kill
• Jack’s joke of using a littlun as a boar
o The group laughs—this is unsettling that they find this concept amusing
• The conflict between Ralph and Jack has escalated to a real struggle for power
o Ralph’s exhilaration in the hunt and his participation in the ritual that nearly kills Robert is, a major victory for Jack, in a sense
The experience shakes Ralph’s confidence in his own instinct toward morality and order
• Though Ralph knows it is foolish to hunt the beast at night, he knows, that in a society that values strength, he cannot risk appearing to be a coward
o That is why he agrees to going up the mountain
o By going at night Ralph loses the ability to prove Sam and Eric wrong because they would have seen the dead parachutist during the day, but by night they see what they believe is the beast
Chapter 11
The most important symbol for society is broken in this chapter—the conch
Piggy the character least able to understand savage impulses is killed by the biggest savage impulse
With Piggy’s death and Sam and Eric’s forced conversion to Jack’s tribe Ralph is left alone on the island
p.189
Piggy’s dependence on old society made him stand out amongst the other boys and gave them a reason not to like him above and beyond his physical appearance.
His inability to learn to change and evolve with the other boys helped in his downfall.
His insistence on forcing everyone to think of the repercussions of all their evil deeps is which pushes the group further and further away from him
The group does not want to be reminded of the boy with the birthmark or Simon and he is insistent on bringing up those issues at Castle Rock
p. 191
Ralph and Piggy’s relationship
Without Piggy there by his side (like a vice president) Ralph has a tendency to get swept up in the ‘game’ of savagery with the other boys
It is difficult for Ralph to focus on the main goal without the assistance of Piggy as we will see in the next chapter
p.192
The charred sticks from the tribal dance remain from the night they killed Simon
The wind and water has cleaned away the evidence of the murder, the way the savages have swept the memory from their minds
This quote is really important because the sucking of the ocean—how it comes in and grabs hold of something and then it is gone is a good representation of the adolescent mind—the adolescent mind can feel guilt or embarrassment, but can quickly let go of these issues and move on without much thought. As though the issue were washed into a vast ocean where it is merely a minute point
p. 193
Complete foreshadowing of Piggy’s death
p.194
Roger and his power. Roger and Jack are the most savage boys on the island, when they attain power they desire it the way the other boys desire the basic needs of life (food, shelter, water)
They enjoy having control, power and pain over other people
They are not ‘good’ they are ‘evil’ they attain happiness from control
p.196
right before the death, they are still playing a game....it doesn’t become a reality until the conch shatters
p.199
Rogers descriptions of the boys: Ralph was shaggy hair and Ralph was a bag of fat
By dehumanizing them and seeing them from their blatant physical traits they are not longer boys who are their peers, but merely entities below him
p.200
the death of piggy
Potential Chapter Questions or Discussion Starters
Lord of the Flies: Chapter Questions
Chapter 1
1. What is Ralph’s first reaction when he realizes no grown-ups are on the island?
2. How old are the youngest boys?
3. Why was Jack the most obvious leader?
4. What factors influenced the boys to acclaim Ralph as leader?
5. Why did Ralph disclose Piggy’s nickname after promising not to?
6. What was Jack’s first failure? Why couldn’t he do it? What was his excuse?
7. Jack, obviously embarrassed and disappointed in himself, thought, “Next time there would be no mercy.” Do you believe him? Why or why not?
Chapter 2
1. What is the purpose of the conch shell?
2. What bad, but realistic news does Piggy point out to the boys?
3. What rumour is started by the boy with the mulberry-coloured birthmark?
4. Ralph suggests a fire. How do they start it?
5. Why doesn’t Jack want Piggy to speak?
6. Piggy does speak his mind. What problems does he point out (list four)?
7. What happened to the boy with the mulberry birthmark?
Chapter 3
1. What new problem (regarding the huts) does Ralph reveal to Jack?
2. What mood is created by the description of Jack while he is hunting?
3. Why, according to Jack, did he fail to, again, kill the pig he had been tracking?
4. What other reason, besides protection from rain, do the boys need the huts? What does this tell us about the young boys’ rumour?
