Lord of the Flies Answers

Chapter 1: The Sound of the Shell 1. How do the boys end up on the island? They are in some kind of plane crash, though the details are not all clear. 2. Who is "the voice" referred to on page 7? What does the voice represent? Piggy is "the voice" and represents the voice of reason 3. How does the reaction of the fair-haired boy differ from the fat boy's at the realization that there are no adults around? Fat Boy: startled that no adults are around, suggests that the pilot may still be alive. Wants to get things organized and make a list of survivors, have a meeting Fair-Haired Boy: Happy and excited about having no adults around, only wants to play 4. Golding's choice of vocabulary when describing Ralph (black shoes, kicked, fiercely, ripped off, skull-like coconuts, sliding over the skin, snake-like clasp) sets what kind of tone? What could it be foreshadowing? Evil tone, foreshadows a shady character 5. How old is Ralph? 12 years and a few months 6. What do you like about the book so far? What are you struggling with? Answers vary. Ideas? 7. On the bottom of page 8, Piggy says, "It wasn't half dangerous..." Again on page 13, he says twice, "You can't half swim." What does Piggy mean by "half"? Double negative. For example, "It wasn't half dangerous" means that it really was dangerous. 8. Describe Piggy. Fat, wears glasses, asthma. Brighter and more mature than Ralph, but kind of a wimp 9. Find the examples of personification on page 15, in describing light and breezes. Breezes "crept," the breeze seemed to "whisper," the light "slid over their bodies or moved like bright, winged things" 10. What gives the conch value? Piggy's declaration gives the conch value, he saw its power to summon the group 11. In what sense do Ralph and Piggy complement one another while dealing with the conch? Piggy has the idea and knows how to blow it. Only Ralph has the physical strength to actually blow it. 12. What do you think the meaning of the word "dumb" in the statement "boys were making their way toward the platform through the hot, dumb sand" could be? Dumb-senseless, unfeeling, uncommunicative. Other ideas? 13. Why did the boys gather as Ralph blew the conch? 1 evidence of authority since the crash. The conch is like the megaphones used by the men who apparently evacuated the boys from their school. A symbol of authority! 14. Describe Sam and Eric. Identical twins, so identical they seem to comprise a single person. 15. Reread the description of the choir leader, on page 20. Discuss Golding's use of color and imagery, and what it may foreshadow. Golding describes the choir leader darkly and severely. Skeleton-like, tall, thin, bony, crumpled, ugly. Red hair, black cape, angry. Red and black as a symbol of evil. Devil-like. Foreshadows the boy's mean character. 16. What about Jack Merridew indicates that he is used to commanding? Refuses to let the choir rest or remove uniforms, even though they were hot. No sympathy for fainted Simon. Keeps choir in order. Tells Piggy to, "Shut up, Fatty!" 17. Why is Ralph chosen over Piggy and Jack to be the leader? Ralph is chosen for his size and attractive appearance, and he has the conch. Even though Piggy is smarter and Jack is more of a commander. 18. What is the first mission for the boys? To find out if they are on an island. Ralph goes on an expedition with Jack and Simon. Piggy is left behind. 19. What "unknown force" has arranged the rocks? Gravity! Nature is a big motif in the book. 20. What is the first act of willful destruction? What is the boys' reaction? The 3 boys on the expedition roll the large boulder down the hill, watching it destroy a path. They are very happy and spend 5 minutes admiring their act. 21. Ralph, after the three explorers reach the top, makes the statement, "This belongs to us." What is the significance of this statement? Reinforces Ralph's authority. Similar to explorers claiming land with a flag. 22. Describe the island and explain the significance of its shape. Island is boat-shaped. Cliffs of pink rock, lots of trees. Island represents a boat. All boys on the island are in the same boat and on an adventure, but where is the boat heading? 23. Describe Jack's emotional state at the end of page 31. He is terrified after the pig runs off, and he stands frozen with his knife still in the air. He is humiliated that he couldn't kill the pig. He has not yet lost his innocence, but vows to slice it open next time. 24. What is the most notable symbol of chapter one and what does it represent? The conch represents power and authority. 25. What is the general goal of the group of boys throughout chapter one? Stick to the learned behaviors of society, attempt to recreate the structures of society by electing a leader and dividing the labor. Chapter 2: Fire on the Mountain Robert is afraid as Jack holds him by the hair, brandishing a knife. The is sniveling at the end of the game, nursing a hurt body. Ralph is overcome with the "desire to squeeze and hurt." P. 115 8. What theme does the hunt support? Golding uses the hunt to highlight the theme of innate evil. No matter how strong the instinct toward civilization may be, there is an innate drive toward savagery-even in someone like Ralph. 