Lord of the Flies – Chapter Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

1. How did the boys end up on the jungle island?

The plane that was evacuating the boys was shot down and it crashed on the jungle (deserted)
island.

2. Describe Ralph’s physical features and also his reaction to being on the island. List at least
three attributes.

Ralph is described as a fair boy. He’s an English 12 year old. He has a leader type presence.
He has the physical appearance and attractiveness that attracts the attention of others and
leads them to the belief that he would have a leadership role. He does handstands and jumps
into a lagoon, showing his carefree and adventurous mindset. He has the mindset of “no
parents!”; he is enjoying the environment.

3. Describe Piggy’s physical features and also his reaction to being on the island. List at least
three attributes.

Piggy is described as fat and short. He has poor eyesight so he wears glasses. He also has
asthma so he cannot run very fast. He is not like Ralph where he wants to have fun; instead,
he wants to gather everyone and organize the group. More responsible. He is also reluctant
about Ralph’s father, who is in the Navy, saving them from the island.

4. How does Ralph respond to Piggy’s practical suggestions to have a

meeting?

Ralph ignores it. He is more focused on the Piggy nickname. Piggy had
the idea to use the conch to gather everyone. (Ralph kinda stole the idea
to use the conch and blowing into it to gather everyone).

5. How does Ralph think they will be rescued?

He believes that once his father, who is in the Navy, leaves the battlefield,
he will rescue them. Piggy thinks that this rescue plan is unrealistic as the
airport is blown up so no one knows that the boys are abandoned. Piggy
has a more logical thinking as he realizes that no one has information
about their whereabouts, so he is a bit reluctant to believe Ralph’s father
would rescue them.

6. What had Piggy overheard the pilot saying?

 There was an atomic bomb that hit the airport and all the people there died. The problem is
that no one knows that the boys are on the island.

7. How does Ralph attract the other boys on the island? What does he do?

He blows into a conch and a loud sound would emit from it that would attract the other boys.

8. How do the younger boys act when they get there?

They act obediently to the older boys and they sit quietly, waiting for the others to come to
their group.

9. Describe the way Jack and his band of choirboys looked as they came toward the
assembled group. List at least three attributes.

They looked organized and military like; they stood in parallel lines. They were dressed
in strangely eccentric clothing. The group’s leader Jack spoke like a commander
while the band of choir boys acted like soldiers, following the orders of the
commander. It is described that the boys first looked like a mysterious creature
walking towards them. (foreshadowing)

10. How does Jack treat the others?

He treats the others like they are beneath him. He acts arrogant and is quick to want to be a
leader. He acts in a dominant attitude. He acts like a bully. (arrogant and superiority
presence)

11. What conflict soon arises? How is it solved?

Conflict soon arises over who will be the group’s leader. It is solved with a vote and Ralph
becomes elected as leader. Foreshadows the inevitable conflict between Ralph and Jack as
they fight for leadership.

12. What does Ralph do to make Jack feel better? What is compromised?

Ralph tells Jack that the choir boys can be led by Jack and that they could be the group’s
hunters. The compromise is that Ralph is giving away some of his leadership power to Jack (as
he is now leading a group of older boys)
 13. What is the purpose of the expedition of Jack, Ralph, and Simon?

To find out whether they are on an island or not. They need to find a source of food and
water.

14. How does Simon describe the unusual buds on the bushes?

He calls them candle buds. There is some sort of aroma and strange scent.

15. Why hadn’t Jack been able to kill the pig?

He was hesitant about killing the pig because of the blood that would come out of it once
he struck the knife in. They just came from civilization and killing is not normal in civilization. It
is like a taboo to kill and the boys are still influenced by civilization. They have yet to have the
bloodlust to kill any living beings.

Chapter 2

1. What rule concerning the conch is made?

The person who holds the conch will be the only person allowed to speak. SImilar to the
“hands up” system in school.

2. What does Piggy attempt to call the group’s attention to?

Piggy tells everyone the most important thing which is that nobody knows of their situation
and that they are abandoned on the deserted island. While there is a possibility they may
know, there is a higher possibility that there is nobody who knows where they are.

