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Lord of the Flies: Reading and Study Guide Class Set (Revised “C”)

William Golding: (September 19, 1911 – June 1993)

Lord of the Flies was published in 1954 and it won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983.

Allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy.

Thus an allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.

The difference between an allegory and a symbol is that an allegory is a complete narrative that conveys abstract ideas to get a point across, while a symbol is a representation of an idea or concept that can have a different meaning throughout a literary work

L.O.F. as an Allegory: Writers use allegory to illustrate abstract meanings by using concrete images.  Often, characters in allegories personify some abstract quality.  While it is possible to read Lord of the Flies as allegory, the work is so complex that it can be read on many levels.  It is an allegory of  the political state of the world in the post war period; as a Freudian psychological understanding of human kind (id, ego, super ego); or as the Christian understanding of the fall of humankind, among others.

As a political allegory we need only to look at the state of the world at the end of World War II.

As a Freudian psychological allegory the characters in the novel personify the different aspects of the human psyche: the id, the super ego, and the ego.  

The id is the part of the unconscious mind that works always to gratify its own impulse.  

The superego is the part of the mind that seeks to control the impulsive behavior of the id.

Finally, Lord of the Flies is a religious allegory of the Garden of Eden and the fall of man. 

Golding told the story of how Lord of the Flies came into existence. He was reading a typical boys book to his son, David, when he put the book aside and looked at this wife and said, “Oh, I’m so tired of this business. Wouldn’t it be fun to write a book about boys on and island and see what really happens?”

Golding’s descriptions are detailed and realistic. He uses language, actions, and mannerisms associated with children. He uses slang of a British boy to add to reality:

“I’m not half tired” = I’m worn out

“waxy” = angry

“bloody”

“sucks to” = an insult that means “to heck with”

“he’s cracked” = He’s crazy.

wacco [Brit. Slang] excellent

wizard [Brit. Slang] excellent

batty = crazy

crackers = crazy

Parallel Scenes:

Assemblies, Fire, Rock Throwing, Pig Hunts, Pig Hunt Re-enactments

Chapter 1 (The Sound of the Shell)

Creepers - vines

Efflorescence - Blooming of flowers, state of flowering

Enmity - Deep seated hatred; State of being an enemy

Decorous - Exhibiting appropriate behavior or conduct

Bastion - A stronghold or fortification; similar to a stronghold

Hiatus -A gap or interruption in continuity; a break or pause

scar- a bare rocky place on a mountainside or other steep slope; or a protruding isolated rock

- In LOF, the scar on the island was created due to the boys’ arrival.

gesticulate = to make or use gestures, esp. in an animated or excited manner with or instead of

speech.

Note: The boys were on a plane because they have been evacuated from a nuclear bomb explosion. This is fiction, so it has nothing to do with any actual historical war.

1. What is the setting of this story?

2. Where are the boys from, and what has happened to their plane?

3.What does Ralph begin to do with his clothes?

4.What sobering news does Piggy give Ralph about their rescue that causes Piggy’s lip to quiver?

5.What do Piggy and Ralph find that is pink and creamy and in the ferny weeds?

Notice how much pink is used as a description. Pink symbolizes innocence.

6. What kind of school do you think these boys were in? Why?

7. What are the twins’ names?

8. Give a brief description of each of the boys:

Ralph:

Piggy:

Jack Merridew:

Simon:

9. What does Ralph do to Piggy which shows that children are often cruel to each other?

10. Describe Piggy’s background (home life):

11. Even though there are no adults with them. What do the boys do which shows adult influence on their actions? Who seems to be the character who voices the adult influence?

12. Who is elected leader and why?

13. In order to keep peace, Ralph gives Jack a job, what is it?

14. Which three boys explore they island for the group? Parallel Scene: What do they do with the large boulder?

15. Parallel Scene: What does Jack want to do when they find a piglet caught in some creepers? Why is he unable to do it? Note: “Next time there would be no mercy.”

Notice all the references to the color, pink, in chapters 1 &2.

