Lord of the Flies
Post- Reading Questions
1. Explain all the ways the ending is ironic. Why does the Naval officer seem so surprised by
their behavior? Isn’t he participating in a war himself?
2. “If left alone, human nature will be pulled to the id side.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
Think about the novel, the video and history.
3. Explain how the story takes place in a microcosm. (yes, you should look this up)
4. Do you think the same thing would happen with adults?
What if this was a group of all girls?
5. How much do you think the boys will tell the adults after they return home? Do you think they
will just return to their normal selves when the go back to school? What problems might they
have as a result of their experience?
6. Which scene do you remember most vividly? Why?
7. What would you say to critics who feel novels such as Lord of the Flies have no place in the
classroom- that they portray an ugly, frightening side of human nature that young people
cannot really be expected to understand- or at least should not be exposed to?
8. On what note does the story seem to end, optimistic or pessimistic? Does Golding seem to
have hope for human nature?
9. How would the story be different without the deaths of the boy with the birthmark, Simon and
Piggy?
10. How long do you think the story took place? What factors lead to the complete breakdown of
society? Are you surprised by how quickly it seems to have taken place?
11. Imagine one day Jack shows up for a job interview, and Ralph is the boss. What would they
say to each other?
12. Did you like this book? What can we learn from reading this?
Quote analysis: For each of the following quotes, identify the speaker or the person being described
and explain why its significant.
Chapter 5 “Beast from Water”
1. ____________ “We have lots of assemblies. Everybody enjoys speaking and being together. We
decide things. But they don’t get done.”
2. ____________ “I wanted – to go to a place- a place I know. Just a place I know. A place in the
jungle”
3. ____________”Maybe, maybe there is a beast. What I mean is…..maybe it’s only us.”
4. ____________ “Bullocks to the rules! We’re strong- we hunt! If there’s a beast, we’ll hunt it
down! We’ll close in and beat and beat-!”
Chapter 6 “Beast from Air”
5. ____________ “We’ve seen the beast with our own eyes. No-we weren’t asleep-.”
6. ____________ “Conch! Conch! We don’t need the conch any more.”
Chapter 7 “Shadows and Tall Trees”
7. ___________ “I just think you’ll get back all right.”
8. The circle moved in and round. ____________ squealed in mock terror, then in real pain.
9. Presently the mountain was deserted, save for the three abandoned sticks and the thing that bowed.
_________________________ (what is being described?)
Chapter 8 “Gift for the Darkness”
10. ____________”Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!”
Chapter 9 “A View to Death”
1. ____________ “Take them some meat.”
2. ____________ “The fire-rescue.”
3. ____________The beast was on its knees in the center, its arms folded over its face.
It was crying out against the abominable noise something about a body on the hill.
Chapter 10 “The Shell and the Glasses”
4. ____________ “That was Simon! That was murder!”
5. ____________ “It was an accident.”
Chapter 11 “Castle Rock”
6. ____________ “I got the conch!”
7. “That’s not the way!" ____________ advanced upon them as one wielding a nameless authority.
Chapter 12 “Cry of the Hunters”
8. ____________ “You got to for your own good. They hate you Ralph. They’re going to do you.
Roger sharpened a stick at both ends.”
9. ____________ “Nobody killed, I hope. Any dead bodies?”
10. ____________A little boy who wore the remains of an extraordinary black cap on his red hair
and who carried the remains of a pair of spectacles at his waist, started forward, then
changed his mind and stood still.
Symbolism: Match each of the symbols with what they represent.
1. ________ Piggy’s specs
2. ________ The conch
3. ________ Simon
4. ________ Ralph
5. ________ Jack
6. ________ Piggy
7. ________ Roger
8. ________ The island
9. ________ The beast
10. ________ The Lord of the Flies
11. ________ Face paint
12. ________ The fire
13. ________ The chanting and ritual
14. ________ The scar
15. ________ The Naval Officer
A. Superego
B. Garden of Eden
C. Lost inhibitions
D. The evil within us
E. Illness on the island
F. Blind obedience
G. Mob mentality
H. Beelzebub
I. Order, rules, authority
J. Intelligence and technology
K. Absolute Goodness
L. Id
M. Rescue and comfort/security
N. Ego
O. Loss of Innocence