3. How does the talk of the “beasties” affect the boys?

The older boys start laughing because they believe that it was just an imaginary story made
by the younger child. However, the younger children became slightly afraid of these
“beasties” and there was also a silence among the older boys. They are on an island that no
one in the group has any experience with. The younger children look up towards the older
kids to deny any frightening worries they have. However, everyone still have some worries
and even the older children have some worries about the unknown.

4. At this time, Ralph says the boys appear to have two goals. What are they?
Ralph says that the first goal is to have fun on the island. The other goal is to be rescued.

5. How does the group react to Ralph’s suggestion that they build a fire? How does Piggy
describe their actions?

They are all excited and become eager to build a fire. He describes the entire group of boys
as a bunch of kids. Piggy thinks that the group is acting childish and are not thinking
properly about anything.

6. How does Piggy treat a small boy? What does that tell us about Piggy?

He treats the small boy gently and like a proper parent. This tells us that Piggy is a more
caring and gentle kind of person who acts like a parent towards the group of younger boys.
He is looking out for the younger kids. It tells us that we can count on Piggy to be loyal.

7. How do they manage to start the fire?

They gather a bunch of dead twigs and branches and use Piggy’s glasses like a match to start
the fire. It shows their immaturity when they realize that no one knows how to start the fire.
It shows that these are still kids.

8. What responsibilities has Jack taken on for the choir?

He splits the choir into two groups. One group is responsible for hunting while the second
group is responsible for looking out for ships and maintaining the fire and starting smoke
when there is a ship.

9. What goes wrong? Do you see any symbolism here? What is going on in the adult world
at the time?

A forest fire begins and quickly engulfes the forest. The fire was started because of the lack
of monitoring from the group and it could symbolize the childish side of the entire
group and the primitive nature that the boys show when they are left alone on a deserted
island. World War II is happening during this time. The fire could symbolize the
civilization of the boys as they still understand that a fire could help with their rescue.

10. Who is missing?

 The boy with a mark (birthmark) on his face was the one to talk about the existence of the
“beasties”. They believe that he died during the forest fire.

Chapter 3 (continued on next page)

1. What is Jack preoccupied with?

He was preoccupied with hunting. He was not physically or psychologically able to kill the
pig last time, so he is preoccupied with killing the pig.

2. What complaints does Ralph have? What has he noticed about people?

He complains about the shelters not staying up properly. He has also complained about the
lack of help he is getting from the rest of the group other than Simon. While the littluns
cannot really help the older kids on the hand are off playing without helping. He stated that if
he blew the conch everyone would come rushing over and help work, but sooner or later they
would go back to have more fun. Ralph complains about his job as he doesn’t enjoy it; he
points out that Jack loves hunting while he hates having the leadership role. He also
complains about the littluns not being any help as they just go off and have fun while Ralph
and Simon are stuck to build the shelters.

3. How are the littluns?

They are frightened by the beasties that were mentioned before. They scream in their sleep
because of the nightmares. They are hopeless with helping as they want to play and have fun.

4. Explain the love-hate relationship between Jack and Ralph.

While they are the most responsible leaders of the group, they have conflict over their
priorities. While Jack priotroizes food and hunting, Ralph is more focused on building shelter
and getting rescued as soon as possible. They both care about the group's safety in their own
ways and do have their leadership qualities that they both share, but the conflict arises when
the method they want to lead differs.

5. Where had Simon gone and what does he do there?

Simon goes into the forest where he walks around. Littluns follow him and Simon picks
some fruit for them. He finds a little clearing where he sits and lays and takes in all of his
peaceful surroundings. He’s thinking and meditating about things while enjoying nature.
 6. What might Simon represent?

Simon could represent the goodness and innocence of the group. He has a connection to
nature as he walks around the forest embracing all the wildlife around him. He represents the
innate goodness in humans. It makes sense that he is embracing nature. He is always helping
the younger kids and is helping build the shelters. He is not selfish and is always helping
everyone.

Chapter 4

1. What strange things happen at mid-day?

The sea would rise up in level and there would be moments where there was land where
there was no land there before. Mirages over the water; images appear on the water.

2. How did the littluns spend their day?

They would pick and eat fruits. The fruit gives them stomach aches and diarrhea. They
would huddle together at night from the terror of the darkness. They would follow Ralph’s
conch meeting sound and respectively listen to the older children. They spend a lot of time
playing.