Pink = Innocence (Notice how the beginning of the book many things are described as being pink and how that color is used often at the innocent section of the book. Notice how it is not used much later and think about why this is so.)

Chapter 2 (Fire on the Mountain)

Ebullience- Zestful or spirited enthusiasm

Recrimination- The act of accusing in return; opposing another charge

Tumult- Commotion of a great crowd; disorder

Tirade- A long angry or violent speech; a diatribe

16. At the beginning of the meting Ralph tries to reassure that boys that everything is going to be fine. What does he say to comfort them? Give some specifics.

Note: “Coral Island” was one of the sources for Golding writing LOF. It was more of an island adventure story with a neat and tidy ending.

17. What do the little’uns (especially the boy with the mulberry-colored birthmark) think lives on the island? How does this relate to the “Garden of Eden” allegory?

18. What is the first action taken by the boys towards being rescued?

Note how Ralph and Jack get along in the beginning: “Ralph found himself alone on a limb with Jack and they grinned at each other, sharing this burden. Once more, amid the breeze, the shouting, the slanting sunlight on the high mountain, was shed that glamour, that strange invisible light of friendship, adventure, and content.”

19. What does Piggy have that is essential for their rescue? Explain

20. What activity does Piggy consider most important?

21. (Parallel Scene: Fire) What tragedy occurs as a result of their first attempt to be rescued?

22.The island is seen as a pure Eden-like place where the kids have everything needed for survival (fruit, freshwater and a moderate climate). What is introduced in this chapter to suggest that it may not be completely perfect?

23.When Piggy loses his temper at the meeting, what is the first thing that he says they should have done? What does he think they need to do now in relation to the younger children?

24.What happened to, “That little ‘un that had a mark on his face –where is he now?”

Other Interesting Quotes

“Have you got any matches?'" – Ralph

‘“I’ve got the conch, “ said Piggy indignantly. ‘“You let me speak!”’

"We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything.” - Piggy

“Then when you get here you build a bonfire that isn’t no use. Now you been and set the whole island on fire. Won’t we look funny if the whole island burns up? Cooked fruit, that’s what we’ll have to eat, and roast pork. And that’s nothing to laugh at! You said Ralph was chief and then you don’t give him time to think. Then when he says something, you rush off, like, like,”

“Beneath them, on the unfriendly side of the mountain, the drum-roll continued.”

Chapter 3 (Huts on the Beach)

Oppressive- Using power unjustly; burdensome

Inscrutable- Difficult to understand, mysterious

Vicissitudes- A change or variation; unexpected changes in life

Declivities- Downward slopes, as of a hill

Tacit- Not spoken; implied by actions or statements

25. At the first of this chapter, what changes do you notice in Jack’s personality and his appearance? Give specifics.

26. Why is Ralph upset?

27. What are the obviously different ideas of Jack and Ralph about what the boys ought to be doing?

28. Who is the only one to help Ralph and how does Ralph describe him? (Use a direct quote)

29. What does Simon do at the end of the chapter and why do you think he does it?

Quotes

“Then dog-like, uncomfortably on all fours…” –Describing Jack

“And they keep running off. You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished?”

“Meetings. Don’t we love meetings? Every day. Twice a day. We talk. I bet if I blew this conch this minute they’d come running. Then we’d be, you know, very solemn, and someone would say we ought to build a jet, or a submarine, or a TV set. When the meeting was over they’d work for five minutes, then wander off or go hunting.”

“We want meat.” - Jack

“He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up.”

“He rolled over and peered into Jack’s fierce, dirty face.”

“They talk and scream. The little ‘uns. Even some others. As if …” -Ralph

“As if it wasn’t a good island.” – Simon

“As if,” said Simon, “the beastie, the beastie or the snake-thing, was real.”

“If you’re hunting sometimes you catch yourself feeling as if-“ He flushed suddenly. “There’s nothing in it of course. Just a feeling. But you can feel as if you’re not hunting, but being hunted, as if something’s behind you all the time in the jungle.” – Jack

“If only I could get a pig.”

“They looked at each other, baffled, in love and hate.”

