Lord of the flies - Weebly



English 9: Reading GuideChapter 1: The Sound of the ShellWhat is the “long scar smashed into the jungle” described on the first page of the novel? What caused it? Describe Ralph. How is he depicted in the opening chapter?Describe Piggy. How is he depicted in the opening chapter, especially in contrast to Ralph? What is Ralph’s initial reaction when he realizes that they have been marooned without any grownups on the island with them? Give an example from the text that illustrates his reaction. What does Ralph do when he reaches the beach? What might his actions symbolize? What is Ralph’s reaction to learning that the fat boy is called “Piggy”? What does his reaction suggest about Ralph’s character? The storm that caused the boys to be marooned on the island also created an “enchantment” on the beach. What is this “enchantment” that Ralph discovers? What is the significance of the author’s using the word “enchantment” to describe it? Who does Ralph tell Piggy will rescue them? What is Piggy’s response? Does he believe Ralph? What do Ralph and Piggy find in the lagoon? What do they do with it? What does it symbolize? Who is the “choir,” and who is their leader? What role are they assigned? Whom do the boys vote in as chief? Why? When confronted with the piglet, Jack hesitates and does not strike it: “The pause was only long enough for them to understand what an enormity the downward stroke would be.” What is significant about this scene? What does it reveal about Jack and about the other boys, as well?Chapter 2: Fire on the MountainAs the chapter opens, Ralph describes how the boys’ meetings will be run from now on. What rules does he establish? How do they relate to power and order?Foreshadowing is a literary technique that creates suspense by hinting at events to come. What are two examples of foreshadowing in this chapter that portend violence and brutality?A small boy comes forward during the meeting to ask the older boys about something he saw that frightens him. What does the small boy report, and what is the older boys’ response? Why is their response illogical, and what does it suggest about them?Why does the debate over the existence of the “beastie” annoy Ralph?What does Ralph promise the boys “unbacked by any proof,” and how does he substantiate it? What effect do his words have on the group?Why do the boys decide to make a fire on top of the mountain?While the boys are collecting firewood, Ralph and Jack pause as “the shameful knowledge grew in them and they did not know how to begin confession.” To what “shameful knowledge” and “confession” does this passage refer? What is the significance of Ralph and Jack’s exchange?Piggy feels the boys treat him unfairly. What are some examples of their unfair treatment? What does the boys’ treatment of Piggy suggest about human nature?Describe the reactions of most of the boys to the forest fire they inadvertently cause.Who does Piggy notice is missing at the end of the chapter? Which literary devices does the author utilize in this closing passage?A tree exploded in the fire like a bomb. Tall swathes of creepers rose for a moment into view, agonized, and went down again. The little boys screamed at them.“Snakes! Snakes! Look at the snakes!”Chapter 3: Huts on the Beach As the chapter opens, Jack is bent down, his nose inches from the earth. What is he doing, and how has his relationship with his environment changed? The author describes “the madness” in Jack’s eyes. What does this madness refer to in Jack and, more generally, perhaps in all men? Why are snakes “not mentionable,” especially for Ralph and Jack? The passage, “They walked along, two continents of experience and feeling, unable to communicate,” suggests that Jack and Ralph have become obsessed with different concerns. What is each boy’s priority, and why is it so important to him? What do their individual obsessions suggest about them? The bathing pool seems to be a significant place in the narrative. How are the boys different there? What might the bathing pool symbolize? When Simon wanders into the forest, he finds a thick wall of creepers; he crawls into the middle of them to sit and listen to the sounds of the island. What are some of the sounds that Simon hears and others that have been mentioned? What feelings do these sounds elicit in the boys and in readers? Once he has explored the castle, what does Ralph urgently want to do next? What activity are the other boys happily engaged in at the time? How do they respond to Ralph?Chapter 4: Painted Faces and Long HairDescribe the natural “rhythms” the boys are becoming accustomed to. How does their prior understanding of time compare to them, and what significance might this hold? The “littluns” live quite differently on the island than the “biguns.” Explain how each group spends its days. Why does Jack decide to paint his face? How does he react when he sees his new “mask”? Why has Piggy come to be viewed as an outsider by the group? Why is Ralph so angry with Jack when Jack returns from his hunt?Why does Jack strike Piggy? What damage does he do? In the face of discord, disappointment, and shame over the extinguished fire, how does Jack respond, and what “weapon” does Ralph wield against him to great effect? By the end of the chapter, Ralph feels “envious and resentful” of Jack over the killing of the pig. What does he tell the boys he plans to do?Chapter 5: Beast from WaterAt the beginning of the chapter, what are some signs that the grand adventure is wearing thin for Ralph? Describe his feelings. Ralph has a very clear set of objectives for this meeting, which “must not be fun, but business.” What are the five things Ralph insists the group must do?Ralph sees the five rules he sets down as non-negotiable. What issue does he bring up at the end of the meeting that he agrees they can discuss democratically? One of the logs in the boys’ assembly