Lord of the Flies Chapters 1-6

He saw a snake and he's afraid of it. He calls it a beastly. He says what is this I saw it and I'm scared. The 12 years old are trying to be brave. Ralph is the most vocal that there is not snake. He's saying that they can't exist here, they can only exist in bigger countries

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?

Ralph and Piggy haven't been in the same scene for a while. Ralph knows that piggy is the smartest. Ralph think he's the best leader because he has charisma even though piggy is the smartest

As Ralph starts to doubt himself and his ability to lead, what do we learn of his opinion of Piggy?

He's doing something called tracking. He's learned how to figure things out. He's not just running through the forest anymore. He's blending in and being quiet He's looking for droppings

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?

Jack is the one who said they should have a lot of rules. He winds up being the mean one. He wants rules because he wants to be the enforcer

As 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?

Ralph was happy to be on the island in the beginning. This feeling came from that he was certain they were gonna get rescued. By chapter 5 his patience are wearing thin. Every time he hold a meeting he hopes to get things done and he doesn't The missed opportunity of that ship- the main point that changed Ralph's thoughts on being rescued He's thinking more about home (missing, home, school, family and rules)

At the beginning of the chapter, what are some signs that the grand adventure is wearing thin for Ralph? Describe his feelings

Before the fire, let's get our priorities straight like shelter They haven't taken attendance fully No one is starting so they shouldn't start hunting yet

At the end of the chapter, Piggy has the conch and unleashes his thoughts on what the boys have done wrong. What does he say, specifically?

The idea of no adults being there was what excited the, so much but now their thinking how things would be different if adults were there to keep order They believe that the adults wouldn't let the fire go out, they wouldn't make fun of piggy and they wouldn't be scared of the beastie Thy wish the adults would send them a sign

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?

He's gonna hold a meeting right away

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?

Rhythms- they have set up their day based on the sun The morning are the fun carefree time because it's not so hot yet The afternoon- the sun gets so hot that their mind starts playing tricks on them The evening bring coolness they start to be carefree but it's tinged by fear of the night time The night time is tough for them because it is scary

Describe 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?

Piggy is the one who is most upset but the other boys are excited and think it's cool. They feel powerful

Describe the reactions of most of the boys to the forest fire they inadvertently cause

They find a parachutist. There seems to be some type of struggle going in the air and all of a sudden there's a burst of fire and something falls out of the sky and lands on the island. Sam and Eric are the first people to see it. They don't recognize it as a parachute it's, they recognize at a monster Symbolize- an effect of war (the person who came done was in the war) the grown ups are invoked in their own problems This brought them all together

Describe the sign sent "from the world of grownups." What does it symbolize?

Even jack the most ruthless one, even when he's out there he questions his own power and thinks he's being hunted They haven't set foot on every part of the island so they don't know what other animals or danger is there When he's out hunting he feels like a beast is lurking

Discuss Jack's words here: "When you're out hunting, sometimes you can catch yourself feeling like you're not hunting, but...being hunted."

They are using very violent language. They almost humanize it by giving it a gender. Their okay with the fact that just killed this living and brutally thing. They are starting to slip into their savage life

Discuss the two chants the boys break into throughout the chapter. "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood." And, "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in."

Simon is very good and spiritual. Of if all the boys we never see him king anything bad It's symbolic that when he tells them how he feels that he can't inarticulate it An essential illness is something that has always been there but is mad Mankinds essential illness is greed. It is essential to mankind because it motivates people to always choose money. Another one is selfishness, it's essential because it always kept people alive. Another one is competition, the desire to be the best made you do something The problem is that Simon knows that these things are part of human nature but what happens when these things help the boys to make decisions

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.

He suggests they should be afraid of each other The only real fear worthy of our time is when we talk about fearing each other like what about if they are stuck there forever. Piggy is the smartest one and says there isn't a beast because they have been there for a while and the beast would of done something by now

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 ?

1) when jack talks about the piglet that got away and he says it's not going to happen again the next time -meaning that he's gonna kill it next time 2) jack announcing he wants rules -jack is the one that's gonna wanna be the leader and the punisher Rules: conch shell (decides who speaks), hunters (everyone has a specific job)

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?

The little boys start crying because they have been scared for so long they open up Since Ralph told them too. Jack tells them to stop crying and shut up

How does Jack address the littluns in this chapter?

