Lord of the Flies
AUTHOR NOTES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Directions: The purpose of these questions is to create a study guide. Answer all questions
providing quotes as much as possible. If a quote is listed, identify the speaker and significance.
CHAPTER 1
1. How does the author first refer to Piggy?
2. Why does the fat boy “look startled” when Ralph says there “aren’t any grownups?”
3. Describe Ralph. What kind of person is he?
4. Describe Piggy. What kind of person is he?
5. Why does Piggy want to have a meeting?
6. How is the choir first described? What do you notice about the choir?
7. Why is Ralph elected chief?
8. What does the conch represent?
9. Who is the most obvious leader? Why?
10. Describe Jack. What kind of person is he?
11. Do Ralph and Jack like each other? How do you know?
12. Why doesn’t Jack kill the pig?
CHAPTER 2
1. What is the purpose of the conch? (What is it used for?)
2. Are Jack and Ralph still getting along?
3. How is respect for the conch demonstrated?
4. What does the child with the mulberry-colored birthmark report seeing? What might the
sighting represent?
5. How does Jack treat Piggy?
6. What does Jack’s treatment of Piggy reveal about Jack? How he feels about Piggy?
7. “’The conch doesn’t count on top of the mountain…so you shut up.’”
8. “’We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and
the English are the best at everything. So we’ve got to do the right things.’”
9. “Piggy glanced nervously into hell…”
10. Is Piggy right when he screams and yells at the end of the chapter? Why?
11. What happened to the child with the mulberry-colored birthmark?
12. What does having set the island on fire demonstrate about the boys?
CHAPTER 3
1. How is Jack described in the opening pages?
2. How is the relationship between Jack and Ralph becoming strained?
3. What is the significance of the littluns’ nightmares?
4. “But you can feel as if you’re not hunting, but-being hunted, as if something’s behind you all
the time in the jungle.”
5. What’s the significance of Jack forgetting about the rescue?
6. What’s Ralph’s main complaint to Jack?
7. What kind of person is Simon?
CHAPTER 4
1. What time of day is hardest on the boys? Why?
2. Why does Maurice feel badly for kicking sand into Percival’s eyes?
3. What’s the significance of Roger throwing stones around Henry and not at him?
4. What does Jack notice about himself when he first paints his face?
5. “…the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and selfconsciousness.”
6. What is the symbolism behind a mask?
7. How does Ralph really feel about Piggy?
8. Is Jack aware that he did something wrong in letting the signal fire go out? Does he care?
9. How is the relationship between Ralph and Jack deteriorating?
10. Why doesn’t Jack give any meat to Piggy? What is revealed about Jack from this incident?
11. What are the hunters chanting? What is the effect of the chanting?
12. Why does Simon give Piggy meat? Why does Jack get angry at him for doing so?
CHAPTER 5
1. What does Ralph notice about himself when he’s walking around before the assembly?
2. What kind of conclusions does Ralph draw about life in general and the boys’ situation on
the island?
3. What must a chief do?
4. At the assembly, what’re some of the complaints Ralph makes concerning the state of affairs
on the island?
5. What does Piggy suggest they’re really frightened of?
6. What’s the significance of Percival citing his former address, etc. before bursting into tears?
Why was he really crying?
7. How does Jack openly challenge Ralph?
8. Why does Piggy want Ralph to blow the conch and re-establish this meeting?
9. What is Piggy afraid of?
10. “’Fat lot of good we are,’ said Ralph. ‘Three blind mice. I’ll give up.’”
11. Why does Ralph want to give up?
12. Why is Piggy really afraid of Jack?
CHAPTER 6
1. What is the effect of Sam and Eric’s beast sighting on the boys?
2. What is Piggy’s proposal and Ralph’s response to him? Jack’s reaction?
3. “’Conch! Conch!’ shouted Jack. ‘We don’t need the conch any more. We know who ought
to say things…It’s time that some people knew they’ve got to keep quiet and leave deciding
things to the rest of us.’”
