Lord of the Flies study guides with 100% correct answers

What is Ralph's character like? Ralph seems superficially polite, but may be rather proud and not really concerned with others' feelings. What is Jack's character like? Jack sees rules and order not as absolutes, but as relative to the given environment or situation. What is Piggy's character like? Piggy clearly sees the consequences of the boys' actions, something they seem unable to do. He seems more aware of what is going on in the bigger picture. What is the setting of Lord of the Flies? Why are the boys there? The setting is an uninhabited tropical island during a nuclear war. The boys are alone because they were evacuated during a war, their plane has crashed, and the pilot is dead. What is the conch and what do the boys use it for? What might the conch symbolize? The conch is a large shell. The boys blow in it to call everyone together. They also use it to give everyone an opportunity to speak. What does Ralph realize that Piggy can do better than he can? Piggy could think. Ralph realizes that Piggy is no leader, but he "had brains." What are the smaller boys afraid of? The smaller boys are afraid of a giant snake or beast in the forest. Describe Ralph's and Jack's reactions to the little boys' fears. Ralph says there is no beast, while Jack says they will hunt the beast and kill it. Why does Ralph say they need to build a fire? Ralph says that the boys need to build a fire as a signal to passing boats. What happens to the little boy with the purple mark on his face? The little boy apparently died when the fire gets out of control and burns the side of the mountain where he was playing. What malicious attitudes are seen in the boys' behavior toward each other? The boys' malicious attitudes are seen in their teasing Piggy and Simon and in a general lack of concern for the younger boys; poor attitudes are also seen in Jack's treatment of the choir and his responses toward Piggy. Who was Beelzebub? Consider the title of the novel. Who, or what, is the author alluding to with the title Lord of the Flies? What might this allusion say about the novel? Beelzebub was a Philistine god whose name meant "lord of the flies." The name became synonymous with or equal to Satan. This allusion suggests that darkness and evil will follow. Chapter 2 ends with the sentence, "Beneath them, on the unfriendly side of the mountain, the drum-roll continued." What is the usual significance of a drum-roll? What does this, combined with the death of the little boy, foreshadow? Drum rolls used to precede executions, and now generally are performed before very dangerous or exciting events. Combined with the death of the little boy, the drum-roll of the fire heightens our expectation of death or calamity. Read Genesis 2:15-17, 25; 3:1-24. What parallels do you see between these passages and the first two chapters of Lord of the Flies? What implications might this have for the theme of the book? Some parallels might be the idyllic location, the innocence of the boys and Adam and Eve, the innocent attitude toward nudity, the isolation, and the introduction of the evil serpent. (Note that at the end of Chapter 2, when the boys realize that one of them may have been killed by the fire, someone cries out, "Snakes! Snakes! Look at the snakes!" at the sight of tossing creepers.) The parallel with the Garden of Eden and the idea of the serpent probably foreshadows a descent into sin and evil, loss of innocence, and/or an exploration of original sin or the nature of man. What is Simons character like? Simon cares about and is willing to help others. What are Maurice and Roger's characters like? Roger and Maurice can be cruel and malicious. What is Roger's character like? Roger's cruelty is kept in check by the power of outside authority. With what does Jack seem to have become obsessed? Jack has become obsessed with hunting and killing pigs. What does Jack do to himself that turns him into an "awesome stranger"? Jack paints his face red, white, and black. Who are the littluns, and what do the littluns dream about? The littluns are the smallest boys, about six years old. The littluns dream about the beast or snake. In Chapter 4, Jack gets one of his greatest desires fulfilled, and Ralph has his greatest desire torn away. What are these two events and how are they related? Jack's consuming passion on the island has been to kill a pig, and he finally gets to do so. Ralph wants to be rescued, and he sees a ship out at sea, but because the fire is not lit the ship passes them by. The fire went out because Jack took the hunters, including the ones who were supposed to be tending the fire, to hunt pigs. From which point of view is Lord of the Flies told, and how does that vantage point contribute to the story? The story is told from a third-person point of view, which helps the reader see all of the characters and their changes, both internal and external. Note that the omniscience of the narrator is not exercised equally with all characters, however. Golding sometimes leaves us guessing about what is going on in one character's mind while giving us deeper insight into another character's thoughts and struggles. Throughout most of Chapter 3, Golding juxtaposes Jack and Ralph. Describe how he does this and what becomes clear about the two boys in these passages. Golding begins with Jack alone in the forest trying to kill a pig, then moves to Ralph trying to