3. In what ways does Roger seem cruel?

He destroyed the sand castle the littluns made. He tries to break the boundary around Henry
by throwing rocks.

4. What is Henry doing while Roger watches him?

Henry is playing with the tide that comes in and out and imagines himself controlling the
insects and little wildlife that are being carried by the tide. Henry is poking a stick at life
forms around him and he thinks that he is controlling these life forms.

5. What does it mean when Roger felt the “taboo of the old life”? Also, what does it mean
when Jack approached Roger “a darker shadow crept beneath…; [Roger’s} skin”?
What effect is Jack having on Roger?

The taboo of old life is referring to hurting someone else. Roger felt that throwing rocks
and hitting Henry would be breaking that taboo so he avoids the area around Henry.
 Roger felt a creepy (dark) presence behind him, which was just Jack. Foreshadowing
Jack’s “evil” later on.

6. Describe the transformation that takes place after Jack paints his face. The mask serves
a few purposes. List them.

Jack transformed into a savage hunter. Mask gives him confidence.

7. What does Ralph discover that upsets him greatly?

The fire watchers were gone and the fire and smoke was out. There was a ship that could
have rescued them but since no one was watching the fire, there was no smoke signal for the
ship to see and the only rescue opportunity disappeared from the group of boys which upset
Ralph greatly as it was Jack’s group that was responsible for maintaining the fire. This
destroyed their only chance for rescue, upsetting Ralph greatly.

8. What do the hunters chant?

They chant, “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.”

9. How does Jack’s attack on Piggy and the breaking of one of the lenses in his
spectacles symbolize the degeneration of the group?

The group, mainly the hunters, have become primitive and savages. They no longer
follow common sense and the rules and laws that they once made were
irreverent in their eyes. Jack symbolizes the primitive nature of humans while
Piggy represents the scientific nature of civilization, and the glasses breaking
could symbolize that the thing that was holding the group together, which was
laws and rules, was broken.

10. Who finds Piggy’s glasses for him?

Simon.

Chapter 5

1. What is Ralph realizing is necessary in order to be a leader?

He needs to be able to make decisions and enforce them. He needs to set the rules straight
and think like an actual leader. He realizes that he needs to have the intelligence to make
important decisions like Piggy. He needs to make decisions that are not rash and are thought
out. He can’t make decisions that are selfish and needs to make decisions that benefit the
whole group. (Later on, we see Ralph start to lose himself. A good example is chapter 8,
Ralph keeps emphasizing the importance of maintaining the fire but keeps forgetting the
reason why, which is rescue. Piggy had to remind Ralph that keeping the fire would get them
rescued, showing that Ralph is beginning to forget why he is doing certain things.

2. What rules have been ignored? List at least three.

The fire is not maintained. The water is not refilled. People are using fires outside carelessly
which causes forest fires.

3. What does it mean when Ralph refers to the littluns as “taken short”? What does that
mean? What does this show about their behavior?

The littluns were going to the bathroom wherever they wanted. They were also having
diarrhea from the fruit consumption. Taken short means that they are eating too many
fruits; hence, the diarrhea. It shows that the littluns are very hungry. The littluns can’t
walk all the way to the designated washrooms, so they go and do it wherever they
want.

4. What rules does Ralph make regarding fires?

They cannot make fires other than the one on the mountain. Ralph says that everyone should
die before the fire goes out.

5. A littlun says he sees something moving in the jungle at night. Who/what

is it?

It was later revealed that it was just Simon walking around.

6. How does Jack explain the beast away?

He says he has seen the entire island while hunting and has not seen any
signs of a beast. He is the most familiar with the island so he is certain that
there is no beast on the island.

7. Why are rules important to Ralph? The answer is something Ralph says.

The rules are the only thing they have left of civilization. If they don’t follow the laws and
 rules, they will slip away from the lawful world they used to live in. If they lose the rules,
they are succumbing to their primitive side. Everyone has a primitive nature inside of them,
and if they lose those rules, they will become animals like Jack is turning into.

8. What does Simon mean when he says, “What I mean is … maybe it’s only us…”? What
do you think” mankind’s essential illness”is?

