Name________________________________Class ______________________ Date__________
Chapters 1 - 2
1. Identify:
Ralph - handsome, athletic, natural leader
Piggy - very intelligent, physically less than perfect fat boy, a reader and thinker rather than a
boy of action
Simon - poetic, sensitive, loner, rather mysterious boy
Jack - choir leader, "ugly without silliness"
Sam & Eric - identical twins later known as Samneric, as if they were one
Maurice - choir boy as big as Jack, "grinning all the time"
Roger - secretive, "slight, furtive boy" who later shows a natural tendency towards cruelty
"The littluns" - name given to the numerous little children of the group
2. How did the boys happen to come to the island?
 These school boys have been ejected from a flaming airplane. It appears no adults have
survived the crash.
3. What do the boys have that is the symbol of authority in the society they form?
 The conch shell is the symbol of authority. It shows who is boss and who has the right
to speak.
4. What does the reader learn about Jack when he slashed the green candle buds?
 Jack's method of dealing with the world seems to be violent.
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's hesitation shows that he must learn to put aside his inhibitions, whether they are
learned or natural. He promises that "next time there would be no mercy."
6. Who are the hunters, and what is their job?
 The choir boys have become hunters. Their job is to get food.
7. What does a little 'un think he has seen in the forest?
 He thinks he has seen a "snake-thing" which he later calls a "beastie."
8. How and why do the boys make fire?
 The boys make a fire to act as a signal for their rescue. They use Piggy's glasses as a
"burning glass" to start the fire with the sun's rays.
9. Why does the boys' plan for rescue fail?
 The boys did not have a well-thought-out plan. They used too much wood for a small,
controllable fire, and they never thought of a way to control the fire to keep it from
getting out of hand. Most of their readily-available firewood was burned up, making
keeping the signal fire going much more difficult.
Lord of the Flies. Chap. 3 Reading Guide
Recall:
1. What does Ralph complain to Jack about?
 Ralph complains that they’ll never get the shelters built because everyone keeps running off to
swim, eat, play, or hunt.
2.

3.
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4.

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5.
6.
7.
How does Jack defend the fact that he spends his days hunting instead of helping the others?
Jack defends himself by stating that they need meat and hunting is work too.
What does Jack admit to Ralph and Simon?
Jack admits that sometimes when he is hunting in the forest he feels that he is being hunted,
but he also says that he knows there’s nothing to it really.
When Jack yells,”Got it,” what does Ralph think might have caused Jack’s excitement? What
was the source of his excitement?
Ralph thinks that Jack might have seen a ship.
Jack was really excited because he figured out that the pigs would rest on the mountaintop in
the shade during the heat of the day, so now he knows where to hunt them.
What does Ralph say about people in general? What did he want to expalin?
 Ralph says that people don’t help each other much.
 He wanted to say that people are never really what others think they are.
What do Ralph and Jack feel as they look at each other in the pool?
 They are confused. They feel both love and hate for each other.
What effect does their time in the bathing pool have on Ralph and Jack?
 Their playing in the pool together gets rid of the tension between them and they enjoy
being together.
Interpretation and Analysis:
8. Does Jack’s desire to kill a pig fit into either of the group’s two main priorities established by
Ralph?
 It doesn’t. The two main identified priorities are ---Shelter and Signal Fire for Rescue.
 There are other sources of food on the island—fruit and fish.
 Jack is being selfish and obsessive in pursuing the goal of KILLING A PIG.
9. Is Jack concerned with the group’s welfare? Explain.
 Varied answers. Must support with your own ideas.
10. Ralph wants to express to Jack that people are never quite what one thinks they are. Do you
agree with Ralph or not? Explain.
 Answers will vary. Support with life connections.
11. Simon finds a secluded place in the high jungle where he can be alone. Why do you think he
does this? What does this indicate about Simon?
 Simon is a shy boy and needs time alone to think. He is a loner, but he does contribute
to the group by building shelters and feeding the littluns.
BEGIN A TIMELINE FOR THE STORY. START WITH THE PLANE CRASH IN CHAPTER ONE. CONTINUE TO
ADD FOR EACH CHAPTER.