Chapter 4
1. Why was it difficult for the boys to adjust to the rhythm of living on the island?
2. What prevented Roger from hitting Henry with rocks?
3. What new idea did Jack have for catching a pig?
4. What, according to the biguns, made Piggy an outsider?
5. Who let the fire burn out? What were the consequences of this?
Chapter 5
1. Why did Ralph call an assembly?
2. What did Ralph say was so important that they should die before they let it fail?
3. Jack insists there is no beast on the island. What is his reason for knowing this?
4. Where, according to Pervical, does the beast live?
5. Do you think the assembly was successful? Did Ralph achieve what he had wanted to when he called the assembly? Why or why not?
6. Why does Piggy say the boys are becoming like animals?
Chapter 6
1. Rereading the beginning of Chapter 6, what/who was the figure?
2. How did Ralph initially respond to the news of the discovery?
3. Why don’t the boys hunt for the beast where it was last sighted?
4. At the end of the chapter, who is making the better decisions, Ralph or Jack?
Chapter 7
1. What were the changes in the boys’ normal physical condition?
2. What do the boys do to Robert that makes the reader realize the boys are beginning to act like animals?
3. When the boys eventually go up the mountains, what do they find there?
Chapter 8
1. Jack attempts to overthrow Ralph as a leader. What reasons does he give as to why Ralph is a poor leader?
2. Is Jack successful in his bid for power?
3. What did Simon see as he sat resting in the bushes?
4. What is the “Lord of the Flies”?
5. How does Jack try to persuade the other boys to join him and his hunters?
Chapter 9
1. What does Simon discover about the beast?
2. What makes “Jack’s lot” so attractive to the boys, including Ralph and Piggy?
3. How does Jack show he is the de facto leader now?
4. What reminder by Ralph almost brings the boys back to him?
5. How does Jack manage to keep the boys with him?
6. What happens to Simon when he crawls into the ring of chanting boys?
7. Did the boys recognize him, or did they think he truly was the beast?
8. What massage was Simon unable to deliver?
Chapter 10
1. What sudden realization about what happened to Simon upsets Ralph?
2. Piggy makes a lot of excuses for what happened. Why?
3. What feelings and moods are revealed through Ralph, Eric, Sam and Piggy’s conversation?
4. Golding ceases to refer to those with Jack as “boys”. What is the new term, and why do you think the author does this?
