LESSON: Lord of the Flies Unit: 19

Prepared by: Prof. Ali Ahmad

Summary
Lord of the flies is the first novel of William Golding which was published in 1954. It’s a noble
prize awarded novel. The story is about a group of school- going boys who find themselves on a
deserted island after the shipwreck. They have to live without elders. So, they develop rules and
a system of organization and create a micro society. Two boys, Ralph and Piggy discover a
conch. They realize that it (conch) could be used to blow horn and summon the other boys.
Ralph blows the conch. Johnny is the first boy who appears and sits on the platform. Ralph keeps
on blowing the conch in the meanwhile all the boys assemble while Piggy asks their names. The
boys choose Ralph as their leader and Jack to be in charge of the boys who will hunt food for the
entire boys.

Ralph, Jack and another boy Simon set off on an expedition to explore and survey the island.
When they return, Ralph declares that they must light a signal fire to attract the attention of
passing ships. The boys succeed in igniting some dead wood by focusing sunlight through the
lenses of Piggy’s eyeglasses. However, the boys pay more attention to playing than to
monitoring the fire. The fire was out of control. The flames quickly engulf the forest. One of the
youngest boys was considered to be burned.

The boys enjoy their life while splashing in the water and playing games. Ralph complains
that they should be maintaining the signal fire and building huts for shelter. On the other hand,
Jack and his hunting group were failed in hunting a wild pig. But Jack was obsessed with the act
of hunting.

At night a rumor of a terrible monster in the trees spark a panic. Ralph insists that monsters do
not exist, but Jack says otherwise. He says that his hunters will find and kill the monster, which
boosts his popularity.

Jack takes the boys for hunting expedition which takes them away from maintaining the signal
fire. The fire goes out. Shortly after, a boat moves past the island, Piggy and Ralph noticed that
the fire had burned out. Furious Ralph accosts Jack who has just returned with his first kill.
Piggy criticizes Jack, who hits Piggy across the face. Ralph blows the conch to restore the order.
At the meeting, it becomes clear that some of the boys have started to become afraid. The littlest
boys, known as “Samneric” which refers to Sam and Eric who are two littluns. They were
troubled by a nightmare from the beginning that there is some lurking monster or beast in the
island. The older boys try to convince them to think rationally. What will a beast or monster do
in broad day light? The meeting ended.

After the meeting some military planes were engaged in a battle high above the island. The boys
asleep below, did not notice the explosions in the clouds. A parachute drifted to the earth on the
signal-fire mountain, dead. Samneric did not see this landing of a parachute. When these twins
woke they saw enormous parachute and heard the noise thinking that beast was at hand. They
rush and report that the beast has attacked them.

The boys organize a hunting expedition to search monster. Ralph and Jack travel up the
mountain. They see a parachute held a meeting and told the boys about the sighting. At the
meeting, Jack said that Ralph was coward and he should be removed from the leadership. But the
boys did not agree to it. Jack rallies the hunters with himself whereas Ralph takes some boys to
light up fire. But before the boys finished the task of igniting fire, they slipped away with Jack.

Jack declares himself the leader of the new tribe of hunters. The hunters decapitate a sow and
place its head on a sharpened stake in the jungle as an offering of the beast. Later on, Simon had
a terrible vision about that. The head seemed to him that as if the head was speaking. The voice,
which he imagines as belonging to the Lord of the Flies says that Simon will never escape him.
For, he exists within all men. Simon faints. When he wakes up, he realizes that the beast doesn’t
exist externally rather in each individual’s boy.

Simon travels to the beach to tell others what he has seen. But as his showy figure appears,
assuming it to be the beast, jack and his hunters fall upon him and kill Simon.

The following morning while Ralph and Piggy were discussing what they had done, Jack and his
hunters attacked and steal piggy’s glasses. Jack instigates Sam and Eric to attack Ralph. In the
meanwhile, Roger rolls a boulder down the mountain that fell on piggy and killed him shattering
the conch. Ralph manages to escape to save his life.

Ralph hides rest of the night in jungle, while others are looking for him to knock him down too.
Jack and his hunters ignite fire in order to smoke Ralph out hiding place. Eventually in the wake
of such fire Ralph was suffocated and started running. Suddenly he collapsed out of exhaustion.
when he looks up, he saw a naval officer standing over him. The officer noticed the fire raging in
the forest. Amazed at the blood thirsty savage children the officer asks Ralph to explain. Ralph
began to weep. The other boys also begin the sob. The officer turns his back so that they regain
their composure.
 Comprehension:
Q1- How did the boys come to the jungle island?