The evil inside humans. The savage nature of humans when there are no laws or
societal rules being enforced. “Maybe it’s only us” could mean that Simon is suggesting that
the beast is actually them. The beast is inside of them, and some people are able to keep it at
bay while others are taken over it. The same goes for mankind’s essential illness which is the
evil inside humans and some people just cannot control it and the evil manifests.

9. Why doesn’t Ralph blow the conch when the meeting dissolves into
chaos?

He believes that if he blows the conch and they do not come then
everyone will become animals. He is also worried about the possibility
that the beast is actually a ghost, and he is unsure whether he should
believe such an unbelievable existence. He believes that the conch is
losing its power and that no one will longer listen to him. The conch
represents law and order of civilization, and no one listening to the
conch anymore will mean that law and order is dissolving.

10. At the end of the chapter what does Ralph wish for?

He wishes for some kind of message from the adults. He wants

instructions and some kind of reassurance from the adults as they believe
that adults would be able to handle any situation. He wants to talk to an
adult because they would know what to do. While adults can’t handle
everything, they would know more than kids and Ralph feels
overwhelmed by his leadership and plans for rescue. He wants guidance
from an adult.

Chapter 6 (continued on next page)

1. Ironically, what Ralph wished for at the end of chapter five does come true. What
happens? Why is the answer to his wish depressingly ironic?

An aerial battle is going on above them and someone with a parachute descends onto the
island. An adult finally comes to the island but they are actually dead. An adult does
come to the island, but he is dead so the adult can’t save them.
 2. What do Samneric (Sam and Eric) claim they have seen on the mountain top? How
do they describe it?

They claim that they saw the beast. It is actually the dead parachutist. The two twins
imagine a bunch of imaginative details because of the fear that they had. They said that he
had wings, claws, teeth and that it looked up at them.

3. What does Jack say about the conch?

He says it is unnecessary and that those who speak should speak and those who do not know
anything should remain silent. Jack doesn’t like the conch because it still gives power to
civilization, and it gives power to Ralph as it allows people to speak within rules.

4. How has the significance of the conch changed?

Everyone starts speaking and no one follows the rule regarding the conch anymore. The
authority that the conch held is diminished. The conch represented the rules and laws, but people
now disregard that and everyone has ignored it. At the beginning, the littluns and even Jack
followed the conch’s rule and laws, but now everyone has lost the thought to follow the rules and
the power of the conch disappeared.

5. When Simon thought of the beast, what picture came to his mind?

He pictures a human. He pictured a heroic and sick human as a human has good in them but
they also have evil in them. Simon knows that the beast is inside them.

6. Why won’t Simon try anymore to talk in front of the others?

He feels that he will embarrass himself again. He feels the fear of speaking to a large
audience and is scared of speaking what is on his mind.

7. As the boys are searching the island, who leads the group when they get to the
ledge?

Ralph.

8. What strange thing does Ralph notice as the boys are playing around the rolling
rocks?
 He notices that there is no smoke from the fire on the mountain. He has a moment
where he obscures the idea of smoke into a bat like creature, and this is one of the
moments where Ralph begins to lose himself as he obscures the idea of smoke and
rescue.

9. What discovery do they make at the ledge that excites Jack?

They found a spot that would be perfect as a fort. He found a cave that he thought
would make a perfect fort.

Chapter 7

1. What has Ralph come to accept as normal?

Not being clean and not being able to maintain their daily hygiene. They couldn’t shower or
properly clean themselves. He accepts his tangled and long hair and his rash as normal. It
shows that he is getting further away from civilization.

2. What does Ralph daydream about as he notices this?

He daydreams that he can have a proper bath with soap, cut his hair, and brush his teeth with
a toothbrush. He is imagining his home and everything that was normal as stated, and he
begins to remiance about those luxuries.

3. Why are Ralph’s fingernails bitten? What is Ralph insinuating when he says “be
sucking my thumb next?”

He had gotten into his old habit of biting his fingernails. He says that he is slowly
regressing and doing things that he hasn't done in a while, referring to a baby
sucking their thumb. He is insinuating that he is regressing into a state like a
hopeless baby sucking their thumb.

4. How do the two different sides of the island affect his hopes for rescue?

When he realizes how vast the ocean is before him, he loses hope for rescue.

5. What prediction does Simon make to Ralph?

He predicts that Ralph will be rescued.