Chapter 4. Reading Guide. Painted Faces and Long HAIR
1. Why does Maurice feel guilty when he kicks sand into Percival’s eyes?
That is not how he was raised, he would have gotten in trouble. The lesson is still in his
memory.
2. When Roger throws a rock at Henry, why doesn’t he aim to hit?
A part of him still says that you do NOT throw rocks at little kids. His old life is
reminding him of how society should be run.
3. What effect does Jack’s mask have on him? On Bill? On Sam and Eric? Pg 63
Jack was astonished by the “stranger” he sees. Bill laughs at first then goes silent and
leaves. SamNEric first protest but then give in and go with it.
4. What is Jack’s response when Ralph first accuses him of letting the fire go out?
Jack says that he will just light it again…
5. How does Ralph reassert his authority?
He refuses to move from the ashes of the original fire. Jack and the others must build a
new fire 3 yards away in a less convenient spot.
6. What is Ralph’s reaction to Jack and the hunter’s acting out the pig kill? What does he
do?
He is both envious and resentful. Ralph resents Jack for being the leader of the group
bringing them all together to eat meat.
Ralph decides to call an assembly on the platform.
7. Both Maurice and Roger torment the littluns, but they still feel guilty are still conditioned
by the civilization they knew before. How much time do you think has passed since the
boys arrived on the island? How do you think a further passage of time will affect them?
A number of months, maybe six or so. Piggy is the only one whose hair does NOT grow,
it makes him more of an outside as the other boys get more savage. As more time goes on
the boys get more savage.
8. Jack masks himself with clay and charcoal. What effect does this have on his behavior?
It makes Jack feel more powerful, it liberates or frees him from the bounds of society.
9. What is the purpose of any mask, either real or imagined? Do all of us wear masks from
time to time? Explain.
The purpose of a mask is to change who you are, to hide your real personality.
10. How does Ralph feel while watching the hunters dance and chant? Why does he feel this
way?
Ralph feels isolated and powerless. He feels this way because he was not a part of the pig
hunt, Jack was. He thinks Jack is becoming the new leader. The hunt and fire is becoming
more powerful than the conch.
Chapter 5 Reading Guide:
Beast from Water
1. What conclusion does Ralph come to about being a chief? What about his own ability?
You have to be able to think. He cannot think as clearly as Piggy, he is not as good.
2. What do the following say about beasts?
a. Ralph – he wants all the boys to agree in a logical way that there is NO beast.
b. Piggy- there is nothing to fear unless you fear other people.(referring to Jack)
c. Simon- pg89 maybe there is a beast, something that is inside of them. The evil that
resides in all humans.
3. Why doesn’t Ralph call back the boys who follow Jack?
He is concerned for if he blows the conch and they do not return then they will never be
rescued. His leadership will be lost and the savage will take over.
4. Why is Ralph considering giving up leadership of the group? What are his complaints?
The boys are not listening to him. He is no longer sure of his leadership ability. He is
worried that Piggy thinks more clearly than he does. Boys make a commitment and don’t
follow through.
5. How do Piggy and Simon react to Ralph’s idea? Why do they react that way?
They are worried that without Ralph there will be no civilization. They are scared that if
Jack becomes leader there will be no signal fire and they will be stuck on the island
forever. They are both afraid of Jack and how violent he is.
6. What does Piggy say about Jack’s feelings for him and for Ralph?
He says that Jack hates him, he tells Ralph that he hates him too because he is chief and
Jack isn’t. Piggy knows that Jack will go after him if Ralph was out of the way.
7. What conclusion does Piggy come to?
That Ralph has to stay as chief.
8. Why are Ralph’s complaints about the group valid? What do these faults indicate about
the group in general?
Yes, because they make decisions and they do NOT follow through. If they cannot follow
through and keep a signal fire then they will never be rescued. The group in general is just
focused on hunting, feasting, and fun.
9. Ralph tells the group they should die before they let the fire go out? What does he mean
by that comment?
If the fire goes out then they will lose all hope of being rescued. They will all turn into
savages.
10. Consider Piggy’s statement about there being nothing to fear except people, and Simon’s
remark that the beast may be the boys themselves. Do these comments make sense?
Explain.
Ralph states that there are no monsters on the island, Simon says that they should only be
afraid of the savages within themselves. Piggy knows that it is the way they are changing
that they should be afraid of. Humans have evil or beastly qualities within themselves.