Ans: It was after the shipwreck that the school boys found themselves on a deserted island. The
ship, they were on, was bombed and sank in the ocean. It was a beautiful marooned island. Ralph
and piggy were the first two to appear then. After that they discovered a conch with which they
summoned all the other boys.

Q2- What did Ralph do to attract the other boys on the island?

Ans: Ralph and piggy were the first characters that appear in the very beginning of the story.
While they were standing at the sea-shore, they found a conch. So, it was the conch Ralph blew
and summoned all the other boys. Soon the conch became the symbol for order and discipline.

Q3- Describe the scene of the arrival of Jack and his band at the place where the boys were
assembled.

Ans: As Ralph blew the conch, the boys straggle onto the beach. Among the boys there was a
group of choir boys dressed in black gowns and led by an older boy named Jack. They marched
to the beach in two parallel lines. Jack snaps at them to stand at attention. The boys taunt piggy
and mock his appearance and nickname.

Q4- What was the first issue to that rose before the boys and how was it tackled?

Ans: The first issue was the issue of leadership. When Ralph said that there must be a chief
among them, Jack raised his hand and claimed that he ought to be the chief. Ralph suggested to
have voting. He asked the boys to raise their hands. Most boys voted for Ralph to be leader. So
the issue of selecting chief among them was resolved by the intellect of Ralph.

Q5- How did Ralph think that they would be rescued?

Ans: Ralph thought that they would be rescued by his father because his father was in the Navy.
He thought that his dad would find them out and would rescue them. But he said that for being
rescued fire was very important to be ignited.

Q6- What rule regarding the conch was made and why?

Ans: A rule was set down for holding the conch that all will not be talking at the same time.
Ralph said that they would have to raise hand if they wanted to say something. Then he will be
given conch as authority to speak. Ralph said that it was a democratic way to speak and let others
speak. And the speaker would not be interrupted while he would be speaking.
Q7- Briefly describe the role of hallucinations scene from “Lord of the Flies”.

Ans: The hallucinations start from the beginning of the novel when the littluns, Sam and Eric
express their fear about beast. They thought that there was some beast that was going to kill them
but not appeared so far. It was the mature Ralph who made the littlest kids understand that there
was no beast at all. Later on, when pig’s head was stick on sharpened stick Simon saw that in the
darkness of night. As Simon was of philosophical nature, he thought that the beast is not outside
but inside a man. These hallucinations refer to the central theme of the book that evil is the part
of human nature. If this evil is not controlled by law, rules and authority, he he can destroy
everything.

Q8- What is the significance of the title “Lord of the Flies”?

Ans: The title of the novel is symbolic. It refers to the brutal nature of humans who show and
claim to be civilized, cultured and peace lover but when there is no check and balance on them
they may get unruly and dangerous for humanity. Jack and his band symbolize the evil nature of
humans. When they are given free hand, they may cause destruction. Human nature is harsh. It is
law and the shadow of elders that control human and maintains peace in society.

Q9- what happens to the conch and piggy and what does it suggest?

Ans: Piggy carries the conch with pride as he, Ralph, Sam and Eric go to confront Jack’s tribe
about his stolen glasses. Roger releases the giant rock which kills piggy and so that the conch is
destroyed too. The destruction of both piggy and conch represent the final loss of order on the
island.

Q10- How are the boys rescued at the end?

Ans: The boys are rescued in the final chapter of the novel when a British battleship anchors off
the shore of the tropical island. The fire was caused by Jack and his savages while they were
running after Ralph and trying to kill him. It refers to a justified ending in literal sense that good
is victorious and shielded at the end. This shows the symbolism of the writer.

Q11-How were Ralph’s priorities different from Jack’s?

Ans: Ralph represents respect for law, duty, reason and protection of the weak, Whereas Jack
represents violence, cruelty, mob rule, and government through fear and tyranny. Ralph supports
good. He is the protagonist of the story. Jack is selfish, haughty and unruly. He is antagonist of
the story. Discipline, peace, security and being rescued by igniting fire are the priorities of
Ralph. Jack’s priorities are killing of beast and hunting.