area is “lamentably springy.” Someone usually tips the log, causing all the boys sitting on it to tumble over, yet no one ever fixes it, even though it would be easy to remedy. How might the log be interpreted as a metaphor for Ralph’s feelings in this chapter? As Ralph starts to doubt himself and his ability to lead, what do we learn of his opinion of Piggy? During their discussion of fear and beasties, Piggy hits on a very real fear. What does he suggest they do have to be afraid of? Why are the littluns so upset at the meeting? Where does Percival say the beastie he saw came from? And how does the group respond and why? How does this tie into the theme of appearance and reality? And what happens to Percival by chapter end? During the meeting, as the boys discuss rather heatedly the existence of beasts, Simon is moved to speak, though he hates to talk in front of a crowd. When Ralph asks him if he “believes in this,” meaning in the beast, “Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness.” What is this “essential illness”? Explain your reasoning. What does Piggy think of all this talk of beasties and ghosts? Near the end of the meeting, Jack flaunts the rules and takes the floor, despite the fact that Piggy holds the conch. Ralph demands that he follow the rules. How do Jack’s views of the rules represent the principles of anarchy, and how do Ralph’s views of the rules represent order and democracy? At the end of the chapter, Simon, Ralph, and Piggy are extolling the “majesty of adult life.” What do they feel the adults would have done differently? What do they wish the adults would send them?Chapter 6: Beast from AirDescribe the sign sent “from the world of grownups.” What does it symbolize? Identify and explain the literary device the author employs in this description of the fallen parachutist: “So as the stars moved across the sky, the figure sat on the mountain-top and bowed and sank and bowed again.” What “dreadful news” must Sam and Eric (Samneric) tell the others? Jack has been flaunting the rules that Ralph and the group have agreed to. In this chapter, he dismisses the importance of the conch rule. What is his reply to Piggy’s insistence that Jack respect the authority of the conch and whoever is holding it?What is the castle? Why do they go there, and what do they find? What is Ralph’s reaction to the castle, and what is Jack’s?Chapter 7: Shadows and Tall TreesRalph notes that from the other side of the island, the view is quite different from the view they are used to. How is the view different? How does it make Ralph feel? Simon whispers something in Ralph’s ear as Ralph contemplates the vast ocean in front of him. What does Simon tell him, and how does it fit Simon’s persona? What “daydreams came swarming up” for Ralph? How do they relate to the contrast the boys experience between the grand adventure and dark reality? What changed Ralph’s opinion of hunting? Why is his change of opinion significant?Describe the ritual the boys enact here and have participated in previously after other hunts. What purpose does it serve? What might it foreshadow? Why do Ralph and Roger follow Jack up the mountain? What are they looking for? At the mountain-top, why does Ralph experience “green lights of nausea”? What do the three boys discover on the mountain-top near the extinguished signal fire? Chapter 8: Gift for the DarknessExplain what occurs in the meeting Jack calls at the beginning of the chapter. What is Jack’s motivation for calling the meeting? How do the boys respond to him? Jack says, “[Ralph’s] just like Piggy. He says things like Piggy.” What is Jack’s intent in comparing Ralph to Piggy? How does it relate to the theme of inclusion and exclusion? What decision does Jack reach by the end of the meeting? Why? Why can’t the boys have a signal fire on the mountain-top anymore? What theme might this perception, or misperception, allude to? And where does Piggy suggest they move the fire to, and how do the others react? Does this touch on any common motif in the story? How does Jack’s departure affect Piggy? Do any of the boys join Jack? Simon leaves the group that day, too. Where does he go, and for what purpose? Jack and the small group of boys who have joined him decide to hunt a pig. The author chooses to go into great detail about this particular pig hunt. Describe the hunt briefly and the effect it has on you as a reader. Why do you think Golding chose to describe it so viscerally? How does it relate to the themes of violence and savagery?After the pig hunt, what do Jack and the other hunters decide they need next? How will they go about getting it? What does Jack do with the pig’s head? Why? What is the Lord of the Flies? How and to whom does it reveal itself? What does it say? How does the Lord of the Flies as revealed here develop the theme of evil and fear? Simon’s gaze “was held by that ancient, inescapable recognition” when he looked at the Lord of the Flies. Interpret the meaning of this passage. Before Simon loses consciousness, the Lord of Flies tells him this: “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! . . . You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?” What is the Lord of the Flies revealing about the true nature of its identity? Why is Simon “unwanted”? What do these words from the Lord of the Flies foreshadow?Chapter 9: A View to DeathThe weather plays a central role in Chapter nine. Describe the conditions, and explain how they affect the mood of the chapter and the events as they unfold. When Simon awakes from his seizure, he asks aloud to the clearing, “What else is there to do?” What is he thinking, and where does he go? Why is Simon walking “with the glum determination of an old man”? What does Simon do when he finds the dead parachutist on the mountain-top? Ralph and Piggy decide to join Jack’s pig feast. Describe the scene. What role has Jack cast himself in? Jack