Characters
Who rescues the boys at the end of the book?
A naval officer
What kind of authority does Ralph allegorically represent?
Ralph represents a democracy. He symbolizes civilization and order
What do the boys use the conch for?
They use the conch to call meetings and to decide who is talking. It is a way to maintain order.
"In his other life, Maurice had received chastisement for filling a younger eye with sand. Now, though there was no parent to let fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of wrongdoing."
The word chastise MOST NEARLY means:
to punish, as by beating; to criticize harshly
What is the conch is symbolic of?
Order
Leadership
Power
What comes to the island that everyone thinks is a beast?
A parachutist
What do the boys cling to (attempt to maintain) when they first arrive on the island?
The rules and order from their old life
What happens when the boys first build a fire?
They get carried away and it gets out of control. It burns up loads of firewood and kills a littlun.
"He walked slowly into the middle of the clearing and looked steadily at the skull that gleamed as white as ever the conch had done and seemed to jeer at him cynically. "
The word jeer MOST NEARLY means:
to abuse verbally; taunt
What do Piggy's glasses represent?
Logic, reason, intellect, and civilization
Who pushes the boulder causing Piggy's death?
Roger
How does Jack first react to rules on the island?
He says they need rules as they're "not savages". He also looks forward to punishing anyone who breaks the rules.
Roger throws stones at a little boy on the beach, but what prevents him from directly injuring this boy?
He is still holding onto civilization and rules
"At first light he would creep into the thicket, squeeze between the twisted stems, ensconce himself so deep that only a crawler like himself could come through, and that crawler would be jabbed."
The word ensconce MOST NEARLY means:
to place or conceal in a secure place, to hide
What does it represent when Piggy is killed and the conch is broken?
The end of civilization, leadership, and reasoning.
Who saw the beast / beastie / snake-like thing?
The littlun with the birthmark
Describe what is happening to the boys’ appearance as the novel progresses and how is that symbolic.
As the novel progresses, the boys' appearance deteriorates. At the beginning, they are well-groomed school boys, but eventually they become wild, like savages, mirroring their descent into savagery in their behavior.
How do Ralph and Piggy view Simon's death? How does each of them react to it?
They both say they can't remember what happened. Ralph calls it a murder. However, Piggy says it was an accident.
" When the breeze blew, the lines would strain taut and some accident of this pull lifted the head and chest upright so that the figure seemed to peer across the brow of the mountain. Then, each time the wind dropped, the lines would slacken and the figure bow forward again, sinking its head between its knees."
The word slacken MOST NEARLY means:
to make or become less tense or firm; loosen
What does the signal fire represent?
Hope and rescue
Which character does not dance at Jack’s first feast on the mountaintop and is considered an outsider throughout the novel?
Simon
What physical change do Jack and his hunters go through that represents their savagery?
What does Simon mean he says "what I mean is...maybe it's only us."
He is suggesting that the beast is themselves - he realizes that everybody has fear and evil inside them.
"All this talk!" shouted Ralph. "Talk, talk! Who wanted it? Who called the meeting?" Jack turned, red in the face, his chin sunk back. He glowered up under his eyebrows."
The word glower MOST NEARLY means:
to look or stare angrily or with disapproval
What does the Lord of the Flies represent?
It symbolizes the darkness and evil that lurks inside of human nature