Chap. 6 Reading Guide: Beast from Air
1. Why do the twins assume that the dead parachutist is the beast?
They were half asleep, it was dark, and they were expecting to see a beast because of the
conversation at the assembly.
2. What is Jack’s reaction to the news of the beast? Why does he react this way?
He is very excited because he is obsessed with hunting. He wants to hunt the beast.
3. As the biguns, except for Piggy, set out to find the beast, what image of the beast forms
in Simon’s mind? What does this image mean?
Simon saw a human in his mind, both heroic and sick. He said it is the evil inside of
us.pg103
4. What does Jack say the new place he and Ralph have just explored would be a good place
for? How does he suggest it could be defended?pg104-105
Castle Rock it is a small rock that juts out to a bigger rock. He said it is a good place for
survival, protection or fort from being attacked by the beast. He needs a lever to move the
rocks down on the enemy.
5. When Jack and the others roll a rock into the sea, what is Ralph’s reaction? Pg107
He screams at them to stop, and then he yells “smoke” the fire is out again.
6. After various protests from the boys, what does Ralph insist upon? Why?
Going back to make a fire, to the shelters and get water and food. This is so he stays in
charge and they get rescued.
7. Ralph wishes for a message from the grownups. The parachutist could be such a
message. Why could the arrival of the figure have suggested something positive to the
boys?
It means that there are actually some adults not that far away from them. There may be
hope to be rescued.
8. What is ironic about the twins’ declaration that it was the beast?
They finally got the adult that they want, but he is dead and the world is still at war.
9. Why are the boys so ready to accept the idea that the parachutist is the beast?
They are too scared to even look at him, and the boys are becoming more and more
uncivilized.
10. Simon does not believe in the beast. Why not? Is his disbelief reasonable? Why, or why
not?
Simon is a thinker and he knows that there is nothing on the island with them. Between
him and Jack the island has been explored all over.
11. Why do the boys need a fort? What would it defend them from?
They do not need a fort. It would only defend them from each other.
Chap. 7 Reading Guide. Title: Shadows and Tall Trees
1. What does Ralph notice about himself and the other boys?
He is reverting backwards; he is dirty and going back to younger times. The younger boys
are too, looking less civilized.
2. What does Simon tell Ralph?
You will get back to where you came from.
3. With Jack in charge of the hunt, what does Ralph daydream about?
Living back at home with his mom and dad. When he was a kid and safe, before he was sent
off to school.
4. How does Ralph react when a boar comes charging down the path?
He was scared and he threw his stick at it, it stuck to the boar’s snout. Fright, apprehension,
and pride.
5. To what does Ralph’s demonstration of his hunting prowess (skill) lead?
They do a mock hunting kill with one of the kids acting as the pig. This is to get the hunters
excited.
6. Why does Robert insist they need a real pig? Who does Jack suggest?
Because you want to kill it. Jack says to use a littleun.
7. What does Ralph sense about Jack after Ralph asks he about the pig-run? What does this tell
him about Jack?
Ralph now can sense that Jack hates him, whenever he tries to takes the lead away from Jack.
This tells Ralph that Jack is dangerous.
8. How does Jack challenge Ralph?
He is going up to mountain, he said to Ralph are you coming?
9. What did the boys see on the mountain top? How did they react?
Jack, Ralph, & Roger saw a big ape looking like creature that is moving (because of the
wind through the parachute). They are so frightened they run away.
10. Why is the action of the story increasingly taking place in the near darkness or in the deep
night when only the moon and star give light? It is more scary and it is a symbol and it is a
sign of fear.
Chapter 8: Title: Gift for the Darkness
1. Why does Ralph believe they are beaten?
Because they cannot make a signal fire up on the mountain. The beast is up there.
2. 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?
He left the group and many of the biguns followed him. This split the group in two.
3. As Ralph considers the need to reassign fire-keepers, what does he realize?
There are not enough of big ones to watch the fire and do the work.
4. Jack suggests a way to keep the beast happy. What is it?
He gave the beast the head of the pig on a sharp stick and stuck it in the ground.