He gets a piece from Simon (good person) he gives him his piece of meat Jack feels like this is food he provided for the food and Simon going against his wishes is offending jack cause he wanted a long time to get this meat

How does Piggy get a piece of meat? Discuss Jack's reaction to this

1) They stomp out the sand castle The kids spend their time building this and this is their way of playing Roger was throwing rocks at the little boy Henry When he throws then and he intentionally misses him because he hasn't lost the sense that he can get caught

How, do the bigger kids, specifically Roger and Maurice, bully the littluns at the beginning of this chapter? (Look at middle paragraph on Page 84). Are they sorry for what they did?

This idea that the figure is bowing and then sinking. As the wind fills it, it gets bigger but then it shrinks. To them it looks like this thing that is moving is alive The literary devise is simile They are comparing the movement of the figure to the stars in the sky

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."

Does Ralph flip out start screaming?- no he just stands in front of jack and says three times that he let the fire out. Then he goes silent When you do something wrong that it's so bad that their silent

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?

Their not sure and they think their the only survivals Ralph and Piggy become ally's Ralph has two reactions: 1) he reacts solemnly 2) joy and excited (stands on his head) Shows us that these boys can be immature because only kids would stand on their heads Realized ambition: something that you always dreamt about Piggy is the realist and the nervous one -Ralph's reaction at first is solemn but then he gets joyful

In the opening scene. Ralph and Piggy are realizing that there are no grown-ups on the island. Their exchange: Piggy: "Aren't there any grown-ups at all?" Ralph: "I don't think so." "The fair boy said this solemnly; but then the delight of a realized ambition came over him. In the middle of the scar he stood on his head and grinned at the revered fat boy." Discuss.

He declares he doesn't need the conch no more He said it's time some people be quiet and lead the deciding thing to the leaders

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?

Ralph: We have different group doing different things (hunting, shelter) They can't only have hunting because everyone would be man for their self Government and occupations The idea of leadership and treating each other with respect Jack: Killing, being one Jack doesn't respect people They don't have to be civilized if they follow jack He would try and kill Piggy first Simon: He believes that everyone is born with a good and bad side. He believes that you can live without the evil showing

Let's discuss the boys as symbols: Ralph: The orderly forces of civilization. Jack: The primal forces of civilization. Simon: Innate goodness that is intact even when civilization is not

Jack is getting his own band of people together Ralph has a decision to make if he blows the conch for then to come back or if he doesn't blow it He's worried if he blows it and no one comes back Either way he said he ends up with no power They argued that were gonna be animals anyways

Look at Ralph and Piggy's exchange at the bottom of 130. Discuss.

Ralph said there's no point in having rules if no one can check up on us Anarchy is craziness or no order This idea of the conch, it becomes symbolic- it represents order and democracy Once the conch breaks or someone doesn't follow the rules of it

Near the end of the meeting, Jack breaks 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?

The minute Piggy says they might be here till they die, Ralph grabs his shirt because it is comforting -reality is sinking in

On page 17: Piggy says: "We may stay here until we die." That prompts Ralph to look for his clothes and the narrator tells us, "To put on a grey shirt once more was strangely pleasing." Discuss.

Ralph gets on again about the fire and at that point the boys are rolling rocks into the water and are not listening to him and this shows it's another distraction and it's taking away his power

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?

To make sure that everything is going well but they are too lazy Jane you see someone else doing something, you break your guard and do it too If you see someone getting away with something you tend to do it too

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?

Examples: they take his glasses even though he doesn't want them to, he's trying to follow the rules and tell them what their doing wrong but they are ignoring him, they don't give him respect, jack calls him fatty and they take the conch from him Human nature: we tend to pick on the weak ones Piggy is the only one being referred to as over weight and having asthma

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?

Ralph's keeps on saying Piggy and is laughing at it Piggys first reaction is about bulling they called him Piggy He's opening up to Ralph cause he's seems straight forward Ralph's reaction is to laugh and call him Piggy This shows us the Ralph isn't a perfect guy he's a little immature and he tells the other guys to call him Piggy

Piggy is almost immediately nervous: "I don't care what the others call me, so long as they don't call me what they used to call me at school." Discuss this and Ralph's reaction to it.

Rules: 1) the fire has to be watched and lit at all times 2) you can't light a fire anywhere else on the whole island 3) if your gonna go to the bathroom you have to go by the rocks by the water cause there's a good tide 4) Ralph wants to build shelters and they have become symbolic of home 5) there needs to be a team of people who collect water in coconut shells and the shells must be left in one place

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 12 The older ones have to make a decision -he's in between (turning point) he's not a child but he's not an adult yet The idea is when your not fully formed yet or between stages Their not grown up enough to be making their own choices but being stuck is gonna shape them

Ralph is described as such: "He was old enough, 12 years and a few months, to have lost the prominent tummy of childhood and not yet old enough for adolescence to have made him awkward." Discuss.