build a shelter with Simon. The two boys continue to walk and talk together as they go to the beach. Through their actions and conversation we gradually become aware that Jack is concerned only about the hunt and killing a pig; it has become an obsession for him. Ralph spends most of his time trying to prepare shelters for the boys and thinking about rescue. Ralph seems to feel the mantle of leadership and community and to take it seriously. Jack is concerned only about what he wants and accomplishes. This becomes most clear when they see that the boys tending the fire suddenly put on green branches. Ralph thinks this may mean they've sighted a ship and begins scanning the horizon. When Jack suddenly yells "Got it!" Ralph thinks he's found the ship, when in reality Jack was still looking for the most likely area for the pigs to be hiding. As if to drive home the intention of his juxtaposition, Golding writes at the end of this section: "They walked along, two continents of experience and feeling, unable to communicate. 'If I could only get a pig!' 'I'll come back and go on with the shelter.' They looked at each other, baffled, in love and hate." When the boys decide to elect a chief in Chapter 1, Jack immediately responds "I ought to be chief . . . because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp." Golding writes, This toy of voting was almost as pleasing as the conch. Jack started to protest but the clamor changed from the general wish for a chief to an election by acclaim of Ralph himself. None of the boys could have found good reason for this; what intelligence had been shown was traceable to Piggy while the most obvious leader was Jack. But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch. Why did the boys elect Ralph as chief? After seeing the events of Chapters 3 and 4, was their decision a good one? Why? It appears the boys' decision was based almost entirely on superficial things—looks, size, etc.—but there was the undefined "stillness" that seemed to communicate something to them. Their decision seems to have been the best of their options. Ralph seems willing to work and plan and sacrifice for the good of the group, whereas Jack seems to have no concern but his own desires. He can't seem to see that his hunting, or his methods of hunting, though it finally brings in meat, has caused calamity. Read Luke 22:24-26, 1 Peter 5:1-3. What attitude do these verses say a leader should have toward his followers? How effective do you think Ralph has been at this? These verses say that as leaders we should put others before ourselves, serving them and willingly working for their welfare. Answers will vary. Ralph may not be the most willing of leaders and he is, after all, a young boy, but he seems to grasp the importance of his position as chief and that it carries with it great responsibility, not just honor and privilege. He works hard to build shelters, and he tries hard to keep things organized for water, sanitation, and the rescue fire. From what does Jack "liberate" himself when he puts on the face paint? Are these things from which we need liberation, or are they things we should keep? Explain your answer. Golding says Jack is "liberated from shame and self-consciousness" when he paints his face. Answers will vary. Shame and self-consciousness can be bad when allowed to take over a person's life, or when used to degrade a person, but in general they help us to know when we have acted inappropriately or committed wrong. After Jack has returned from the hunt and has been chastised by Ralph they have this exchange: "All right, all right!" [Jack] looked at Piggy, at the hunters, at Ralph. "I'm sorry. About the fire, I mean. There. I—" He drew himself up. "—I apologize." The buzz from the hunters was one of admiration at this handsome behavior. Clearly they were of the opinion that Jack had done the decent thing, had put himself in the right by his generous apology and Ralph, obscurely, in the wrong. They waited for an appropriately decent answer. Yet Ralph's throat refused to pass one. He resented, as an addition to Jack's misbehavior, this verbal trick. Is Jack's apology sufficient? Why doesn't Ralph accept it? Would you? Is there a difference between apologizing and reforming or repenting? Explain your answers. Jack says the words "I apologize," but he does not seem to truly mean it—he seems to see his actions more as a mistake than something that was truly wrong. Ralph calls Jack's action a "verbal trick"; Jack has com- mitted a great wrong and injured them all, but expects to be forgiven simply by saying words of apology. None of Jack's actions indicate that he truly understands the deep injury he has committed, nor that he needs to or intends to reform or redress his actions. He simply expects to be forgiven. Reforming or repenting means turning around from what one has done and taking action to change for the better. A true apology should indicate a person's willingness to reform or repent, but an apology is not in itself a change. What does Ralph realize that Piggy can do better than he can? Piggy could think. Ralph realizes that Piggy is no leader, but he "had brains." List three things that Ralph says are critical for the boys during the meeting in Chapter 5. Ralph discusses gathering water, building shelters, where to use the lavatory, maintaining the signal fire, keeping cooking fires only on the mountain, and fear of the beast. The main theme is