 6. Notice the complete reversal of mood as Ralph hunts. What happens to Ralph as he
participates in his first hunt?

He manages to hit the pig with his spear and he becomes excited by the hunt. He begins to
act like Jack and only talks about how he hit the pig, even thinking that hunting may be a
good thing. He becomes very excited and it shows that hunting has quickly lured Ralph
into the lure of hunting. He is excited by the hunt like the other boys.

7. Describe what you would show if you were filming the scene where the boys reenact the
hunt. How do you think Robert feels during this ritual?

I would show the ritual being done and the boys surrounding Robert as they poke him with
their spears. How they lifted him up and pretended to kill him. Robert must have felt
frightened as he was crying and asking the other boys to stop. He must have feared
about actually getting killed.

8. Why does Simon go off alone?

The group could only spare one person to go tell Piggy about their current situation.
Ralph didn’t want to leave Piggy with the littluns alone and he wanted to tell Piggy that they
were coming back late.

9. What do Ralph, Roger, and jack find at the top of the hill? Do they realize what it is?
Do you think the story would be better if the reader didn’t know what it is?

They find the dead parachutist. They do not realize what it is because of the ash and
darkness. I believe that the story is fine as it is because if the reader did not know
what it was, it would only lead to more confusion and the story would become more
like fiction as an imaginary beast would be thought to be on the island.

Chapter 8

1. Explain the exchange of power at the beginning of chapter eight.

Jack and Ralph have a dispute over leadership. They have different priorities. Jack wants to
hunt the beast while Ralph wants to start the fire and remain in a safe location. The two
inevitably fight and Jack, who loses the vote once more for leadership, runs away. Jack is
infuriated by the loss of his power.

2. Where does Jack go to live on the island?

In the forest. He plans to live along the beach by a flat rock. (The fort he found called Castle
Rock)

3. What does Simon suggest?

He suggests that they should climb the mountain. He wants to deal with the beast.

4. How does Piggy change?

Piggy feels more confident in his abilities and speaks up more. He also becomes more active,
helping collect wood fire. He feels that without Jack near him, he is more free to speak his
mind without being criticized or wronged. He is happy that Jack is gone. Without Jack, the
pressure and anxiety that Piggy felt is now gone.

5. How does Roger show he has become the most sadistic/evil boy on the island? Think
of the sow.

He found pleasure in hurting the pig. He stabbed the pig in the ass; it wasn’t for meat or
helping the hunt, it was just for the sake of torturing the pig, which shows the
sadistic side of Roger.

6. Why do the boys plan on raiding Ralph’s camp?

They need a fire. They also want more people to join their side so that they can gain more
manpower and overall influence. They even try to bribe the group by saying that they have
meat.

7. What happens when Simon goes back into the woods?

He sees the pig head stuck on a stick with flies covering the head.

8. What do you think he actually sees and talks to?

He thinks that he is talking to the Lord of the Flies. He is merely talking to the pig head. He
is actually talking to a pig head, but he is imagining that he is talking to the Lord of the Flies.

9. Who does Simon think tells him, “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could
hunt and kill! I’m part of you.”?
 The Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies represents the devil and evil.

Chapter 9

1. Why was Simon having a hard time walking?

He had just woken up from fainting and was still shaken from his interaction with the Lord
of the Flies.

2. What did Simon do at the top of the hill?

He found the dead parachutist and released him from the tangled trees. He is still staggering
around and in a daze from his fainting.

3. Why did Piggy and Ralph go to Castle Rock?

They wanted to make sure that nothing bad would happen. They want to join the feast
because they want some meat, something other than fruits. They also want to try to get the
order back and harmonize the two different groups.

4. Describe how the “hunters” treat Jack and how he treats them.

They treat him like a king. They gave him his own spot, like a throne, and they gave him lots
of meat and drinks. He treats them as his loyal followers. When he asks for a drink, a hunter
would immediately get him one. Jack treats the others like inferior beings.

