Lord of the Flies, Chapter 1 and 2 Questions
1. What is "the scar?" Why does Golding choose that word?
The scar is the plane crash site. He choose that word because that will probably be the way that if will effect the boys.
2. How is Ralph unfriendly to Piggy? Why is he unfriendly to Piggy?
Ralph is unfriendly to Piggy by making fun of his name. He is unfriendly to piggy not because he is mean person but rather he is just a young boy and that type of action is very common of a boy of his age.
3. Where is the darkness on the island? What is darkness a metaphor for?
Darkness on the island is where the boys have not yet been,. It doesn’t mean necessarily mean that is is actually dark it has just not been explored yet. Darkness represents fear that natural ly exists within little boys.
4. Ralph makes fun of Piggy's name. Why is that important? Is Ralph an innocent person? Why or Why not?
This is important in that it shows that Ralph is just like any other kid. Any normal adolescent boy would take the opportunity to poke fun of a boy whose name was Piggy who is also fat. This normality shows that he is not a perfectly innocent person.
5. How does Johnny sit below Ralph? What does the little boy expect? why does he choose Ralph?
Johnny sits below Ralph in both a literal way and figurative way he is sitting on the sand while Ralph is sitting on a log, and in a figurative way he is sitting below him due to the fact that he is younger than Ralph. The little boy expects to be rescued and he chooses Ralph because Ralph promises they will be rescued.
6. How do you know that Merridrew (Jack) is up to no good?
It is easy to see that Jack could be up to no good based on his attitude. He thinks that he could be in control of the group since he is already the leader of the choir. His personality also shows his power hungry desires and his needs for supremacy over the other boys.
7. What makes Ralph attractive as a leader? Is this a good quality? What would be good qualities in a leader? At this point in the story, would Jack make a good leader? Explain.
Ralph is an attractive leader because of the fact that he is older than the other boys and has a type of personality that demands respect. This is a good quality for any leader who will make decisions for other people. Good qualities in a leader include courage, intelligence, wit, and respect. At this point in the story, Jack may be a better leader than Ralph because of the fact that he is a stronger leader. Jack and Ralph have namy of the same characteristics by Jack is a much more dominant figure than Ralph.
8. Ralph has the conch and Jack has the knife. What does the conch symbolize? What does the knife symbolize?
The conch symbolizes order and structure, which is why Ralph is trying to instill within the other schoolboys. The knife that Jack holds symbolizes power and control, which is brought up by fear
9. As Jack, Ralph, and Simon make their way to the top of the mountain, they stop o do something. What do they do and how does this action make their expedition less than innocent kid stuff?
Jack, Ralph, and Simon choose to push boulders off a cliff on their way to the top of the mountain. This type of action shows the destructive nature of little boys and makes their little expedition a little less innocent than it originally was.
10. Why doesn't Jack kill the pig? What is the main emotion Jack feels? Why is this incident so ominous?
Jack cannot kill the pig. Jack’s natural born innocence keeps him from, at this point, killing the pig. This incident is so threatening because of how Jack’s innocence would soon leave and change him into a cold-blooded murderer.
Chapter 2
1. Once Jack, Ralph, and Simon get back from their hike around the island, they call another meeting. What do they discuss at this meeting? What do Ralph and Jack find to be the most important thing? What does Piggy think is most important thing?
When the explorers return, Ralph summons the boys to another meeting on the beach. Ralph tells the group that there are no adults on the island, but that if they remain calm and orderly, they will eventually be rescued. He says that there is a great deal of edible fruit on the island, and that if the work together, they will be able to survive. Ralph agreed that they will need hunters to kill animals for meat. For now, Ralph says, it is important that they live by a set of rules. Piggy informs the group that the wisest course of action would be to try to find a way to improve their chances of being rescued.
2. The boy with mulberry-colored birthmark wants to know what Ralph and Jack are going to do about the "beastie." What does the "beastie" look like? What does the "beastie" symbolize for the boys?
The “beastie” is supposedly this big sea creature that has crawled up onto the island and will come and kill all of the boys if they don’t kill it first. The beastie symbolizes the primal instinct of savagery that exists within all human beings. As the boys grow more and more savage, their belief in the beast grows stronger and more pronounced. By the end of the novel, they are leaving it sacrifices and threating it as a totemic god.
3. Why does Ralph believe that they will be rescued? How does Ralph suggest that they help the rescuers find them?
Ralph believes that they will be rescued because his dad is in the Navy and he will know exactly where to come to get them. Ralph also thinks that the Queen has some big room with a map of every single island on the entire world mapped out. He suggests starting a big fire so an airplane or ship can see it and know they are stranded.
4. How do the kids work? What is their general manner if given a task? Why doesn't Piggy like it?
The kids work like any kid would work. They are easily distracted and in the end, very little is accomplished or it is accomplished in a way contrary to its original intentions. Piggy doesn’t like this because he is very structured and he recognizes the fact that they are getting very little done.
5. How do they light the fire? Who comes up with the idea of using the glasses?
The boys light fire by refracting the sun’s light through Piggy’s glasses. Jack comes up with the idea to use his glasses to start a fire.
6. Why is Jack important to the group? How is Piggy a little useless? How does Piggy feel? As a result, how does he act?
Jack is important to the group because he is strong and has good survival skills. He is physically strong, he can hunt, and he can start fires. These are all very important skills in their situation. Piggy is almost useless because no one listens to him. He could have all the greatest ideas in the world, but if nobody is willing to listen to him, he is in fact useless. Piggy feels as if he is ignored and left out. As a result, he takes a back seat on most of the actions and decisions that are made.
7. Once the fire starts to burn more of the island, what do the littl'uns see in the fire? Why is this important?
The little one sees snakes in the fire. This is important because it shows how young children can often sees things that are not really there or appear to be one thing but something completely different.
8. Who is missing? Where is he? What does Golding mean by the "drum roll" in the last sentence of this chapter?
The little boy with the brown mark on his face is missing. He has been killed in the out of control fire. The drum roll that is heard on the other side of the island represents the turmoil that is to come on the island in the near future.