that the boys are not following through on what is important. What is the first "real" beast the boys see on the island? The first real thing the boys encounter that they believe to be the beast is the dead parachutist on the top of the mountain. One of the littluns mistakes Simon for a monster in the night, but this is not considered a beast by everyone. What does Ralph do to determine whether there are ghosts? Ralph takes a vote. What does Ralph dream and daydream about? Ralph dreams of his life before he had to go away to school—watching ponies and falling snow by the moor, his favorite books, snacks before bed. Who sees the beast on the mountain and when do they see it? Samneric are the first to see the dead parachutist, in the predawn darkness, then later Ralph, Jack, and Roger see him in the night, just as the moon rises. Why does Ralph think the castle rock is "rotten"? Why do Jack and his hunters like the place? Ralph thinks castle rock is rotten because there is no food there, no shelter, and little fresh water. Its chief attraction to the boys is that it looks impressive and can be easily defended. What "game" do the hunters play with Robert? What do some of the boys suggest to make it "better"? After the boar escapes them, the boys pretend Robert is the pig and pretend to attack and kill him, going so far as to actually hurt him. One of the boys suggests they need a drum and a fire to make the game better; another that they use a real pig "because you've got to kill him." Jack suggests they use a littlun instead. At the end of Chapter 5, after their meeting has dissolved into chaos and Jack and most of the boys are dancing and running around on the beach, Ralph, Piggy, and Simon are discussing grownups. Ralph cries out, "'If only they could get a message to us. . . . If only they could send us something grownup . . . a sign or something.'" In the second paragraph of Chapter 6, Golding writes, "But a sign came down from the world of grownups, though at the time there was no child awake to read it." What was that sign, and why is it particularly and painfully ironic? The sign Golding is talking about turns out to be a dead pilot parachuting from a destroyed jet. The awful irony is that Ralph, Piggy, and Simon have been discussing how grownups "know things. . . . things 'ud be all right. . . . They wouldn't quarrel." In reality, the adults seem to be fighting a devastating global war, and the only thing they send to the boys is death and terror. An additional irony is that the thing that comes to the island ends up turning into the boys' "beast" and worst nightmare. Using the meeting in Chapter 5 as your reference, what general type of government are the boys using (for example, democratic, imperial, fascist, etc.)? How do Jack's and Ralph's ideas differ about how things should be run? Use examples from the book to illustrate your answer. The boys are using a loose form of democracy, or representational government. They are voting for leaders and rules for living. Answers may vary. Ralph seems to carry the voting idea to an extreme in some cases (voting on whether there are ghosts), but in general he understands the principles behind democratic rule. He is a firm believer in rules and believes that leadership, and group participation in general, contains responsibilities to the group. Jack seems to want to throw away most rules ("Bollocks to the rules!"), and seems to obey them only in certain cases or when convenient. Jack views everyone within a definite caste system, possibly based upon "usefulness." He calls the littluns "useless," he shouts at Ralph "Who are you, anyway? You can't hunt, you can't sing—", and "Why should choosing [Ralph as leader] make any difference?" About his group he shouts, "We're strong—we hunt!" In Chapter 6 Jack becomes even more elitist when he says, "It's time some people knew they've got to keep quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us." He is appointing himself leader, disregarding and silencing the ideas or rights of anyone less able or who disagrees. In Chapters 5-7, Golding seems to be defining Simon's character and setting him apart as different from the other boys. Review Simon's actions in these chapters and at the end of Chapter 3. Some literary critics have said these actions are allusions to Christ—that Simon is a messiah figure. Do you agree with this analysis? Do you think Simon represents a particular thing or facet of humanity? Use examples from the story to support your answer. Simon seems to have a distinctly spiritual aspect to his nature that the other characters do not have. Some rather loose allusions to Christ may be his withdrawing from the others and providing food to the littluns that they could not reach (Matthew 14:13-20), his frightening a littlun when the boy did not recognize who or what he was as Simon was going out to be by himself in the jungle at night (Matthew 14:23-26), his trying to explain to the boys that maybe the beast/problem was within them (as Christ recognized and so often taught his disciples concerning the sin in people's hearts). Simon seems to recognize the true state of the boys' condition and the reason for their fears, he recognizes Ralph's fear of not being rescued and reassures him, he is not frightened by the jungle because he recognizes that the true evil on the island is not a beast, and in general he seems very sensitive to others and understands what drives them.