The idea of fear. Ralph hasn't so far entertained the idea of fear cause he thinks it will weaken them but he decided to talk about it once. Someone said that the biggest fear would be each other. They can all start disagreeing with each other. Ralph and jack both have different policies

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?

He takes off his chill sweater -the boys are excited to be there, the idea of shutting their clothing they gravitate to -when they start to feel nervous, clothing becomes a comfort to them and a remembrance of when their lives were easier

Second sentence of the chapter: "Though he had taken off his school sweater and trailed it now from one hand, his grey shirt stuck to him and his hair was plastered to his forehead." Significance?

They build sand castles. This is supposed to show us their innocent and that their immature and childish still. They spend all of their time together eating and playing and comforting each other at night. They can't lean on the older kids cause they don't care. The older boys are more engaged in find shelter etc,

The "littluns" live quite differently on the island than the "biguns." Explain how each group spends its days

He's obsessed with killing. So he's not weak and can establish himself and being strong If can out amen the pig then that can show that we are smarter than the pig and the island in general

The author describes "the madness" in Jack's eyes. What does this madness refer to in Jack and, more generally, perhaps in all men?

It's a arguing pool they use it more of a winning pool There the boys are children again. They splash around, play fight and no canning balls They escape the idea that they might not get out of there and be there forever

The bathing pool seems to be a significant place in the narrative. How are the boys different there? What might the bathing pool symbolize?

Jack is obsessed with hunting and this shows he's all about power and he's not seeing clearly cause they don't need to eat right now cause their not starving Ralph is obsessed with shelter and rescue (the fire) he thinks the fire should be burning at all times and they should worry about how much smoke is going into the air. This shows us that Ralph is scared and he's the most gullible

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?

They catch a glimpse of the fallen parachutes in the mountain They claim it's a beastie playing with their mind

What "dreadful news" must Sam and Eric (Samneric) tell the others?

The conch shell They start blowing into it to make a humming noise Ralph blows into it once and it makes a farting noise and he can't stop laughing which shows he's immature They use it to find other people All of a sudden people come out of the jungle A group of choir boys and the littleones Symbolize- order Ina group meeting, of your opholding the conch shell you can speak and other people are supposed to stay quiet

What do Ralph and Piggy find in the lagoon? What do they do with it? What does it symbolize?

We don't see Ralph or jack help the little ones they way Simon is He's good natured and good hearted Simon out of everyone he's very in tune with nature and at times he runs into the jungle and sorta meditates and listens to the sounds around him The rest of them are trying to control the island and take it as their own

What do we learn about Simon as a character in this chapter?

He's scared about it

What does Piggy think of all this talk of beasties and ghosts?

Takes all of his clothes off and jumps into a pool Symbolize- once his clothes come off, it's also whatever society was telling him to do and he can do what he wants

What does Ralph do when he reaches the beach (bottom of page10)? What might his actions symbolize?

Piggy keeps on bringing up that they might die Ralph says that theirs a possibility that they might now be found His father has told him that the queen has a room maps with every island on it -he's saying there's not such thing as an unknown island The group loves Ralph's answer and are excited to hear that

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?

Castle: part of the island that extends out to sea Jacks reaction is that it would make a really great fort cause it is isolated and seems strong Ralph's reaction thinks it's a rotten place and isn't gonna help them Ralph doesn't like the idea of jack having a fort because it can remind him of war and division and it being another distraction

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?

There's a group of ants and he's shouting at them to do orders It shows be might become the leader of the little ones It's shows that they don't have a voice so they don't know what else to do They don't have any control or power

When Henry, a littlun, is playing with the ants, the narrator tells us, "he became absorbed beyond mere happiness as he felt himself exercising control over little things." Discuss.

Our narrator tells us the sea breaking mile away in the reefs is almost blood pulsing through someone's veins Simon thinks the island is alive The other boys think it's alive but if they dint kill it, it will kill them

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?

Ralph, Jack and Simon go on a walk because they wanna get a better advantage point so they go on the mountain On the way back, they see a piglet in the vines Jack has an ax it's perfect time to kill him He lifts it up and he's about to kill it, he pauses and then at that moment the piglet it able to break free He says that it won't do it again The minute they kill something, they start to slip into their savage side

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?

