p. 18 -- What are the Choir boys being pictured as? What are the key words describing them here?
p. 19 -- What are the key words describing Jack in the ¶ beginning "Inside the. . . "?
p. 21 -- Why does Jack say he ought to be Chief? Does this make sense?
p. 21 -- Why is Ralph a better leader than Jack according to the ¶ beginning "This toy of voting. . . " (name four things)
p. 27 -- What metaphor is used to describe the island? Why, besides its physical similarities, is it an appropriate one?
p. 27 -- Further down on this page, what effect have the boys had on the island? What two negative words can you find to describe the damage they've already done the place? What do the boys on the platform look like? Why is this significant?
p. 29 -- Why didn't Jack kill the pig?
p. 31 -- Who insists on the establishment of rules? Why? Why is this IRONIC?
p. 32 -- What is the conch a SYMBOL of?
p. 34 -- How many times on this page does Ralph deny the existence of a snake or a beast? Why does he repeat it so often?
p. 40 -- "I agree. . . " The two fancy literary terms to describe the import of this passage are:
p. 41 -- "Startled, Ralph. . . " Add fire to your list of SYMBOLS. What two opposite abstractions does fire symbolize? How did the "knowledge and awe (make) him savage"?
p. 42 -- "Then when you get here. . . " Finish Piggy's line for him at the end of this ¶. Now read the next line. What is Golding saying here?
p. 43 -- How good a leader has Ralph been up to this point?
p. 45 -- top of the page: What are some key words describing Jack?
p. 47 -- "The madness. . . " Why does the thought of killing make us mad? -- look to page 48 "If you're huting. . . " for the answer.
p. 50 -- "They walked along. . . " According to Golding, one of the causes for our descent into the animal is our inability to ____________________. Why can't we?
p. 52 -- "Simon dropped. . . " All societies assign different roles to their citizens: some are warriors, some are leaders, some are the scholars, some are the mystics or priests. So far, how would you title Simon, Ralph, Jack, Maurice and Piggy. Later we'll learn that Roger has a distinct title, too.
p. 56 -- "The subsoil beneath . . . " Why is Roger throwing stones? Why throwing to miss?
p. 57 -- "Jack was standing. . . " What is this the beginning of?
p. 58 -- "He knelt. . . " What is it about the painted mask that "liberates" Jack? Liberates him from what?
p. 62 -- "A procession. . . " When people chant, they . . .
p. 64 -- "Jack stood up. . . " What are the two world contrasted here?
p. 65 -- "This from Piggy. . . " What is the parallel action?
p. 66 -- "With some positive action. . . " This represents a turning point. How? What is the SYMBOLISM of Ralph standing in the midst of the ashes? (Remember what fire symbolizes?
p. 69 first ¶: What are the things that Ralph does that a good leader should do? What does this symbolize in terms of Ralph's development?
p. 74 "Then people started. . . " Fear makes us savage. Can you think of another instance when fear made someone savage, and he like it?
p. 76 "Unless we get. . . " How does Piggy know of this kind of fear?
p. 80 "In a moment. . . " What's happening here?
p. 80 Why does Simon claim the beast is "only us"? Why does Piggy almost unconsciously reject this idea?
p. 80 "Simon became inarticulate. . ." Where have we seen this before?
p. 81 "As an answer. . . " What does Jack do to destroy Simon's efforts to explain the beast? Why is this an ironically appropriate gesture?
p. 82-83: What begins the power struggle here? Why are rules so important? Why does Piggy stress the importance of "what grownups wil think of us? Connect that to Ralph's statement on p. 83 beginning "If I blow the conch. . . "
p. 85 "A thin wail. . . " What are the two things being contrasted in this passage? Chanting has two functions: to close the conscious mind to release the unconscious; and as part of ritual (incantation) which links us with past generations and which gives meaning to the chaos of experience. What was Percival's incantation?
p. 92 "Conch! . . . " Why is this significant?
p. 93 "Simon, walking. . . " Who do you know who is at once heroic and sick? Why is this an apt description of the beast?
p. 99 ¶2: Why does Ralph think about his appearance here?
p. 104, "Ralph too was fighting. . . " Why are the boys viciously attacking Robert? What does this foreshadow?
p. 117: "What else is there to do?" Why does Simon say this. Look for this same line again.
p. 121, "Now listen. . . " When Jack suggests leaving part of the kill for the beast, what does this remind you of?
p. 123, from top of the page on: Killing a pig is like ________ because. . .
p. 124, "Instinctively. . . " Make a note of this: "Lord of the Flies" is the rough translation of the Hewbrew name for the Devil: Beelzebub. Why is this an appropriate title?
p. 125: Why does Golding name the pig's head on a pole as "Lord of the Flies"? Why is the name an applicable one?