"Then, amid the roar of bees in the afternoon sunlight, Simon found for [the littluns] the fruit they could not reach...[and] passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands."

Chapter 4 (Painted Faces and Long Hair)

Blatant- very obvious

Taboo- Excluded or forbidden from use or mention

Sinewy- Lean and muscular; stringy and tough

Malevolently- Having an ill will or wishing harm to others; malicious

30. The boys have divided themselves into two distinct groups. What are these groups and how are they different?

31. What does Roger do which shows he is cruel and mean?

32. What do Jack and the other hunters do which changes their appearance? What does this action symbolize?

33. After spotting a ship on the horizon, Ralph becomes furious. Why?

34. What do the hunters do toward the end of the chapter that benefits all of the boys?

35. How has the attitude towards killing changed?

36. What has happened to Jack and Ralph’s relationship? Why?

Discussion Only: Symbolism Note: The fire represents technology in that it can be used for good, but if it gets out of control, it can be destructive. The fire also symbolizes rescue and a tie back to civilization. What does it symbolize that the boys let the fire go out?

Quotes:

“They were very brown, and filthily dirty. They obeyed the summons of the conch, partly because Ralph blew it, and he was big enough to be a link with the adult world of authority; and partly because they enjoyed the entertainment of the assemblies.”

“Only Percival began to whimper with an eyeful of sand and Maurice hurried away. In his other life Maurice had received chastisement for filling a younger eye with sand. Now, though there was no parent to let fall a heavy hand. Maurice still felt the unease of wrongdoing.”

"[T]here was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he [Roger] dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life."

“They don’t smell me. They see me, I think. Something pink under the trees. He smeared on the clay.” - Jack

"He [Jack] began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. He capered toward Bill, and the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness.”

“The mask compelled them.”

(Just Thinking: Do we wear masks today that hide our true feelings?)

“Simon was floating.”

*** “He (Piggy) was the only boy on the island whose hair never seemed to grow.” ***

“Beneath the smoke was a dot that might be a funnel.” –description of a ship

“The fire was out, smokeless and dead; the watchers were gone. A pile of fuel lay ready.”

“He looked down the unfriendly side of the mountain.”

“Simon looked now, from Ralph to Jack, as he had looked from Ralph to the horizon, and what he saw seemed to make him afraid.”

Parallel Scene: “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.”

‘“I cut the pig’s throat,’ said Jack, proudly.”

Parallel Scene (Fire): “You let the fire go out.” –Ralph to Jack

"[The hunters' thoughts were] crowded with memories...of the knowledge... that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink."

“You should have seen the blood.” – Jack

“Jack stood up as he (Piggy) said this, the bloodied knife in his hand. The two boys face ach other. There was the brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill; and there was the world of longing and baffled common-sense.”

“Jack transferred the knife to his left hand and smudged blood over his forehead as he pushed down the plastered hair.”

“Jack smacked Piggy’s head. Piggy’s glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks.”

“Simon, who got there first, found them for him.”

“Ralph’s mouth watered. He meant to refuse meat, but his past diet of fruit and nuts, with an odd crab or fish gave him too little resistance. He accepted a piece of half-raw meat and gnawed it like a wolf.”

“Then Jack leapt to his fee, slashed off a great hunk of meat, and flung it down at Simon’s feet. ‘Eat! Damn you!” he glared at Simon.”

"'I painted my face--I stole up. Now you eat--all of you”

Parallel Scene: “Then Maurice pretended to be the pig and ran squealing into the center, and the hunters, circling still, pretended to beat him.”

Chapter 5 (Beast from the Water)

(Notice how fear begins to play and important role in this chapter.)

Ludicrous- laughibly and obviously absurd; foolish

ineffectual- Insufficient to produce an effect; useless

Jeer- to abuse vocally; taunt or mock

inarticulate- Incomprehensible; unable to speak with clarity

37. How is Ralph’s personality changing? What things seem to be bothering him?

38.What is the purpose of the meeting in this chapter?