The idea that nothing's real and you can't count on anybody. For Ralph when he first got there he thought he can rely on the other boys. He thought he can take the island and make it a real civilization for everyone

When the boys gather for Ralph's big meeting, the narrator tells us that Ralph is thinking: "If faces were different when lit from above or below, what was a face? What was anything?" Discus

Scar: Mark that the plane left Why significant?- the idea that the island used to be untouched, it was nature and completely natural Humans being and the effect that we have on nature and that can be negative

When the boys refer to the plane crash on the beach, they call it a "scar." Significance?

They haven't thought of the idea that there is something in the water. Being from London they probably haven't gotten into contact with creatures from the water Percival is crying so much he is hyperventilating He was crying so much and he had a nervous breakdown then fainted

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?

Ralph had jack have become a duo Ralph is chief and jack is the lead hunter They decide that there gonna be the ones to start a fire That shameful knowledge grew in them and they had to face confession Confession is that they don't know how to start a fire. They don't know what to do. That moment when they are looking around and don't know what to do is symbolic cause how are they gonna start it They use piggys glasses to start the fire and he not happy about this No one listens to him because his answers are too real

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?

I haven't seen him It's the guy who saw the snake He has a birthmark on his face so it's easier to find him They are comparing fire to a bomb It's ironic to say it's like a bomb because they were evacuated from England cause of the threat of an atomic bomb

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!'"

Ralph says his dad is in the navy and they'll only be there temporarily Piggy says I don't think your dad is even alive Piggy asumes a bomb went off which is why the plane crashed and everyone else is dead Piggys dad passed away and you have a feeling that his mom too He lived with his parents Piggy knows what it's like to not have parents but Ralph does Ralph- idealist Piggy- realistic

Who does Ralph tell Piggy will rescue them? What is Piggy's response? Does he believe Ralph?

Leader- Jack Jack becomes the symbol of evil and one of the first boys to become savage They are wearing these black robes from their chins to their feet They seemed to be like the military When all the boys get together, they decide who should be chief

Who is the "choir," and who is their leader? What role are they assigned?

They picked Ralph -he looks strong -kind face -he's holding the conch shell More than anything the visualization of him holding the shell shows that he should be it Jack is saying what about me I wanted to be it Ralph says why don't you be the head of something else He chooses hunting and the choice kids are the hunter

Whom do the boys vote in as chief ? Why?

They choose Ralph as leader cause he's strong and cause he has a nice face Jack is the lead hunter and his choir are also hunters They don't want the snakes to interfere

Why are snakes "not mentionable," especially for Ralph and Jack?

Their home sick and their worried about beasties and ghosts and snakes We didn't haven't seen that little boy that brought up the snake They know they haven't seen him cause he has a beauty mark on his face and they would of recognized him

Why are the littluns so upset at the meeting?

The best way to be seen is a fire and hope the fire or smoke is visible enough that a boat that is passing by can come and save them

Why do the boys decide to make a fire on top of the mountain?

Jack is able to through a mixture of water, dirt and sand to make a mask He's a hunter so he wants to camouflage a little bit Once he sees the reflection of his painted face, he laughs and he has a blood thirsting face It's helping him find insecurities, he becomes someone else He's liberated and thinks he can do the more dangerous things when he's wearing the mask

Why does Jack decide to paint his face? How does he react when he sees his new "mask"?

He takes the feelings towards Ralph and lashes out at Piggy. He gets angry enough where he rips off his glasses and one of his lenses break. The glasses were the only thing that they had from the modern world

Why does Jack strike Piggy? What damage does he do?

The narrator tells us that Ralph feels defeated by the debate of the beastie. He wants to fight it

Why does the debate over the existence of the "beastie" annoy Ralph?

His opinions are usually opposite but they are the ones most in touch with reality He's the most scientific He's the easiest target Physically he can't be strong cause he has asthma (he's an outsider physically)

Why has Piggy come to be viewed as an outsider by the group?

Ralph feels like when they have a meeting everyone is excited and they all wanna help and then the meeting let's out and some go lay down, go swimming or chill so they are all just talk and don't wanna do anything to stay stable They one person on Ralph's side is Simon Simon in a sign of a good hearted person and helps Ralph with the hugs

Why is Ralph frustrated with the other boys?

Ralph is looking out into the water and he's sees the faintest picture of a ship and he gets so excited that he starts running through the forest and goes running up to the top of the mountain to make sure their smoke signal is still in flames. He gets there and the fire is out and then he looks and the ship is gone He blames jack because he went hunting and he took Sam and Eric but Sam and Eric were supposed to be watching the fire Ralph is mad because they don't need food right away Jack comes back that they were able to kill a pig

Why is Ralph so angry with Jack when Jack returns from his hunt?