Lord of the Flies Final

In what time period does this story take place?

1950s

What age span are the boys?

6-12

What do Ralph and Piggy find on the beach?

A conch shell

What is Sam and Eric's monster?

A dead parachutist

"The beast that came out of the sea" was

A drowned navy pilot

When they finally encountered an adult, how does the adult see the boys?

All's good in the hood: they're having a good time and just being boys.

The evil behavior that emerges in many of the boys as the novel evolves is reminiscent of what takes place in

Conrad's Heart of Darkness

Why does Jack form a new tribe?

He is angry that the boys will not vote for a new leader

What happens to Simon at the pig party?

He is killed by the other boys, while they are re-enacting the pig hunt

What happens to Simon?

He is mistaken for the beast and killed

How does Percival reflect that the skills from civilization are useless on the island?

He knows his name and address, but it doesn't really matter here.

How was Piggy killed?

He was hit with a rock and fell to his death. (Rock pushed by roger)

When Golding writes, "[Jack] began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling," what do you think he was trying to convey about Jack?

He's becoming more primitive

Give three examples of Jack's becoming more primitive and animalistic.

In Chapter 3, Jack teaches himself to stalk a pig. He is described as being down on all fours like a dog and unaware of his discomfort. He learns to track like an animal and to ignore pain in his body the way an animal would. He can see in the dark like an animal. Later Jack smells pig droppings, relearning the sense of smell that human beings lost long ago. After they roast a pig in Chapter 4, Jack tries to describe the feeling of the hunt. His language is very primitive: "I painted my face-I stole up. Now you eat-all of you-and I-" He can hardly express his thoughts anymore; it is as if he were losing the power to think while his animal instincts are gaining strength.

Piggy's glasses and his limited vision are important in the novel. How are they significant, and what theme(s) do they represent?

In literature, blindness and the ability to see have always been important themes. In Piggy's case, his glasses are a sign that he sees or knows more than most of the other boys. He is more concerned with maintaining civilization and order on the island. Unlike Ralph, Piggy "sees" what will happen if they don't remain civilized. The glasses symbolize his ability, but at the same time they indicate he has impaired vision. He knows or sees more than Ralph, but he doesn't see the total problem. In the symbolic sense, Piggy's vision of the jungle is impaired. He will blame Jack-who is only part of the problem-and fail to understand that the beast resides within each of the boys, including him.

Where does Simon go to contemplate the boys' actions?

Into the jungle

According to Golding, the title Lord of the Flies

Is the literal Hebrew translation of "Beelzebub".

What role does the conch play?

It signals who is supposed to speak at meetings

What is the significance of changing Sam and Eric's names to simply Samneric?

It takes away their individuality

There is irony in the words, "We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages." Who is speaking here?

Jack

Who said, "I thought I might kill"?

Jack

Who said, "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."?

Jack

What activities in the book does Golding indicate are "savage" behaviors?

Killing pigs and utilizing the mighty coconut

What do the older boys call the younger boys?

Littluns

Who said, "I'm part of you? Close, close, close!"?

Lord of the Flies

Gov "referee" *

Mediates disputes to ppl with rights claims

What is the importance of names, naming, and the loss of names in the story?

Names are significant in this novel. The nickname Piggy is connected to the killing and eating of pig and what happens to the character. Ralph's name means "counsel," and Ralph tries to rule his meetings by sharing leadership with the others. Jack means "one who supplants," someone who takes power by force-which is exactly Jack's nature. Simon's name means "listener," and Simon is the only boy who hears the Lord of the Flies. Certain boys' names are never told; they are recognized only by their size, as "littluns" or "biguns." Some boys lose their names. The twins come to share only one name between them ("Samneric"), and Jack who becomes "Chief." One boy seems to have forgotten his name at the end. The implication is that these boys have lost their personal identities. In ancient legends, characters were cautious about revealing their names. A person was believed to have power over another if he knew his real name. Someone who wanted to protect himself against his enemies would make up a name for himself and not reveal his real one. In a symbolic sense, that is why Piggy is upset when Ralph tells his name to everyone. Jack gains power over Piggy by being able to mock his name. When the boys can no longer call the beast by name, it means that the fear of it has overtaken them and gained power over them. Simon is the exception; he can call the beast by name, and even though he fears it, it never gains power over his spiritual nature.