Q12-What does Simon represent in the novel?

Ans: Simon represents saintliness and a kind of innate and spiritual goodness. Simon acts
morally not out of shame or guilt. He believes in the inherent value of morality. Simon is the
only philosophical character of the novel. He is the first one who realizes that monster on the
island is not real and beast is not outside human, rather inside human. The sow’s head on the
stake symbolizes this idea. As we see Simon’s vision of the head speaking to him.

Q13- Compare and contrast the characters of Ralph and Piggy.

Ans: Ralph is tall, slim and athletic and serious boy. He is good-looking and described as being
“fair boy”. In contrast Piggy is shorter than Ralph and visibly overweight. Piggy suffers from
asthma and has to wear glasses whereas Ralph is confident and more reserved than Piggy. Ralph
is hero of the novel. He leads other to ignite fire so as to be rescued. Piggy is the symbol of
innocence often badgered and mocked at by Jack and his band. However, there is similarity
between the two. Ralph and piggy both are symbol of good, peace and security. They both treat
like leaders.

Q14- What is the purpose of the introduction of the mock-hunts in the novel?

Ans: The successive mock-hunts show the boys’ gradual alienation from the civilization and
going towards barbarism. In fact, William Golding’s purpose behind the mock-hunts is to display
the degeneration of human heart under favorable circumstances. This mock-hunt is the climax of
human’s savagery which kills an innocent, moral and holy character Simon.

Q15-“Listen all of you……, we are living along the Beach by a flat Rock. We hunt and feast
and have a fun, if you want to join my tribe come and see us. Perhaps I will let you join
perhaps not.” Whose words are these and what is the occasion?

Ans: These are the words of Jack. It is on the occasion when Jack gathers his new tribe and
declares himself the chief. Piggy and Ralph lay sad on the sand; in the meanwhile, the boys
(hunters) appear in a savage frenzy having killed a sow and then leave the head of the sow on
sharpened stake in the jungle. Ralph wanted to say something but Jack ignored him and shouted
saying these words which show his power and excessive pride. Jack was trying to tempt them by
the idea of pig’s meat. He offered them that if they joined his group, they would give him meat
to eat.

Q16-“Authority set on his shoulder and chattered in his ear like an ape.” Explain this
statement of William Golding with reference to the context.

Ans: This statement is about the character Jack. It shows that Jack has descended into primitive
stage. He is powerful but he has no human sense of right and wrong. He simply wants power. It
is a personification used by Golding to describe the proud state of Jack. The devil on his shoulder
is his own animality, looking to master other creature. He has achieved mastery of those of his
tribe. While they all call him chief, he feels proud.

Q17-“The fire is the most important thing. Without the fire we can’t be rescued.” Whose
words are these? What do you say about this statement?
Ans: This is the statement of Ralph. These words of Ralph show his return to the civilized
nature. It shows his utmost concern about fire. Fire is the symbol of hope and security. Fire
symbolizes boys’ connection to human civilization.

Q18-What is the dominant theme of the novel “Lord of the Flies”?

Ans: The dominant theme of the novel is the conflict of two competing impulses that exist within
each human. The conflict between savagery and civilization lies within every human. The central
theme of the novel is that human must live by rules, authority and government in order to
maintain safe environment. Otherwise evil force overrules the good and man harms others
ultimately. Why Jack was so violent and sadist because he had no superior over him in the
jungle. There was no writ of law and rules in the forest. Therefore, every member of that micro
society was unsafe.

Q19- What general idea about the psychology of small children do you derive from this
novel “Lord of the Flies”?

Ans: A lesson about child psychology is derived from this novel that children are incapable of
self-discipline. There must an elder among them. They may attack and harm one another if they
are not supervised by elders. At the end of the novel when the rescue ship arrives, three of the
boys are dead and all the boys had painted their face black except for Ralph. This shows the
extreme of barbarism that was caused by the absence of law. This clearly shows that children
should not be given free hand to live by their own will.

Q20-Explain the symbols used in novels the conch, Piggy’s glasses, the signal fire and the
beast.