5. What was Simon trying to tell the boys when he returned?

He was trying to tell them about the dead parachutist on the top of the mountain. He tries to
tell everyone that there is no beast. Simon also knows that the beast in not a physical being,
but instead it is actually inside of them (he knows this after his conversation with the Lord of
the Beast)

6. What did the boys do to Simon? Why? What happened to his body on the beach?

They killed him. They were too focused on their dance and their song to kill the beast that
they mistakenly thought that Simon was the beast. His body was pulled into the open sea.
Simon tries to tell everyone that the beast does not exist, at least the physical beast does not.
 He essentially walks into the mouth of the beast as the group surrounds him and Simon
becomes the sacrifice for the beast. It essentially shows that the boys are now capable of
murder. Even more, the way they commited the murder with tearing Simon’s flesh with their
bare hands and using their teeth to rip Simon apart reflects the same way a beast would tear
apart their prey with their claws and teeth. Simon represented the goodness and innocence of
humanity, but with his death, it showed that the boys lost their humanity. It also shows that
without rules or laws, humans can commit such horrendous acts without regret or guilt. This
is showcased with how Ralph and Piggy try to deny being a part of Simon’s death and try not
to talk about it when they were a part of Simon’s death.

Chapter 10

1. Ralph sums up who the fearful beast is. “I’m frightened. Of us. I want to go home. Oh
God, I want to go home.” Why is Ralph afraid?

He is afraid of who they are becoming. He realizes that they murdered Simon and he is
afraid of what they have become. He becomes scared and is terrified of what they have
done. He begins to lose his mind.

2. Why do you think Piggy, Ralph, and Samneric deny being at the “dance”?

They do not want to admit being apart of Simon’s murder. They also do not want to admit
that they were a part of Jack’s side. They do not want to admit being participates of murder.
If they admit this, it would mean that they are becoming slowly like Jack and the others.
Murder is something that one cannot go back from, and since these boys still have some
sense of civilization in them, they still want to be rescued and be part of society once again.

3. What does Jack say was disguised as Simon that the boys killed?

He says that Simon was disguised as the beast.

4. Why does Jack deny the beast is dead?

He does not want to admit that they killed Simon, nor does he want to lose his authority over
the group as he keeps control over the hunters with fear. Jack is a leader because he is the
head hunter, and he gives a sense of safety. Jack’s group looks at Jack for protection from the
beast and if the beast is dead, then Jack would not have that same authority or power over the
group.
 5. What does Jack set up a lever for?

He sets it up in case there's an intruder. There’s a certain path that a person has to follow in
order to get to the top, and the lever would let a rock tumble down the hill and get rid of any
intruders.

6. Why do Ralph, Piggy, Samneric let the fire go out? What does this mean?

They let it out because they are too exhausted to keep it going, and Piggy suggested that they
should only light the fire in the mornings as at night nobody would see the smoke. It means
that the boys are beginning to lose hope that the fire could save them, and Ralph is beginning
to lose sight of what the fire meant for the group, which was rescued. Before, the fire going
out would be a thought that was impossible for rescue, but now they start to lose hope for
rescue and begin to think that a fire is pointless.

7. Why does Jack steal Piggy’s spectacles?

He needed it in order to light a fire.

Chapter 11

1. Why does Ralph think “dressing like they were” would assist them in dealing with Jack?

It would show that the boys are more civilized and act more like a group than Jack’s
tribe would. It would show that they are more civilized and it would show the side of the boys
when they were civilized and abiding by laws and rules.

2. How does the contrast of the paint and smoke symbolize the two forces that are
motivating the boys?

The paint represents the savage nature in humans while the smoke symbolizes the civilized
nature of humans that want to be rescued. The paint lends the boys some freedom and not to
be ashamed, and it also brings the group together as a primitive hunter.

3. How does Golding subtly begin to portray Jack’s group as heathen/evil?

They steal Piggy’s glasses. They do not care about using a fire to be rescued; instead, they
only use the fire to cook and dance around. They act like savages. They do not listen to Ralph
when he says he just wants to talk to the whole group and instead keep up their guard
because they want to defend their hideout. Golding stops using their names; he calls them
Chief (Jack) and the group as savages. His takes away the boy’s individuality and the link
between the boys and the civilized world when people would be called by their names has
been severed.

4. Why were the boys so scared of the war paint?

It represented the savage nature of Jack’s group.

5. Why didn’t Ralph want to tie his hair back initially?

He didn’t want to suddenly ask them to stop and tie his hair. He didn’t want to be seen as
girly.