5. How does the newly formed tribe plan on lighting a fire? What alternatives were available to them?
Chapter 11
1. Why do Ralph and the other boys go to Jack’s section of the island
2. How does Ralph try to reason with the tribe regarding the fire?
3. What happened to Sam and Eric?
4. What is Jack trying to accomplish?
5. What happens to Piggy? What mood is created by the description about what happens to him?
Chapter 12
1. What did Ralph possess that made him an outcast?
2. Who helped Ralph? Why?
3. Sam tells Ralph, “Roger sharpened a stick at both ends.” What does this imply?
4. How does the tribe try to flush Ralph from the thicket. What is the irony presented here?
5. When did the naval officer begin to doubt that the boys were indulging in more “fun and games”.
6. For what three things did Ralph weep for?
7. Were you satisfied with the ending the author gives us? Why or why not?
Potential Lord of the Flies Exam
Lord of the Flies: Final Exam
Multiple Choice
Circle the best choice for the following multiple choice questions (1 mark each)
1. Whose responsibility is it to maintain the first signal fire?
a. Piggy’s
b. The hunter’s
c. Sam and Eric’s
d. The littluns’
2. Who sees the dead parachutist first?
a. Ralph
b. Sam and Eric
c. Jack
d. Piggy
3. Who notices that the littlun with the mulberry birthmark is missing after the fire?
a. Jack
b. Ralph
c. Sam and Eric
d. Piggy
4. As Jack becomes more and more animalistic in the novel he becomes less able to:
a. Vocally express himself
b. Make direct eye contact
c. Sleep soundly
d. Eat food
5. What does Jack suggest the boys use as the “pig” in their re-enactment of the hunt?
a. A littlun
b. Jack
c. Piggy
d. Ralph
6. Who kills Piggy?
a. Ralph
b. Roger
c. Sam and Eric
d. Jack
7. What surrounds Simon’s body as it floats into the sea?
a. Sharks
b. Eels
c. A cloud of blood
d. Glowing fish
8. What powers does Jack ascribe to the beast after Simon’s murder?
a. Immortality and the power to change shape
b. Telepathy and the power to change shape
c. Enormous strength and murderous cunning
d. Telepathy and the power to change shape
9. What is Ralph’s first act upon being elected leader?
a. Planning the building of the signal fire
b. Naming Piggy his chief advisor
c. Naming Simon the leader of the littluns
d. Naming Jack the leader of the hunters
10. Piggy’s real name is actually what?
a. Leslie
b. Percival
c. Gerald
d. None of the above
11. Which character says, repeatedly throughout the novel, that their father, who is a naval officer, is going to come save them?
a. Ralph
b. Jack
c. Roger
d. Henry
12. What is the meaning of the title Lord of the Flies?
a. Bazzukaw: a Greek word meaning emperor
b. Beelzebub: a Greek word meaning devil or Satan
c. Loriteonoe: a Latin word meaning evil
d. Quilzanore: a Latin word meaning chief punisher
13. Who defiantly says that Simon’s death was an accident?
a. Ralph
b. Piggy
c. Jack
d. Roger
14. Which of the following books does the Lord of the Flies allude to?
a. The Jungle Book
b. Animal Farm
c. Theory of Evolution
d. The Coral Island
15. When Jack Merridew and his militant choir arrive at the first meeting Golding describes them as:
a. A strong group of warriors
b. A scrawny group of boys
c. A creature
d. He didn’t describe them at all
True or False
Write a ‘T’ for true or a ‘F’ for false beside the following statements (1 mark each)
The naval officer at the end of the novel is a dues ex machine
Three boys are killed on the island
Sam and Eric were the first boys to let the fire burn out
Simon gets killed during the chant because he was covered in mud and sticks
Jack kills Percival because he refuses to join the tribe
Jack plans to decapitate Ralph and use his head as an offering to the beast at the end of the
Novel
Ralph gains dominance over Piggy in their first meeting by punching him
Henry is helpful with the littluns while the other boys taunt and torture them
Simon is the only boy in the novel named after a biblical character
Piggy suggestion for building a sundial is rejected by the others
Quote Questions
Write two to four sentences on each quote explaining its significance. If the quote is said by a specific character, not the narrator, state the name of the character. If you require extra space use a lined sheet of paper and staple it to the back of your exam. (4 marks each)
1. “Roger stooped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry—threw it to miss. The stone, that token of preposterous time, bounced five yards to Henry’s right and fell in the water. Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins.” (p.67)
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
2. “They passed the place where the tribe had danced. The charred sticks still lay on the rocks where the rain had quenched them but the sand by the water was smooth again. They passed this in silence.” (p.192)
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
3. “ ‘Fancy thinking the Best was something you could hunt and kill!’ said the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. ‘You know, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason it’s no go? Why things are what they are? (p.158)
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
4. “And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.” (p.223)
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
Essay Questions
Choose one of the following questions to write an essay on, make sure to use proper essay formatting. Aim for 400-650 word in length. (30 marks)
1. Do you believe that humans in a state of absolute freedom have a tendency toward evil or toward good? Explain your answer, drawing your argument from Lord of the Flies.
2. How does Jack use the beast to control the other boys?
3. What does Ralph cry for at the end of the novel?