Ans: A symbol is a mark or word that represents or indicates an idea, object or relationship.
Symbols allow the reader to understand the writer’s point of view, motifs and theme. Fire is a
very important symbol in the novel. Fire illuminates and warms but it brings pain and death also.
So the symbolic meaning of fire depends on the context. At first, fire is the symbol of rescue,
survival and hope and return to civilization but later on, when jack and his band set the entire
forest on fire it becomes the symbol of death and destruction. Piggy’s glasses represent rational
thought, reason and scientific intellect because it was the pair of spectacles of piggy through the
help of which fire is set for the first time. His glasses represent intelligence also as he is a
sagacious adviser to Ralph. Conch is the symbol of power and democracy. It represents
discipline.
Character analysis

Ralph
Ralph is the central character of the story. His father was in the Navy. He is tall, slim and
attractive. He is the protagonist. He is the representative of good, order, discipline and
civilization. He is the first character who is introduced in the novel. It was Ralph who first
discovers conch and thought upon idea of assembling the other boys. He is the elected leader. He
works vigilantly to focus the fire to be ignited so as to be rescued. It was Ralph who
psychotherapy to treat the hallucinations of little children by negating the idea of beast. Ralph
was the most mature of them all. When Jack ignores the concept of burning fire and focuses the
idea of hunting, Ralph emphasis it time and again. He inculcates them time and gain. Ralph told
all the boys the importance of fire, holding conch, and making huts for shelter so as to maximize
their chances of being rescued. For this reason, Ralph’s power and influence over other boys are
secure. However, as the boys succumb to the savage instinct over the course of time, Ralph’s
position declines while Jack’s rises. Eventually most except Piggy leave Ralph’s group. Ralph is
left alone. But he is calm and rational. However, Ralph’s commitment to civilization a morality
is still strong that gives him a moral victory at the end. Ralph has heroic qualities. He is always
aiming at saving and securing simple, innocent and little boys. He has heroic feeling for others.
He is shocked and hurt emotionally when the hunters killed Simon and piggy ferociously.
Though he was offered by Jack to join their group but Ralph never gave in. He was always
determined on his rules. He off and on tried to teach Jack and his band but they were too heady
to listen to Ralph. Rather out of jealousy they wanted to kill Ralph and all the characters that
were good. However, Ralph is the hero of the novel. His good intentions, his tries to maintain
peace and order justify him as hero. At the end he is saved by nature that is the proof that good is
always victorious.

Piggy
Piggy is the first boy Ralph encounters on the island. He is an innocent. He has some physical
problems of like week eye sight due to which he wears spectacles, overweight and asthma. He is
vulnerable of all boys. Piggy represents rational world. Piggy intellect helps the group through
Ralph. Piggy is scientific in his thoughts. Piggy said that life is scientific. He asserts that the
assault on Simon was justifiable because Simon asked for it by inexplicably crawling out of the
forest into the ring. He is the advisor of Ralph. Piggy’s brain is behind many Ralph’s successful
ideas and innovations such as using the conch to call meetings and building shelters for the
group. Piggy is always emphasizing the rules of civilizations and this thing brings him under the
intense threat of violence. Jack and his band always intend to harm piggy. They attack and break
piggy’s glasses due to which piggy is crying. This was so pathetic scene. When Ralph being a
chief goes and complains at the abode of Jack and his group, Roger rolls a boulder on Piggy
which knocks him down and piggy dies. His death symbolizes the end of thought and civilized
behavior on the island. The conch is also destroyed with him, marking the end of any hope of
peace. It represents the triumph of savagery and death of innocence.

Simon
Simon’s character is philosophical, religious and visionary. He has a saintly and Christ like
image. He spends time sitting alone in the forest till late at night. He has a secretive place. He
prophesies to Ralph that he will go back to where he has come from which means that Ralph will
survive. Simon is a mystic and spiritual character. He is exploring. He asks questions which
others cannot. Simon helps Ralph with the shelters and even supports piggy when the other boys
bully him. Simon is mesmerized by the Pig’s, called the “Lord of the Flies”. He imagines that
the head is speaking to him in the voice of schoolmaster. Simon is incarnation of goodness. He is
benevolent and sensitive boy. He is compassionate and caring to the little boys also. Simon
understands the true nature of the boys’ fear. He makes the boys understand that beast is not
really physically present but the evil is inside human. When Simon was mounting over the
mountain, shouting that he is a beast, the boys descend upon Simon thinking him to be a beast
fall on him and kill him. Simon tries his best to explain to them that what has happened. He
wanted to clarify that misunderstanding of beast but savagery of the boys was not ready to listen
a word from him. So, they killed him. The death of Simon is the turning point of the story. His
death represents the completion of their degeneration from civilization to savagery.