39. What do the children say about the beastie?

40. Who admits to walking around in the dark at night?

41. What do the little ‘uns begin to do at the meeting?

42. What causes them to stop?

43. What do Piggy and Simon say about the beastie?

44. Even though the boys have had an organized meeting, what happens to show the forces of anarchy at work?

45. At the end of the chapter, Ralph is afraid to blow the conch. Why?

46. When Ralph is considering giving up as the leader, what advice does Simon have?

47. What does Piggy fear will happen to him if Ralph gives up?

48(omit)

“Ralph discovered dirt and decay, understood how much he disliked perpetually flicking the tangled hair out of his eyes.”

"Piggy, for all his ludicrous body, had brains. was a specialist in thought now, and could recognize thought in another."

“Exposure to air had bleached the yellow and pink to near-white, and transparency.” – The conch changing color

“There’s another thing. We chose those rocks right along beyond the bathing pool as a lavatory. That was sensible too. The tide cleans the place up.”

“This place is getting dirty.”

“You hunters! You can laugh! But I tell you the smoke is more important than the pig, however often you kill one.”

“Things are breaking up. I don’t understand why. We began well; we were happy. And then …”

“The hair was creeping into his (Ralph’s) eyes again.”

“Anyway, you don’t hunt or build or help – you’re a lot of cry-babies and sissies. That’s what. And as for the fear – you’ll have to put up with that like the rest of us.” – Jack

"'[F]ear can't hurt you any more than a dream. There aren't any beasts to be afraid of on this island....Serve you right if something did get you, you useless lot of cry-babies!" – Jack

(Is he correct?)

"'Life...is scientific....I know there isn't no beast...but I know there isn't no fear, either....Unless we get frightened of people.'"

"'Daddy said they haven't found all the animals in the sea yet.'"

"'Maybe there is a beast....maybe it's only us.'" – Simon

“Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness.

"The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away

“What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or Savages? What’s grownups going to think? Going off – hunting pigs –letting fires go out – and now!” – Piggy

Chapter 6 (Beast from the Air)

Leviathan- Something very large; giant sea creature in the Bible

Clamor- A loud outcry; great expression of discontent

Mutinously- Unruly; insubordinate or constituting a mutiny

49. What falls on the island at the beginning of the chapter? Why do Sam and Eric not see it fall?

50. What frightens Sam and Eric? To whom do they go for help?

Who/what is the beast? How does this relate to Simon’s message that he gave at the assembly in the previous chapter?

Discussion Only: Simon says to Ralph, “I don’t believe in the beast.” What does exactly does he mean by this?

51. Why do the boys go to Castle Rock and what do they find there?

52. What does Ralph remind everyone of when he says, “That’s all we’ve got.”

53. Parallel Scene: Instead of keeping the fire going, what are the boys doing with the rocks at the end of the chapter?

54. In the previous chapter, it says says, “If only they could get a message to us, ‘ cried Ralph desperately. If only they could send us something grownup … a sign or something..”

What was the message that was sent and what does this say about mankind?

55. Jack tells them, “We don’t need the conch anymore.” What does this symbolize is happening?

"[Simon saw] the picture of a human at once heroic and sick....Other people could stand up and speak to an assembly...without...the pressure of personality; could say what they would as though they were speaking to only one person."

“Simon reeled and a white spot on his forehead turned red and trickled.”

"'I'm chief. We've got to make certain [that there is no beast]....There's no signal showing [on the mountain]. There may be a ship out there.'"

Chapter 7 (Shadows and Tall Trees)

Crestfallen- Dispirited and depressed; dejected

Impervious- Incapable of being penetrated or affected.

Enterprise- An undertaking or business organization; industrious

56. Describe Ralph physically at the beginning of the chapter and discuss what he wishes for. What does he notice about his nails?

57. What does Simon say to Ralph that comforts Ralph? Why is it interesting that Simon, in particular, says this? Why is part of this in italics?

58.What does Ralph participate in with the others?

59. Parallel Scene (Pig hunt re-enactment): What game do the boys play that almost ends in tragedy? What is it that they almost do? How does this scene show a change in the temperament of the boys?

60. Which boys go to find the beastie after dark? Who watches the littleuns?

61.What does Simon volunteer to do?