Of what are the children afraid?

Never being rescued

If gov fails to uphold Social contract... *

People can dissolve contract and form new gov.

"I don't believe in no ghosts, ever." Who is speaking here?

Piggy

"I got the conch. I got the right to speak." Who is speaking here?

Piggy

Which boy is physically inferior to the others?

Piggy

What were used to light a fire and may have been a symbol of his intelligence

Piggy's glasses

What makes the boys revert to an inferior state of life?

Primitivity

"The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, [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." Who in this passage is the one weeping?

Ralph

We've got to have special people looking after the fire. Any day there may be a ship out there." Who is speaking here?

Ralph

Who said "We ought to have a meeting?"

Ralph

Whom do the boys elect as their leader?

Ralph

Compare Ralph's use of power with Jack's use of power.

Ralph is elected freely. When he calls the boys together, he tries to be fair by making reasonable rules. He says that each boy will be allowed to speak when he holds the conch and that he can't be interrupted by anyone except himself as their leader. He assigns the important tasks of hunting and keeping the fire going. He does not punish the boys when they fail at their tasks but talks to them about their responsibilities. Jack uses force and fear to rule, having bullied his way into power. He forces the twins to join his tribe by tormenting them. The boys are not allowed to speak freely. They can only ask Jack's opinion and accept his answers. He expects to be treated like a god; the boys must wait on him and do what he wants. When they disobey, they know they will be punished or killed.

Entitled to"natural rights" (from God, nature) *

Right to; Life, Liberty, Property

The plane left a(n):

Scar

What debate splits the boys?

Signal Fire or Food

One important character who is not present when the boys pursue the boar is

Simon

Which boy is caring and kind and never becomes a savage boy?

Simon

Who is a Christ-like figure?

Simon

Who is the Lord of the Flies?

Simon

Who said, "Blow the conch ... Blow as loud as you can"?

Simon

What does William Golding seem to indicate about human nature when he considers what it means to be civilized or primitive?

That we all have the capacity for animalistic behaviors

The smashing of the sand castles may have represented

The "norming" of violence

How does Golding let the reader know in Chapter 1 that the island, which the boys believe is a paradise, is a dangerous place?

The author describes the island with words that give the reader subtle clues to what he thinks about the boys' paradise. An ugly "scar" is smashed into the island where wreckage of the plane that dropped them fell. As Ralph breaks through the creepers (even that word indicates menace), a bird the color of fire and heat sounds a "witch-like cry," as if it were announcing doom. Ralph stands among the "skull-like" coconuts. When Piggy appears he is scratched with thorns. This hardly seems like a friendly place, even though Ralph thinks it will be wonderful.

What begins as a product of the boys' imagination?

The beast

Why do the boys believe in the natural goodness of man?

The boys have read such adventure stories as Treasure Island, Coral Island, Robinson Crusoe, and Swiss Family Robinson. All these books offer the theory that man is corrupted by living in civilization. The premise of each of them is that if man were placed in a more natural setting, say a deserted island or a paradise, he would revert to his original state of natural goodness. The authors of these books, and many people throughout history, believed that civilization, with all its evils, was a corrupter of man. The boys have never thought to question this idea, but that is what Golding does in the novel. The notion that man was good and civilization bad was so widely held that it was accepted as fact by just about everyone in Europe before World War II. Golding began to question the idea after his war experiences.

What does the conch symbolize in the novel? How does the author make us understand its significance?