declares himself chief again, since he and his hunters are the only ones who can give the group meat. What three things, according to Ralph, does Jack not possess? What do they represent? In the face of the impending storm, and without fire or shelter, how does Jack regain order? What does he suggest they do to take their minds off what they lack? How does this illustrate the difference between Jack and Ralph as leaders? Who stumbles into the circle of dancers? What do they mistake him for, and what happens, as a result?How is Simon depicted in this chapter (and at the very end of the previous one) as the Christ figure, and what connection do you see with the way both Simon and the parachutist leave the island? How might this tie into the Christ allusion? In the last page of the chapter, Golding uses light imagery to great effect. The sky fills with light, even though it is nearly midnight: The edge of the lagoon became a streak of phosphorescence. . . . The clear water mirrored the clear sky and the angular bright constellations. . . . Along the shoreward edge of the shallows the advancing clearness was full of strange, moonbeam-bodied creatures with fiery eyes. What mood is created through this description? How has it changed? How do the descriptive details in the conclusion of the chapter, particularly Golding’s use of light images, suggest Simon’s ascent into heaven? Chapter 10: The Shell and the GlassesHow do Piggy, Ralph, and Samneric deal with Simon’s murder? Jack and his “tribe” have moved to Castle Rock. They seem transformed since the horrible events of the night before. Describe the scene at Castle Rock. What seems different now about this group of boys? Jack is now the unchallenged leader; the others are completely in his power. Give an example or two of Jack’s new power, and explain how he is able to maintain it. Jack suggests if they come upon the beast (or perhaps Ralph or Piggy), they will do their dance again. What has the dance come to symbolize? Ralph tries to drift off to sleep by thinking of his little cottage with the wild horses but finds it does not soothe him: “The attraction of wildness had gone.” What thoughts do comfort Ralph? What do they imply about changes in his character? When Jack and his tribe raid Piggy’s and Ralph’s shelter, what are they looking for? What does Ralph assume they are looking for? How does Ralph’s mistake reveal his failure to understand Jack’s true nature?Chapter 11: Castle RockAt the beginning of the chapter, Piggy urges Ralph to blow the conch to call a meeting. How does the boys’ reaction to this call for assembly differ from their reaction the first time Ralph used the conch to call them all together? What does the difference imply? Why do Ralph, Piggy, and Samneric decide to pay Jack’s camp a visit? How do Ralph’s plans for how to approach Jack and the others illustrate the difference between him and Jack? What does Piggy mean when he says he will show Jack “the one thing he hasn’t got”? What does this tell us about Piggy’s character and his beliefs? How does Ralph react to Eric’s unspoken suggestion that perhaps they should paint themselves like Jack and his tribe? What purpose does the paint serve? Why are “the twins examining Ralph curiously, as though they were seeing him for the first time”? What does the “curtain” refer to in this incident?Despite Piggy’s determination to confront Jack and appeal to his sense of right, how does he feel approaching the camp at Castle Rock? What literary device is employed in Piggy’s remarks to Ralph? By the end of the chapter, Ralph finds himself alone. What has happened to Samneric and Piggy?Chapter 12: Cry of the HuntersAs Ralph hides from Jack and the others, he tries to convince himself that they may leave him alone, but concludes otherwise when the “fatal unreasoning knowledge came to him again.” What truth does Ralph realize? Following on the heels of this realization, Ralph cries aloud, “No. They’re not as bad as that. It was an accident.” Why does he exclaim this?In the forest, Ralph comes upon the pig’s skull (the Lord of the Flies), gleaming “white as ever the conch had done. . . .” In this line, what do you think the author might be trying to convey about one of the novel’s central themes, that of good over evil/order and civility over chaos and savagery? What becomes of the skull? How does that transform (or reinforce) the author’s ultimate verdict on this theme? What do Samneric tell Ralph of the tribe’s plans for him? Once Roger, Jack, and the others discover Ralph’s hiding place in the thickets, how do they attempt to capture him? When Ralph is being pursued by the savages, he must weigh his options for survival. In these moments, Ralph has become the hunted. What purpose does this serve the narrative? Why do you think the author wrote this chapter in this way? To what other creature or creatures is Ralph being compared here? And by making this comparison, what might the author be saying about Ralph’s current state? After this harrowing flight from the savages, Ralph falls onto the beach. When he staggers to his feet, what does he discover? The naval officer is astonished to come upon this motley group of children. What has attracted the ship? What does the officer conclude, quite ironically, about the boys’ unusual appearance? In this final scene, how does this officer’s presence alter the characters (particularly Ralph and Jack) and change the reader’s perception of the boys? Who steps up when the officer asks, “Who’s the boss here?” How does Ralph reply to the officer’s condemnation of the boys’ behavior, noting, “I should have thought that a pack of British boys . . . would have been able to put up a better show than that.” In the presence of the officer, Ralph gives himself up to his tears for the first time on the island. What three things is he grieving? ................
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