Lord of the Flies Chapter 1. William Golding

Transcription

1 Lord of the Flies Chapter 1 William Golding

2 1. Why does Piggy conclude that no one will know where they are? Piggy heard the pilot say an atom bomb had been dropped, so all the people at the airport are dead, and no one will know where they are.

3 2. What summons the boys to the beach? Ralph blows the conch shell and the boys respond as they did to the megaphone at the airport.

4 3. Who tries to assume the authority? What happens? Jack Merridew, a tall, thin, red-haired boy, tries to assume leadership, but when a vote is taken, Ralph is elected chief.

5 4. What effort of conciliation does Ralph make toward Jack? What does Jack decide his boys will be? Ralph suggests that Jack remain in charge of his choir boys. Jack decides his boys will be hunters.

6 5. What conclusion do Ralph, Jack and Simon reach after their investigation? Ralph, Jack and Simon determine that they are on an uninhabited island.

7 6. What defense does Jack offer for not killing the piglet? What does he promise? What was the real reason he didn t kill the piglet? Jack says he was waiting to decide where to stab the piglet and promises he will do it next time. All three boys know he couldn t stab the piglet because of the knife cutting into flesh and the unbearable blood.

8 7. The boys discover there are no adults on the island and attempt to model civilization as they know it by electing a chief. How effective do you think this effort will be without adult supervision? While the boys have elected a chief, Jack s dissatisfaction suggests there may be friction.

9 8. Consider the cause of the conflict between Ralph and Jack. What does Ralph s effort to appease Jack tell you about his basic character? Is it likely that Jack will be content to play second fiddle to Ralph? Why or why not? Ralph s effort to appease Jack indicates that Ralph is a considerate, mature boy. He understands, apparently, that Jack is somewhat humiliated by the boy s rejections of him as a leader. In view of Jack s initial arrogance and selfimportance, it is unlikely that he will be willing to defer to someone else s orders.

10 9. What does Ralph s revelation about Piggy s name suggest to you about the basic nature of young people? Are they intentionally cruel to each other or just inconsiderate? Explain Some young people are often thoughtless and insensitive about other people s feelings. Probably they are not always intentionally cruel; they simply don t think before they speak. Ralph didn t reveal Piggy s name to be cruel; in fact, he was trying to help by not allowing the boys to label Piggy Fatty.

11 10. Why do you think the boys chose Ralph as their leader? Ralph is one of the tallest boys and he has the conch shell. The boys associate the shell with the megaphone from the airport and see Ralph as an authority figure.

12 Chapter One Plot Synopsis

13 A number of British schoolboys, whose plane has been shot down during wartime, find themselves marooned on an unidentified island. After all the boys convene, responding to the sound of a conch shell used as a horn, Ralph, at twelve years old one of the older boys, is voted chief of the group. Jack Merridew, the leader of the group of choirboys, tries to assume leadership, but is put in charge of his boys. He decides they ll be the hunters for the entire group.

14 Literary Focus Chapter One

15 Setting: a potential island paradise Theme: establishing an orderly society Ralph elected leader Signal fire to attract the attention of any ship passing Potential Conflict: Jack is not chosen as chief Ralph, employing civilized methods, encourages Jack to lead the hunters. Irony: Choirboys as hunters

16 Main Characters: Piggy: fat, asthmatic, and myopic (narrow-minded) Idea man Ralph: oldest and tallest (and therefore seemingly the most adult) Chosen leader Jack: choir leader Rebel