The conch is a symbol of communication. Its sounding calls the boys out of the jungle, as primitive men who existed in isolation and fear were called together. The conch is also a symbol of order. The conch gathers the boys in a group so that they can become a civilization. It calls them away from animalistic and instinctual tendencies and toward awareness and choice. At first all the boys respect the rules which Ralph establishes to hold meetings. Later, when Ralph's leadership has failed, the boys no longer value the conch. After the conch has been destroyed, they return to a primitive order without thought or choice. Although Jack does lead a tribe, there is no unity among its members, only fear and force.

Who is the lord of the flies?

The pigs head (on a stick)

What does Jack's tribe impale on a spear?

The sow's head (female pig)

Define irony and point out three places where it is used in the novel

The word irony has several meanings. After you have found its definition in an ordinary dictionary, you will want to look it up again in a dictionary of literary terms, which will tell you more about the use of irony in literature. The definition of irony that most concerns us here is the use of words to convey meaning that is different from (and usually the exact opposite of) what those words mean literally. For example, someone who hates war might say to you, "War is wonderful!"- but in such a tone of voice that you understand exactly what the person really thinks. There is irony throughout Lord of the Flies. The author uses it in his narrative, the characters are aware of it and use it in their speech, and the events of the story, in relation to one another, are ironic. At the beginning of the novel, Ralph says that the boys will have a good time on the island until the grownups rescue them. In light of everything that happens on the island (the boys have a horrible time and some of them are even killed), Ralph's words are ironic, even though he does not intend them to be. Simon is the only one who understands that their fundamental problem is the beast each one carries within himself. Therefore it is ironic that Simon, the intelligent one, cannot speak before the group and is thought "batty" even by Ralph and Piggy. He has no one's respect, and he wants to tell them something that is beyond their understanding. At the end of the story, the officer thinks the boys "would have been able to put up a better show." The boys once thought so, too; now their experience has made them far more mature than the officer, whose viewpoint is close to that of the boys when they arrived on the island. The officer may also intend another irony in his words, for he speaks of how the boys might have behaved when he knows from what he sees around him that somehow that behavior was not possible.

Why are the boys on the island in the first place?

Their plane crashed

"This is an island. At least I think it's an island. That's a reef out in the sea. Perhaps there aren't any grownups anywhere." What does this quote tell us the boys are coming to understand?

They are on their own, and the rules have changed.

How do the boys respond to the sight of the naval officer?

They begin to sob

How do the boys change the island?

They burn it all to bits.

How did the boys get on the island?

They crash landed there

What are Sam and Eric's feelings about Piggy's death?

They didn't really want to be involved, but they couldn't resist the group.

How are Piggy's glasses a big old symbol?

They represent Piggy's sight and his usefulness or knowledge.

If Shmoop were to create an alternative title for The Lord of the Flies, which of these options would best fit the novel?

We're all animals here

What is Golding's overall attitude toward human nature?

We're all inherently evil

What is the "rule of the conch"?

You must hold the conch to speak.

How do the boys get off the island?

a naval officer finds them

Blown by Piggy, the conch is

a symbol of authority, order, and civilization

"Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in." Who is speaking here?

all the hunters

Golding's characters, a group of English schoolboys, find themselves on a tropical island as a result of

an atomic war

At the beginning, Jack and his choir boys are dressed in:

black

Jack is characterized as being

cruel, a bully, Ralph's chief competitor

What should the boys fear most?

each other

Why do the boys hunt?

for the thrill and rush of power

What is the symbol of advancement and knowledge?

glasses (piggy's)

What is a symbol of Ralph's growing savagery?

hair

Ralph is characterized as being

handsome, athletic, a natural leader

The novel suggests that all the problems of society and all its ills can be traced back to the defects of what?

human nature

"Samneric" refers to

identical twin boys

The boys' initial reaction to their new environment on the island is

joy over a fantasy come true

Simon is characterized as being

loyal, poetic, sensitive

What do the boys realize about their natures?

that they are inherently evil

The "snake" or scar that cuts across the island may suggest

the Snake in Genesis, a reference to the corruption and downfall of man

What is "the beast"?

the internal animal in each of us

Lord of the Flies is told from the point of view of

the omniscient author

From the beginning, the boys struggle with fear of what?

unknown