62.Which three boys volunteer to go to the top of the mountain? Why does Ralph “volunteer”?

63 What does Jack see on the very top of the mountain while the other two boys are waiting below?

64. What statement is being made by this “thing” being the beast?

"'Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!'"

"Ralph...was fighting to get near....The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering."

“Before them, something like a great ? was sitting asleep with its head between its knees. The wind roared in the forest, there was confusion in the darkness and the creature lifted its head, holding toward them the ruin of a face.”

Chapter 8 (Gift for the Darkness)

Glowered- Looked at or stared angrily or sullenly

Rebuke- To criticize sharply; check or repress

Demure- Modest and reserved in manner or behavior

Fervor- Great intensity of emotion; intense heat

65. What does Ralph say to Jack that makes him mad?

66.When Jack is trying to discredit Ralph and show why Ralph should not be chief, what lie does he tell about who went up to the top of the mountain? Why does he do this?

67. What happens when Jack tries to become chief?

68. How does Jack’s reaction to his failure show that he is just a child?

69. What does Piggy suggest that makes some of the boys feel happier?

70. What do Piggy and the twins do to make Ralph feel better?

Notice how the boys are becoming more savage: “The two savages looked at each other, raised their spears together and spoke in time. ‘The chief has spoken.”’

71.Where does Simon go? What does he do there?

72.What are the boys wearing that shows some remains of civilization?

73.What does Jack plan to do to get more big ‘uns to join him? What are they going to leave for the beast?

74. Parallel Scene:: Notice the killing of the sow. What details of this killing show that the boys are becoming savages?

75. Why is the pig’s head left behind by the boys?

76. Which child carries on a mental conversation with the head?

77. What is the “Lord of the Flies”? Why is it called that?

Notice: Piggy and Ralph wonder “What makes things break up like they do?”

78.When the boys raided Ralph and Piggy, what are they wearing? Explain what this symbolizes.

79.When the boys raid the camp, what do they leave behind? Why did the boys raid Ralph’s camp?

Note: Ralph pushed the idiot hair out of his eyes and looked at Piggy.

80. What two things does Ralph begin to do which show his confusion, loss of control, and lack of certainty.

81.What does the Lord of the Flies call Simon?

Notice: This scene is allegorical to Jesus’ temptation by the devil.

82. What secret is revealed by the “Lord of the Flies”?

83.The Lord of the Flies says, “We are going to have fun on this island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So don’t try it on, m poor misguided boy, or else.” What does this imply about Simon’s allegorical / symbolic role and what the Lord of the Flies represents?

"'[Ralph is] like Piggy....He says things like Piggy. He isn't a proper chief.'"

"'Right up her …”

'This head is for the beast. It's a gift.'"

"[Simon's] eyes were half-closed as though he were imitating the obscene thing on the stick."

“He was safe from shame or self-consciousness behind the mask of his paint and could look at each of them in turn.

Chapter 9 (A View to a Death)

Corpulent- Excessively fat

Sauntered- To walk at a leisurely pace; stroll

84. What is Simon’s physical condition at the beginning of this chapter? What type of illness does he seem to suffer from?

85. What does Simon find on the mountain? What action does he take after his discovery?

86. One of the biggest problems on the island right now is fear. What news is he going to bring the rest of the boys to save them from their fear?

87. Down on the beach while Simon is up on the mountain, what are the other boys doing?

88. What impending weather is coming and what might this foreshadow?

Notice how Jack is now described with very primitive descriptions and word choice.

Ex. “Jack, painted and garlanded, sat there like an idol.”

Ex. “Take some meat.”

89. What do the boys do which seems to unite Ralph’s and Jack’s groups temporarily?

90.What offer does Jack make to the boys?

91.What doesn’t count at this end of the island and what does that symbolize?

92. How does the explosive thunder symbolize what is happening with the boys?

93. Parallel Scene: In this pig hunt re-enactment, Roger is the pig. Surprisingly, who takes part in this re-enactment?

94. How does the weather symbolize the frenzy that the boys are in?

95. What was the “beast” crawling out of the forest?

96. What happens to the body of the parachutist?

97. What happens to Simon at the end of the chapter? How does this relate to the religious allegory?

98. How is the body described as it moves out to sea? What is the purpose in this description?

"'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?'"

