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SHORT ANSWER STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
Chapters 1 -‐ 2
1. Identify the following characters:
Ralph—leadership skills and chosen by the boys to be the leader, uses the conch to call
boys together in a meeting, intelligent. The novel’s protagonist, the twelve-year-old English
boy who is elected leader of the group of boys marooned on the island. Ralph attempts to
coordinate the boys’ efforts to build a miniature civilization on the island until they can be
rescued. Ralph represents human beings’ civilizing instinct, as opposed to the savage instinct that
Jack embodies (SPARK NOTES).
Piggy—sweet, out of shape, has asthma, wears glasses, gets made fun of, always refers to
“my auntie”—trying to be a rule follower, no one listens to him, he’s a “goodie-goodie”,
practical, reasonable, thoughtful, a planner
Simon—A shy, sensitive boy in the group. Simon, in some ways the only naturally “good”
character on the island, behaves kindly toward the younger boys and is willing to work for the
good of their community. Moreover, because his motivation is rooted in his deep feeling of
connectedness to nature, Simon is the only character whose sense of morality does not seem to
have been imposed by society. Simon represents a kind of natural goodness, as opposed to the
unbridled evil of Jack and the imposed morality of civilization represented by Ralph and Piggy
(SPARK NOTES).
Jack—bossy, rude toward Piggy, RED hair, name-caller
Sam & Eric—young twins
"The littluns"—All the younger boys
2. How did the boys happen to come to the island?
Plane crash
3. What do the boys have that is the symbol of authority in the society
they form?
Conch shell
4. What does the reader learn about Jack when he slashed the green
candle buds?
He doesn’t care about the beauty of nature, trying to act tough,
showing his violent/evil nature.
5. Why does Jack hesitate when he lifts his knife to kill the piglet, and
what does he promise will happen next time he meets a pig?
Jack was scared, but he promised that next time he would follow
through and kill the pig.
6. Who are the hunters, and what is their job?
The hunters are the choir boys, and their job is to find food and fire.
7. What does a little 'un think he has seen in the forest?
A little’un thinks he has a seen a beastie (snake-like creature).
8. How and why do the boys make fire?
The boys make fire by using Piggy’s glasses, wood, and leaves. They
make the fire so they can signal the ships to be rescued.
9. Why does the boys' plan for rescue fail?
The boys’ plan for rescue failed because the fire burned out; there
wasn’t enough smoke, and the fire jumped and lit up all the remaining
fire wood.
Chapters 3 -‐ 4
1. Although Ralph criticizes the boys for their lack of cooperation, does he bear some of the
responsibility for the failures of the group to achieve its goals? Why or why not?
Ralph should figure out a way to get the boys to follow the rules
because he accepted the role of leader for the group.
2. How has Jack's personality developed during his stay on the island?
Jack is transforming to be more savage!
3. Ralph says of Simon, "He's queer. He's funny." What kind of a boy is Simon?
Simon is naturally GOOD not because society tells him to be good,
“goodness” is part of him. He’s DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER boys.
4. After Maurice and Roger destroy the littluns' sand castles, Roger stalks the young boy
named Henry. When he begins to throw stones, why does he just throw them near him
instead of directly at him?
Roger throws stones near the boys instead of directly at them because
he still has the fear of consequences—still somewhat CIVILIZED
5. What causes the hunters, who had promised to keep the fire burning, to neglect it and
allow it
to go out?
The hunters/choir boys choose to go on a hunt to follow JACK.
6. Why does Jack paint his face?
JACK paints his face to camouflage himself when hunting. Also, he is
becoming less and less a civilized young man and more and more a
SAVAGE young man. The paint is similar to WAR PAINT.
Chapters 5 -‐ 6
1. How does the author show us that Ralph is finally beginning to face the realities of their
existence?
The realities are unorganized, nobody really knows where they are; no
more teamwork; Ralph is realizing more and more that no one is
helpful and they probably won’t be rescued. His frustration level is
rising.