Jack
Jack has red hair and freckles and is tall, thin and bony. He is head of the choir boys. He is
annoyed when Ralph is elected as the chief of the boys. Jack is the antagonist of the novel. Jack
is violent dictator. It was his responsibility to arrange food for the boys.

He harbors hostility against Ralph as he wanted power and overall leadership. He is cruel and
bully on those who are weaker than himself.

Jack’s character represents savage instinct, violence, and the desire for power. He is narcissist
and arrogant. He represents evil. He is against those who support Ralph. He takes piggy’s
glasses, ridicules him and laughs at his expense. Jack is sadist. He enjoys harming others. He
tortures twins.

His character represents primitive savagery and barbarism. His only aim is to hunt pigs and eat.
To be rescued has never been his cup of tea or priority. He is obsessed with hunting. He uses the
fear of the boys to control their behavior. His aim was to retaliate on Ralph because he feels
shame that he was not elected as chief. For this lust for revenge he and his group paint their faces
black. In the wake of this overemotional and irrational stance they killed Simon and piggy. At
the last he aims to kill Ralph but the captain arrives and saves him.

A: Look for in a Thesaurus and tell whether each pair of words are synonyms or
antonyms.

1-Agree, disagree (antonyms)

2-Cold, freezing (synonyms)

3-Easy, difficult (antonyms)

4-Argue, squabble (synonyms)

5-Guess, estimate (synonyms)

6-Bottom, top (antonyms)

7-Tired, energetic (antonyms)

8-Huge, gigantic (synonyms)

9-Sink, float (synonyms)

10-Windy, calm (antonyms)

11-Noisy, quiet (antonyms)

12-Unhappy, sad (antonyms)

A- Identify the following sentences as simple, compound and complex.

1- We were playing in the garden when the guests arrived. (Complex)
2- She put on her coat and went out. (Compound)
3- I can’t figure out what he wants. (Complex)
4- You don’t look happy to see me. (Simple)
5- The cat saw the puppies playing in the garden. (Simple)
6- She leaned out of window. (Simple)
7- You shouldn’t have done this to me. (Simple)
8- They tried very hard but they couldn’t win the match. (Compound)
9- Who let the cat in? (Simple)
10- Although it was raining, we went for a walk. (Complex)
B- Write the strongest word of the pair given in the parenthesis in the given blank of
each sentence.
1- The flowers were pretty in the garden.
2- We had a delicious dinner at the restaurant.
3- The glass plate crashed to the ground.
4- She said hello to the teacher.
5- The hungry cat sat on the fence.
6- He slept on the hard bed.
7- The children will march out the door when the bell rings.
8- Salim was cross with his brothers.
C- Write the indirect narration in the ‘Indirect speech column ’for the sentences
given in the ‘Direct Speech Column’.
Ans: 1- He said that he was working hard for the upcoming tests.
2- She said that her only wish was to become a good man.
3- He told that he was learning the rules of new language.
4- I told her she seemed to be a nice.
5- He told me that I should have been responsible in my duty.
6- Asad told that it is a rule to obey the master.
7- They said that they were waiting for their brothers.
8- I said that I was the winner in that game.
9- They said that they were learning English by themselves.
10- He ordered his servant to clean the tables again.
11- Mother scolded her daughter to shut up and to go into her room.
12- He ordered the waiter to bring him the detailed bill.
13- He advised Raja to close the door.
14- Father ordered his son to get ready they would leave quickly.
15- I requested the policemen to help the poor lady.
16- The old man begged to release his son that time.
17- She warned him not to talk to her ever.
18- Teacher ordered the students to stand up all.
19- He ordered his son to avoid sitting with bad guys.
20- The doctor suggested him to stay away from junk food.
21- I advised to let him sleep before we left.
22- She proposed him to meet her parents somewhere.
23- I suggested her to let him think before I gave her any proposal.
24- She requested her father to let her buy some books for Alex.
25- She proposed to start reading the novel together.
26- The teacher advised to start over a new chapter.
27- She requested to let her be more prepared for the task.
28- I requested to let me find a best solution to solve that issue permanently.
29- They proposed to play a game where the winner would win a gold.
30- She requested me to let her stay there until her brother came.