9. Why is it especially horrific and savage when Robert says, "You want a real pig...because you've got to kill him," and Jack replies, "Use a littlun"? Although said as a joke and everyone laughs, the idea is very primitive, reminiscent of a human sacrifice. One can imagine the boys killing a littlun at some point, either deliberately or driven by a mob mentality. After all, the lust to hurt and kill was stirred up even in Ralph, the best and most responsible of them. 10. How does Golding convey the shift in leadership that is slowly taking place? Page 107 says, "Ralph was content to follow Jack along it (the pig run)," and again, on page 116, "Once more Jack led them along." 11. How does Golding change the mood of the story on page 116? Golding changes the sentence and paragraph structure from the short comments and dialog to lengthier descriptions that almost mimic Ralph's dreamlike state. 12. How does Golding show that Ralph is still civilized? First, Ralph's ability to tell time is based on social convention. Secondly, Ralph is considering the good of others; he considers Piggy and the boys on the beach, and knows that he needs to get back to protect the smaller and weaker ones. 13. What does the hunting party do after Simon's departure? They decide to break through the forest vines in search of a pig-trail that they think lies just inside the edge of the woods and leads to the mountain 14. Now that Ralph is leading again, what is Jack's response? Jack becomes antagonistic toward Ralph, answering curtly and stirring up trouble. 15. What causes Jack to move to the back of the line to brood? Ralph's question, "Why do you hate me?" exposes Jack's true motive, "as though something indecent had been said" (p. 118). 16. After reaching the mountain, Jack and Ralph argue again. What is the row about? Why does Jack start another argument? When the boys arrive at the mountain, Ralph decides they will rest on "the platform and climb tomorrow." Jack, sensing that he can stir up trouble, challenges the leader's decision, and after all others decline wanting to climb, says, "I'm going up the mountain" as a challenge to seize leadership again. 17. What do the boys find on the mountain? How do they respond? They find "something like a great-ape...sitting asleep with its head between its knees." They assume that this is the beast, and they run away, terrified 1. In the first paragraph of Chapter Two, Golding writes, "The choir, noticeably less of a group, had discarded their cloaks." What does this statement convey? Even though only one day has passed, there is notable breakdown in the learned roles of society. 2. What do you like about the book so far? What are you struggling with? Answers vary. Ideas? 3. What decisions are made at the meeting held the first evening? They will need hunters, make rules, and make a fire. Whoever has the conch has authority to speak. 4. What allusion is made on page 34? Why is it referenced? Treasure Island, it is an adventure story where boys are on a pirate adventure. The story is suspenseful but the boys in the story are not in danger. 5. The little boy with the mulberry-colored birthmark comes forward to speak of what? What element does he introduce? How does he describe it? How does the descriptive phrase, "the small boy twisted further into himself hint at a theme? (page 35) Hints at a "beastie" on the island-hints at an evil presence, described as "snake-like." The boy twists like a snake, suggesting that there is a beast in all of us. 6. Why does Ralph repeat the statement, "There isn't a beastie" five times? Convince the boy and the others, but also himself. 7. Golding writes, "The shameful knowledge grew in them and they did not know how to begin confession" (p. 40). What is the shameful knowledge? How do they solve the problem? They don't know how to start a fire. Ralph asks Jack to light the fire, but nobody has matches. Jack comes up with the idea to use Piggy's glasses to ignite the leaves. 8. On page 41, list some of the examples of alliteration in the paragraph beginning, "Life became a race..." "flag of flame flying," "...soft, cindery sound and sent...sparks" 9. "The sun in the west was a drop of burning gold that slid nearer and nearer the sill of the world. All at once they were aware of the evening as the end of light and warmth." (p. 43) The first statement is an example of what? What did the group realize? Metaphor: As the sun is setting, the boys realize that a cold, dark night lies ahead. 10. In what ways is Piggy the voice of reason? Scolds the group for acting "like a crowd of kids" (p. 44). He wants them to think and plan, points out that they are burning up all the firewood for the distress signal. He says that the out of control fire will burn up their fruit and meat, ruin firewood. The meeting gets rowdy and Piggy demands to be heard. 11. How does Jack and Ralph's relationship develop during the building of the fire? Ralph and Jack combine their efforts and work together, have become companions in some ways while building the fire.