"'You're not wanted....on this island!...So don't try [to take] it on...or else....we shall do you. See?

"'Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!'"

"There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws."

"The water rose farther and dressed (his) coarse hair with brightness. The line of his cheek silvered and the turn of his shoulder became sculptured marble."

"[S]urrounded by a fringe of inquisitive bright creatures, itself a silver shape beneath the steadfast constellations, (his) dead body moved out toward the open sea."

Chapter 10 (The Shell and the Glasses)

Compelled- To force or drive; exert a strong, irresistible force on

99. What does it say about Ralph that he is laughing so much at the beginning of the chapter?

100.. At the beginning of this chapter, why don’t the boys talk about what happened to Simon?

101.Why does Ralph correct himself when he says, “Didn’t you see what we – what they did”?

102. Later, what does Piggy finally say about what happened and what does he want to cover up about his human nature –especially to Samneric?

103. Where do Samneric claim they were after the feast? What gives their lie away?

104. What is Ralph’s opinion of the boys’ actions?

105. Notice: Parallel Scene (Rock) What was jammed under the topmost rock? Why?

106.Who is tied up? Why?

107.How is Jack behaving about what is going to happen to the child who is tied up? What does this show about his personality and how has he changed since the beginning?

108. Why does it mean that Roger is “assimilating the possibilities of irresponsible authority?

109. Describe Jack’s physical appearance and how does this symbolize his personality change?

Notice: Jack is now called “The Chief.”

Notice Ralph’s laughing uncontrollably.

110. When Piggy hears his name being called outside who/what does he think it is?

111. What is stolen and why?

“He was chief now in truth; and he made stabbing motions with his spear.”

Chapter 11 (Castle Rock)

truculent = fierce; cruel; savagely brutal

Luminous- Emitting light; full of light

Myopia- Nearsightedness

Sniveling- To sniffle; complain or whine tearfully

Quavered- Trembled, or spoke in a trembling voice

Parried- Deflected or warded off; avoided

Talisman - An object with magical power

112. Why do Ralph and his gang go to Castle Rock?

113. Who wants to carry the conch? What does this symbolize about the character and what does it show about the characters who still respect the conch?

114. What does the author choose to describe the fruit trees as “devastated fruit trees” here? How does this compare to the beginning of the novel? What does this symbolically imply about mankind?

Note: "'[We should be] looking like we used to, washed and hair brushed -- after all we aren't savages really....'"

115. What do the boys understand “too well” about the face paint that Jack wears?

116. Why won’t the Ralph and his group wear the paint?

117. . Why do the twins start to lose respect for Ralph?

118. . To whom does Ralph first speak at Castle Rock?

Parallel Scene: In what ways is this assembly different from the first assembly (tone, looks, reactions, leadership, savagery, cooperation etc)?

119. What does Ralph say that makes Jack attack him?

120. Why is Piggy in such a dangerous position?

121. What happens to Sam and Eric?

122. “I got the ________________!” he shouted. I tell you, I got the ____________________!”

Zup = a made-up word

Talisman =

123. What makes Ralph charge against Jack and his gang?

124. What happens to Piggy (how it happens) and who is responsible?

125. What does the shattering of the conch symbolize?

126. How does Jack react and what does he scram towards Ralph?

127. What does Ralph do?

128. The ending of the chapters says, "Roger advanced...as one wielding a nameless authority." What does this mean and how has Roger changed? What defense do the people Roger torments have against him?

Chapter 12 (Cry of the Hunters)

Acrid- Unpleasantly sharp or bitter taste or smell

Cordon- A line of people or ships stationed to guard

Elephantine- The size of an elephant; enormous size/strength

Epaulettes- A fringed strap worn on military uniforms

Ululation - a long, wavering, high-pitched sound resembling the howl of a dog or wolf. It is an onomatopoetic word.

