English 9 Name: ________________________

Lord of the Flies:

Group Discussion Notes #5

Working with the members of your group, discuss these questions and then answer them briefly
but completely. Each member of the group should write out answers on this sheet, to be turned
in at the end of this period.

Chapter 6 “Beast from Air”

1. Chapter 5 ends with Ralph saying (to Piggy and Simon) that he wished the world of adults
would send them a message. “If only they could get a message to us. If only they could send us
something grown up . . . a sign or something” (94).

At the beginning of Chapter 6, something does arrive on the island from the adult world.
What is it?

On a symbolic level, what do you think that “message” means?

2. Time passing:
Chapter 1: The morning the boys arrived on the island
Chapter 2: Later that same day (Fire)

Chapter 3: Some weeks later (Jack’s hair is “considerably longer.”)

Chapter 4: Some days or weeks later (Pig killed and fire goes out.)
Chapter 5: Same day as chapter 4 (The meeting.)
Chapter 6: The night following the meeting, and the next day (Beast and hunt)

Keep track of the passing of time through the rest of the book. (How long are the boys on the
island?)

3. Before leaving for the hunt, Jack clearly expresses his opinion of democracy, on the bottom
of page 101 and the top of page 102. What is it?

3. Why do you think Jack couldn’t let Ralph look for the beast on the “castle” on his own?
4. What distracts Jack and the other boys from the need to re-light the signal fire at the end of
chapter 6?

Chapter 7: “Shadows and Tall Trees”

1. How much time has passed between the end of chapter 6 and the beginning of chapter 7?

2. In what way was the view of the ocean different on this side of the island? Why? How did
this make Ralph feel?

3. What does Ralph daydream about as the boys begin to hunt for pigs? Why do you think
these thoughts come to his mind at this time?

4. How does the encounter with the boar increase even further the feeling of competition and
antagonism between Ralph and Jack?

5. Why did the boys finally have to give up on their route around the coast of the island?

6. Ralph finally asks Jack directly, “Why do you hate me?” Jack doesn’t answer. What do you
think the answer is?