4. “’Hasn’t anyone got any sense? We’ve got to relight the fire. You never thought of that,
Jack, did you? Or don’t any of you want to be rescued?’”
5. How is the power struggled between Ralph and Jack continuing?
6. What does the manner in which Jack leads his hunting procession say about Jack?
7. What is Simon’s conception of the beast? What does he mean?
8. How do Ralph and Jack react differently to Castle Rock? What does the difference reveal
about the boys?
9. When do the boys seem to follow Jack, and when do they seem to follow Ralph?
10. How does Castle Rock represent the boys’ increased tendency towards primitivism? (Fine
questions and make a list.)
11. What is Ralph most concerned about?
12. How is Ralph losing his influence?
CHAPTER 7
1. What childlike act does Ralph revert to that indicates his growing insecurity and fear?
2. What discovery does Ralph make about his condition and that of the other boys?
3. What causes Ralph to lose hope?
4. Why does Simon say “’You’ll get rescued’”?
5. What startling discovery does Ralph make about himself when he joins in with the hunting of
the pig and the prodding of the boy with his spear?
6. What does Jack suggest in place of a real pig for their game?
7. Why does Simon volunteer to return to Piggy?
8. How do Jack and Ralph challenge each other?
9. What’s the significance of the dead parachutist being described as “a great ape”?
10. What are the boys afraid of? What should they be afraid of?
CHAPTER 8
1. What mistake does Ralph make concerning Jack and his hunters?
2. How does Jack formally break with Ralph?
3. How is Piggy acting now that Jack is gone?
4. What is Jack’s plan for his group?
5. What is the significance of leaving part of the pig for the beast?
6. What kind of pig do the boys select, and why is their choice especially despicable?
7. What is the killing like?
8. How does Jack plan to lure boys away from Ralph’s camp?
9. How does Jack’s group plan to get fire?
10. What is the Lord of the Flies?
11. What is Jack wearing during the fire-raiding scene?
12. What has Jack trained his savages to do?
13. “’Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! … You knew, didn’t
you? I’m part of you?’”
CHAPTER 9
1. What is the effect of weather on the setting?
2. How does Simon’s description reflect his state of mind?
3. How is Simon a Christ figure?
4. What’s the significance of Piggy’s reaction to Ralph splashing water?
5. How is Jack featured at the party?
6. How does Piggy being burned affect the party?
7. How does Jack conduct himself as chief?
8. “’Come away. There’s going to be trouble. And we’ve had our meat.’”
9. Why do the boys fail to recognize Simon?
10. How do the boys kill Simon?
CHAPTER 10
1. How does Ralph feel about Simon’s murder?
2. How does Piggy rationalize the murder?
3. How do they face their involvement in the murder?
4. What is Ralph frightened of?
5. What does Jack say about the murder?
6. How has Jack become a tyrant?
7. How has Ralph become less of a competent leader?
8. What is Piggy afraid might happen if they’re not rescued?
9. What’s the significance of loose teeth?
10. What does Jack’s tribe steal? Why is the theft of this item particularly heinous?
CHAPTER 11
1. Why do the boys take the conch to castle rock?
2. What does the “painting” provide for Jack’s tribe?
3. What’s the significance of the falling rocks?
4. What’s the significance of Ralph’s statement to Jack that he’s a “beast”?
5. What’s Piggy trying to get the other boys to realize with his speech?
6. What does Piggy’s death symbolize?
7. What does the destruction of the conch symbolize?
8. Why does Ralph flee?
9. Who is chief?
10. What does the last paragraph foreshadow?
CHAPTER 12
1. Is Ralph hopeful that he’ll survive?
2. What do Jack and Roger have planned for Ralph? Why?
3. What will they do when they catch him?
4. In this chapter, how is Ralph like the pigs on the island?
5. How does Ralph feel when he first encounters the naval officer?
6. What happened to the savages when they encountered the naval officer?
7. Why is the officer embarrassed in the boys’ condition?
8. What is Ralph crying for at the end? Make a list.
9. What does the ravaging fire symbolize?