5. In Simon’s strange encounter with the Lord of the Flies, what does it tell him?
The head of the pig, it tells him to run back to the other boys.
6. Who or what is the Lord of the Flies?
The head of the pig on a stake. Beelzebub (Lord of the Flies-Satan)
7. Why does Ralph take his group to the platform? What problem is Ralph having at
this meeting?
Ralph is holding another meeting to see who is left for biguns. Ralph was forgetting
what to say, he remembered they needed fire but he could not remember why.
8. What does Simon realize is happening to him? pg143
He realized that one of his mystic spells is coming on, he is having a vision where he can
see things.
9. What does the Lord of the Flies “tell” Simon they are going to do on the island? Pg
144
To have fun on the island.
10. What will happen if Simon interferes?
If he dares to interfere something bad will happen to him.
Chapter 9 Title: A View to a Death
1. After Simon regains consciousness, what does he come upon as he walks across the
mountaintop? What does he realize?
Simon comes upon the body of the dead parachutist. He realizes that the ropes and lines
are what makes it move, that the “Beast” is not alive. He needs to tell the boys.
2. Ralph uses reason to reach the boys. What does he say to Jack’s followers as it begins to
rain? Why does he bring this up now?
He reminds them that they do not have shelters. He hopes that using reason will reach
them and keep them from splitting the group.
3. Immediately after Ralph’s tirade, Jack tells his tribe to start dancing. Why?
He doesn’t want his followers to accept Ralph’s reasoning. He wants to keep the power
he has now. He starts the dance to distract them.
4. What crawls into the horseshoe circle of chanting boys? Do they recognize who it is?
Why or why not?
A dark, crawling beast that was really Simon came crawling in darkly. The boys do not
recognize Simon. They are in a killing frenzy and scared of the Beast.
5. What happens to the parachutist? Why was this able to happen?
Simon loosened the ropes that were caught on the rocks. The winds pulls it loose and
takes the body to the beach then out to sea.
6. What happens to the “beast” the boys beat? Who is it?
Simon’s dead body on the beach is washed out to sea with the tide.
Chapter 10. Title: The Shell and The Glasses
1. When Ralph admits to Piggy that they all murdered Simon, what is Piggy’s reaction?
Was Ralph scared?
Piggy makes excuses, saying it was dark we were on the outside of the circle and we left
just before it happened. We were all scared. Ralph admits that he was not scared.
1. What is Piggy’s suggestion about the signal fire? Why? How does Ralph react?
To only keep the fire going during the day. Ralph agrees because there are not enough of
them to keep it going.
2. What happens to Piggy’s glasses?
Jack and his tribe do a raid and steal the glasses from Piggy.
3. How does Jack feel as he the others trot toward Castle Rock? Why? He feels like the
chief because he has control over the boys and the fire (he has the glasses).
4. Why does Jack want everyone to believe that they have not killed the beast?
He is using this fear to control the boys to bind them together.
Chapter 11: Title:_Castle Rock
1. After all that has happened, why does Piggy still try to reason with Jack to get his glasses
back?
Piggy feels totally helpless without his glasses. He is desperate and logically thinks Jack
can’t do anything worse to him. Piggy believes in logic and reasoning.
1. Why do the twins suggest they all paint their faces before going to see Jack?
The twins are intimidated by the boys with masks. They think if they have masks, they
will have equal power.
2. Why might the boys prefer Jack’s leadership to Ralph’s? Do they fear Jack? Why?
The boys are afraid of Jack, but they think he knows all the answers. He does their
thinking for them and they don’t have to take any responsibility. Ralph admits his doubts
and fears.
3. What does Roger do?
Roger throws rocks and then deliberately loosens a boulder that rolls down on Piggy.
4. What happens to the conch? To Piggy?
The boulder strikes Piggy from the chin to the knee and shatters the conch. Piggy falls 40
ft. His head splits open, then his body is washed out to sea.
Chapter 12: Title: Cry of the Hunters
1. What does Ralph realize about the savages and Jack? Why?
2. Describe the scene between Ralph and the pig’s skull.
3. Who are the boys hunting now? Why?
4. After Ralph reaches the beach and falls down, what does he see? Why did he come?
5. How is Jack described at this point?
6. When Ralph starts crying uncontrollably, what is he weep for?