129. What does it mean when it says, “But really, thought Ralph, this was not Bill. This was a savage whose image refused to blend with that ancient picture of a boy in a shirt”?

130. What does Ralph come across while running through the jungle that has a white face? Why would this jeer at him cynically?

131. How do the twins show kindness to Ralph?

132. What does it meant when it says, “If it were light shame would burn them at admitting these things”?

133. What do the twins say that shows Roger’s cruelty?

134. How do the savages know where to look for Ralph?

135. Parallel Rock Scene: How do the savages first try to kill Ralph?

136. Put With Parallel Pig Hunt Scene: What is the significance of the “stick sharpened at both ends”? How does this show the savagery of the boys now compared to the first pig-hunt scene? How have they become more savage?

137. What is the second method that the savages use to try to kill Ralph?

Note: “There was no Piggy to talk sense. There was no solemn assembly for debate nor dignity of the conch.”

138. (Parallel Scene)By trying to catch Ralph with the second method, what are they destroying that could keep them alive?

139. As the savage is standing over the hiding Ralph the words, “You’ll get back” are going through his mind. Who told him those words and how does that relate to the allegorical/symbolic nature of that character?

140. Who finds Ralph and how does he escape?

141. The savages are now all screaming and hunting? What are they hunting?

142. When Ralph trips and looks up, what/who does he see?

143. Why does Ralph cry? What is he crying for?

144. How many people did Ralph report were killed? How many were actually killed?

145. Who says he is boss when the officer asks? Why is this true now?

146. How do we know that Jack’s reign of terror is over?

147. Was Ralph correct on how they were to be rescued? How is this ironic?

148. The British officer says, “I should have thought that a pack of British boys . . . would have been able to put up a better show than that.” What does he mean? How is this statement hypocritical and ironic?

Note: There is an allusion to “Coral Island” again.

149.Why did Ralph cry? What does it mean when he says he “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.” What does this statement mean in terms of Golding’s overall message about mankind? What is Golding saying about mankind through this novel? Is it accurate?

150.How had Ralph’s attitude change from the beginning when he was saying that his dad would rescue them and that this could be a good island? What does this represent about life and mankind?

151.The boys on the island feared the beastie. As it turns out, who was the most destructive and deadly force on the island? What does this say about the power of fear in causing us to act and what does this say about mankind? How was the parachutist a symbol for the beast (mankind)?

152. Allegory: Compare the initial description of the island to the description at the end of the last chapter. What does this say about mankind? Is this an accurate depiction? How does this relate to the allegorical and symbolic nature of the story?

153. Jack and his hunters become less civilized after killing a pig. What activities in everyday life seem to make people less civilized? For example, do video games or movies depicting violence make people more prone to committing violent acts?

Quotes

Ralph launched himself like a cat; stabbed, snarling, with the spear, and the savage doubled up."

"What was the sensible thing to do? There was no Piggy to talk sense

"'I should have thought that a pack of British boys...would have been able to put up a better show than that....'"

"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."

Note: In an interview, Golding discussed the use of “The Coral Island” in Lord of the Flies, remarking on his different view of human nature. “What I’m saying to myself is, “Don’t be such a fool, you remember when you were a boy, a small boy, how you lived on that island with Ralph and Jack and Peterkin … now you are a grown up,… you see people are not like that.”

L.O.F. as an Allegory: Writers use allegory to illustrate abstract meanings by using concrete images.  Often, characters in allegories personify some abstract quality.  While it is possible to read Lord of the Flies as allegory, the work is so complex that it can be read on many levels.  It is an allegory of the political state of the world in the post war period; as a Freudian psychological understanding of human kind; or as the Christian understanding of the fall of humankind, among others.

As a political allegory we need only to look at the state of the world at the end of World War II. The world was divided into two camps the free world and the Soviet Union much like the camps of Ralph and Jack.   In addition the postwar Cold War Era suffered from fears of atomic ego. He is the conscious mind that mediates between the id's demand for pleasure and the social destruction.  Lord of the Flies shows the world at the brink of atomic destruction.  The novel serves as a warning to the leaders of the world.