2. Compare Ralph's treatment of the littluns with Jack's.
Ralph—caring, nurturing, big brotherly
JACK—cruel, he’s annoyed, tries to upset them for sport.
3. What is Simon saying when he thinks the "beast" may be inside they boys themselves?
They all have EVIL within them—the potential to harm each other and
act like SAVAGES.
4. What do Sam and Eric tell the boys they have seen? What is it actually?
Sam and Eric tell the boys they have seen a BEAST with big eyes and
claws. They said it was chasing them. They really saw a parachute
blowing in the wind
5. Why do Ralph and Jack decide to go find the beast?
Ralph and Jack decide to go to find the beast to confirm or deny
whether it truly exists. They want to be able to settle everyone’s
worries and fears.
Chapters 7 -‐ 8
1. How does Ralph react when a boar comes charging down the path?
Ralph threw a spear at the boar which stuck in the boar’s nose.
2. To what does Ralph's demonstration of his hunting prowess lead?
This leads to competition between Ralph and Jack. This incited a
“mock” boar hunt and Robert became the boar. They started sticking
him with the blunt end of their spears which hurt him. Jack suggested
using a little ‘un
3. What did the boys see on the mountain top?
The boys see the parachute from the dead pilot. They also see the
pilot bowing.
4. Why is the action of the story increasingly taking place in the near darkness or in the
deep night when only the moon and stars give a little light?
The darkness adds to the creepy tone of the story. The setting
matches the characterization of the boys. They are becoming more
negative and dark as well. The order is turning to chaos.
5. How does Ralph's waning confidence in himself show in his words and actions?
Ralph feels worn down. He passes the conch back to Jack—he doesn’t
follow the rules exactly.
6. Although he is not able to get the boys to vote Ralph out of office as chief, Jack manages
to overthrow Ralph's authority anyway. How?
Jack separates himself from the group and invites the other boys to
join him in the fun. A bunch of the older boys went with him.
7. Jack suggests a way to keep the beast happy. What is it?
He offers the pig’s head.
8. Describe Simon's strange encounter with the Lord of the Flies.
Simon starts to go a little crazy and puts the pig’s head on his own
head.
9. Who or what is the Lord of the Flies?
Literally—The pig’s head on a stick, which is attracting all the flies
Symbolically—the LOTFs represents the evil streak within humanity
Chapters 9 -‐ 11
1. What does Simon find when he finally reaches the Beast?
The Pigs head on a stick and the parachute man.
2. What happens to Simon when he returns to the group?
They dance around him and stab him with sticks and beat him to
death.
3. As a result of the storm with its high winds and high tides, what happens to the
bodies of Simon and the parachutist?
They are washed out to sea.
4. What does Jack plan to steal from Ralph and Piggy?
JACK PLANS TO STEAL PIGGY’S GLASSES TO BUILD THE FIRE.
5. What will Jack do if someone interferes with him?
IF SOMEONE TRIES TO INTERFERE WITH HIM, JACK WILL DO “THE
DANCE.”
6. What happens to the conch and to Piggy?
The conch is broken into millions of pieces and Piggy is killed by the
large rock.
7. What are Jack's plans for Ralph?
Jack plans to kill Ralph.
8. What course of action does Ralph take?
Ralph runs in the woods and hides from Jack and his tribe.
Chapter 12
1. What is Ralph's reaction when he encounters the pig's skull?
He hit at the skull and knocked it down.
2. Driven by fear and hunger, Ralph manages to make contact with Samneric who are
standing guard at Castle Rock. Of what do they warn him?
That Jack has sharpened his stick at both ends.
3.In what ways does the tribe try to hunt down Ralph?
They throw rocks and spears. They try to hunt him out of the woods
by setting the trees on fire.
4. What or who saves Ralph in the end?
Since Jack and his tribe set the woods on fire it made enough smoke
that a Navy ship saw the smoke and came to the island. An officer
came to the island to gather them all to bring them home.