A. the flies congregate around it
B. the head is left as a gift for the beast (the devil)
C. the killing of the pig is a sign of the presence of the beast in the boys
p. 127:Bottom of the page: What word does Jack use to name his group? Why is this appropriate?
p. 128: top of the page: How does the mask protect him?
p. 128: "The two savages. . . " Why do they say what they say?
A. because Jack needs it reaffirmed: he's insecure
B. because the new group needs to establish its own rituals
p. 128: "He turned. . . " Why do they feel the need for ritual? Notice the stress on the symbolic weight of the "white" conch.
p. 130-131: This conversation is perhaps the most important part of the book.
A. Who is really speaking? Simon's unconscious mind; specifically, his insecurities, his hidden fears, that make him act in ways that aren't healthy
B. Why can't the beast be hunted or killed?
C. "I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go?" Ooooooh! Deep hidden meaning!!! What is the Beast?
D. "Simon was inside the mouth." This means?
A. He has fainted.
B. He sees more clearly than anyone the extent of his own capacity for evil, and he is overcome by it.
p. 132: "What else is there to do." See, I told you we'd see this line again. What is Simon's salvation? How does he save himself from giving in to his fears, his anxieties, his insecurities, his fears, and letting his beast take over?
A. He uses his logical mind.
B. He acts constructively.
C. He faces the Beast (the real beast and his own fears)
p. 134, top of the page: Why, too, is it possible for the beast inside us to be both horrible and harmless?
p. 138-9 What makes the boys crazy? What is the sad irony on page 139? Because of the beast freed in the boys, they don't listen to the news that will free them of their fears.
p. 140: Read the last paragraph. What is Golding suggesting here regarding man's responsibility for his own actions? Who or what is in control?
p. 142-143: What is Ralph beginning to realize here?
That the beast is inside him as well.
p. 145: "Sitting on the tremendous rock. . . " What possibilities might Roger be envisioning?
p. 148: "Ralph tried . . . " What is the significance of Ralph forgetting the good of the fire?
A. It shows how the loss of civilization leads to the decline of intellect and memory.
B. The fire, a metaphor for intelligence, the light that generations pass down to the next, is slowly going out.
p. 162: "Listen. We've come to say this. . . " Why does Piggy stress the fact that their adventure on this island is a game?
p. 163: "Samneric. . ." What is Golding saying is as instinctive as our savage side?
p. 164: "Surprisingly. . . " Why do the savages quiet down?
p. 164: "Silence and pause. . . " What does Roger see (or fails to see) that allows him to throw stones and eventually kill Piggy?
p. 164: A talisman is an object believed to give supernatural powers or protection to whomever wears or carries it. How is the conch a talisman? How is it also the thing that curses him?
p. 164-165: Golding is extremely detailed in his description of Piggy's death. What are some conclusions you can draw from the way he describes this scene?
A. The description isn't sentimental. It's realistic to show how "natural" evil is.
B. Piggy's death is compared to a pig's death. He is another sacrifice to the beast. It shows the real consequences of evil.
C. With the destruction of the conch, so too has chaos come to rule on this island as the boys have broken again the central taboo of society: thou shalt not kill.
p. 165: Why does Jack stress the importance of the conch?
p. 165: Ralph runs "instinctively." Why the stress on this word?
p. 166: What has Roger become? What might have happened if the boys hadn't been rescued?
p. 169 top of the page: What has replaced the conch as the new symbol of authority?
p. 172: "&endash;and we've got to . . . " Why are the savages hunting Ralph like a pig?
A. They need an enemy to give them a reason to exist.
B. If they dehumanize Ralph, it's easier to kill him.
p. 177: "Ralph fastened. . . " Read from this point on to yourselves and underline all the words dealing with animals or animal actions. What is Golding telling us about Ralph? What's his point?
p. 179: What is Ralph struggling to do here?
p. 181 bottom - 182: Now what?
p. 182: The fact that Ralph is rescued by a naval officer has significance.
p. 183: "A little boy. . ." Who is this little boy? Why is he wearing a black hat? Why doesn't he approach the naval officer?
p. 184: Ralph wept for. . . make sure you know precisely what this means.
p. 184: The naval officer, made uncomfortable by the boys, looks to the cruiser for comfort. Why is this ironic?