6. Describe what happened when Ralph and Jack confront each other about Piggy’s
glasses.

They begin fighting with their spears. Although they do not aim for any lethal spots,
they do fight like they really mean to injure the other. Ralph keeps shouting that they
should give Piggy’s glasses back but Jack refuses and even lies by saying that he does
not know anything about it.

7. What happened to Piggy and the conch? Who sent the boulder down the hill?

Roger leaned on the lever and sent the boulder down the hill, which hit Piggy and
broke the conch into pieces. Piggy dies after being thrown off the mountainside by
the boulder. The significance of Piggy trying to talk to the group of boys is that Piggy
wants to instill rules and civilization back into the boys, but Piggy’s death and the
conch being broken into a thousand pieces shows the end of civilization in the group
of boys.

8. What happens to Samneric?

They are tied up and are threatened to join Jack’s tribe.

9. What happens to Ralph?

After Piggy’s death, Jack throws a spear at Ralph, which grazes past his ribs. He begins to
run away and hide as the tribe starts throwing their spears at him.
Chapter 12

1. What does it mean when Ralph says of Bill, “whose image refused to blend with that
ancient picture of a boy in shorts and shirt? Explain why the author Golding writes this.

He is saying that Bill is no longer the boy who came from civilization and has become a
savage. He writes this to show the transformation of the group of boys from the beginning of the
story. At first, they were acting within rules and laws, but now, they are acting purely from
primitive instincts. Also, the way that Ralph says “ancient picture” shows how much of a drastic
transformation it was as he believes that this savage image has been shown for a very long time
enough though it was only recent. The picture of the boy in civilization no longer matches with
the image of the savage boy in front of him.

2. Why is it ironic at this point in the story that the boys were being evacuated from their
homes in the first place before the story began?

It is ironic as this savage and primitive nature is inside all humans, especially adults. It is
ironic how those very same savage people came to rescue the boys only for the boys to
become savages themselves. They are being evacuated so that the boys can be safe and away
from the war. However, the boys are even worse off right now, which is ironic.

3. What information does Ralph get from Samneric?

He will be hunted by the entire tribe the next day.

4. What does it mean when Roger “sharpened a stick at both ends”?

He means that Roger will stick one end into the ground and put Ralph’s head on the other
end. Their intention is to stick Ralph’s head on a stick, and this shows the complete
transformation of the boys into savages/true evil. Ralph is not an animal; he is a boy, yet
Jack’s group is trying to hunt him like one.

5. Explain Ralph’s actions when he faces the Lord of the Flies.

He looks at the pig’s head, which is now just a skull as the same as the conch, which
represented civilization and he becomes angry at how he lost that. He removes the skull from
the stick and uses the stick as a weapon. He gets angry because he was unable to bring back
the civilized life like he wanted, and so he knocks off the pig’s head.
6. How does Ralph avoid being killed? What are his strategies?

He plans to hide and wait for the group to try and find him. He hides in a spot where he can
use his spear but the other person would be unable to do anything.

7. What are his opposition’s (Jack’s) strategies for getting him out of the
thicket?

They try rolling down boulders in order to get him out of his hiding spot.
They also tried burning the forest so that they could smoke him out.

8. Who arrives at the end of the novel?

A naval officer.

9. Give one quote from the ending – something that will stick with you as being memorable.
Give a page reference and explain why you chose that quote.

“Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! … You knew, didn’t
you? I’m part of you?” (p.g 158) I chose this quote because it clearly symbolized the
downfall of the group and the evil/savage nature of man that was finally let loose to the
boys. It showed that the Beast was actually a part of the boys from the very beginning,
and that it was only a matter of time before it would be shown. It also shows a clear
relation with the outside world and how wars and fights are always started because of
the evil in man’s hearts, and how everyone has that same evil inside of them, but it’s
only a matter of how much restraint that person has to suppress that evil and savage
nature.
“I should have thought,” said the officer as he visualized the search before him, “I should
have thought that a pack of British boys -- you’re all British aren’t you? -- would have
been able to put up a better show than that -- I mean --”...
This is significant as the naval officer does not understand the true extent of what had
happened on the island, and in a way, he underestimates what children could do. If he
did, he might have reacted a lot more differently than how he initially reacts.

“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”.
This shows that in all humans (what the darkness of man’s heart is referring too) are
capable of things like murder when they are not bound by rules and laws.