As a Freudian psychological allegory the characters in the novel personify the different aspects of the human psyche: the id, the super ego, and the ego.  

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) – Id – follow impulses and the demon within; is not governed by

laws of reason or logic, does not possess values or ethics or morality (Jack)

Ego – balances the id and superego (Ralph)

Superego – moral scruples, this represents the ideal rather than

the real and this part of a person’s morals strives for

perfection; the person’s moral code. (Piggy)

Finally, Lord of the Flies is a religious allegory of the Garden of Eden.  It was a perfect island with good food, good weather, and good water.  The beastie is the snake in the Garden that lures (tricks) the others to not hold up to their duty.  The parachutist and Piggy represent the fall of mankind.  Jack and Ralph are very much like Cain and Able. Simon is a Christ figure who sacrifices himself to save them. Ba‘al Zebûb might mean 'Lord of Zebûb', referring to an unknown place called Zebûb, or 'Lord of things that fly' (zebûb being a Hebrew collective noun for 'fly', thus the common lay translation 'Lord of the Flies'). In Christianity, the name Beelzebub or Beelzebul may appear as an alternate name for Satan or else may appear to refer to the name of a lesser devil.

Nature of Man View Points

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) Man is by nature a selfishly individualistic animal at constant war with other men.

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) Man’s struggle for survival is characterized by ruthless competition.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) – Id – follow impulses and the demon within; is not governed by

laws of reason or logic, does not possess values or ethics or morality (Jack)

Ego – balances the id and superego (Ralph)

Superego – moral scruples, this represents the ideal rather than

the real and this part of a person’s morals strives for

perfection; the person’s moral code. (Piggy)

Men are not gentle, friendly creatures wishing for love … they have a tendency to have aggression towards each other.

John Locke (1632-1704) Man is a “blank slate” a tabula rasa

The sources of all knowledge are sense experience and reflection. All behavior is learned.

M.F. Ashley-Montague (1905-) When the human organism receives the love it expects, then it develops as a loving creature with a maximum tolerance for frustration and a minimum need for aggression.

Ex. If you will not love me, I will not love you …”

Ashely Montague thought that aggression is the expression for the need for love.

Questions:

With which of these theories do you agree?

Is a person’s development more a result of nature (the way a person is born) or nurture (the environment in which one is raised)?

Think About:

1.Why does Golding choose “the voice of a schoolmaster” for the Lord of the Flies? What is the connection between the Lord of the Flies and the beast for Jack? For Simon? How does Simon’s confrontation with the Lord of the Flies reinforce his earlier statement that perhaps the beast is “only us”?

2. Why does Golding have Piggy and the conch both destroyed at the same time?

3. Why does Golding choose to make Simon’s murder and the disappearance of the airman simultaneous events in the novel? In what sense is the beast, as an external presence for the boys, no longer needed after Simon is murdered? How is the beast now an acknowledged force within the boys themselves, or as Simon put it, “only us”?

4. Why do Simon and Piggy die in the novel and not Ralph and Jack?

5. How do you think Golding’s experiences in World War II shaped this novel?

6. Why does Golding introduce the atomic war into the plot of the novel rather than just writing a story about an ordinary shipwreck? Does the boys’ evacuation from another island at war (England) in any way influence or justify their behavior there?

7. Abraham Lincoln said, “Human nature can be modified to some extent, but human nature cannot be changed.” Using example from this novel and from what you know of history and contemporary life, support or attack this statement.

8. Rousseau and Golding have contradictory philosophies about human nature. Which of their beliefs seems more realistic to you? Can you find some way to combine pares of their ideas to produce a feasible/reasonable answer to the problem of human behavior?

9. Golding believes that the sanctions of society begin to disintegrate when the individual is removed from the enforcers of civilized behavior. Do you agree? How much of your “good conduct” is dependent on the fact that someone is watching you? How many of us try to get away with whatever we can as long as nobody finds out? Thing about the difference in behavior when:

a. a teacher is not present in the classroom.

b. A party is unchaperoned

c. A driver knows there is no radar patrolling his/her speed

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