lord of the flies (question)?

Question

WHt does this repreent
1) ruthless agression
2) evil in humanity

and 2nd question is wht is title significance of Gift ofr the darkness whic is chapter 6

Answer 1

Chapter 1
Note the different reactions of Piggy and Ralph when they realize there are no adults on the island.
Ralph: at first was upset about there not being parents, but then realized the excitement of it. "The fair boy said this solemnly; but then the delight of a realized ambition overcame him." pg 8
Piggy: was surprised at the idea of not having parents around

What are some of Piggy’s suggestions for action? What are some of his fears?
Suggestions for action: to call all the boys that survived using the conch shell and hold a meeting
Fears: asthma, inhibits him from running or swimming like Ralph. Not being found, "'...Nobody don't know we're here. Your dad don't know, nobody don't know--' His lip quivered and the spectacles were dimmed with mist. 'We may stay here till we die.'" pg 14

Describe Jack Merridew? How does he begin to establish himself as a leader? Compare him to Ralph.
Jack is the leader of a boys choir. He acts with authority and tells the choir what to do. The other boys on the island, especially Piggy, are intimidated by him. "(Piggy) was intimidated by this uniformed superiority and offhand authority in Merridew's voice." pg 21. He establishes himself as a leader by telling the other boys what to do and marching up to Ralph, w ho is another leader type, and introducing himself with "the voice of one who knew his own mind." pg 21. While Jack is obvious and arrogant in his thoughts that he is important and a leader, Ralph sits quietly and is not overbearing.

Compare the reactions of Simon and Jack to the candlebushes. What does this reveal about them?
When Simon sees the candlebush, he analyzes them with curiosity. Jack slashes them open with a knife. This shows that Simon is inquisitive and that Jack cuts to the chase since Simon was trying to look and figure out what he could about the bush without destroying it, while Jack just went right in and cut it up.

Find the following quotation:
“The pause was only long enough for them to understand what enormity the downward stroke would be.” What is going on here? What does the moment reveal? And, what is the ‘enormity’ of the situation?
This quotation is referring to Jack holding his knife over a piglet caught in the thistles. Since Ralph designated Jack's choir to be the hunters for the group, Jack should have proved their ability by killing the pig. But instead he paused, unable to kill, and the pig escaped. This shows that Jack is not a strong as he may appear, and feared killing an animal. "They knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood." pg 33




Chapter 2
What is the "sobering thought" introduced by Piggy?
Piggy's "sobering thought" is that they are alone and nobody knows their location and that they may be stuck on the island for a long time.

According to the little boy with the birthmark, what is “the beastie”? How do the others react? Note how the “beastie” becomes the “beast” as the novel progresses.
The "beastie" is a big snake-like monster who came out at night and tried to eat the boy. He says its "a snake-thing. Ever so big." pg 35. "It came and went away and again an' came back and wanted to eat him--" pg 36. The others laugh at the little boy and say that since it was nighttime, the boy couldn't see and was having a nightmare. When the little boy keeps insisting on it existing, then the rest of the boys start to get nervous. Ralph refuses to agree that it admits, and Jack agrees with Ralph and says that if it did in fact exist then they would hunt and kill it. Ralph changes from referring to it as the "beastie" to the "beast" because he was starting to believe it may be real, although he did not admit it. ""'But there isn't a beast!' Something he had not know was there rose in him and compelled him to make the point, loudly and again.

Note possible foreshadowing, Jack says, “Follow me” to start the fire and everyone runs off. Discuss.
The possible foreshadowing here is that the boys will change and decide that Jack should be the leader. This is because Ralph tried to keep all the boys where they were and discuss an idea, and when Jack had a plan and went with it, all the boys followed him and left Ralph alone with Piggy.

Note the description of Piggy, “the martyred expression of a parent who has to keep up with the senseless ebullience of the child.” Look up and write definitions for the words martyr and ebullience. What does this statement mean? What does it emphasize about him?
Martyr
1. One who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce religious principles.
2. One who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principle.
3.
1. One who endures great suffering: a martyr to arthritis.
2. One who makes a great show of suffering in order to arouse sympathy.
Ebullience
1. Zestful enthusiasm.
This statement means that Piggy's expression was like that of a parent who sacrifices their beliefs to let their children let out their enthusiasm at something and let them learn on their own that it does not make sense to be excited about it. It emphasizes that Piggy is more mature than the rest of the kids on the island.

Look for and note phrases which describe the budding friendship between Jack and Ralph.
"At the return Ralph found himself alone on a limb with Jack and they grinned at each other, sharing this, burden. ...'Almost too heavy' Jack grinned back. 'Not for the two of us.'" pg 39.

Why do Piggy’s specs become important?
Piggy's glasses become important because they are what the group uses to make a fire.

Note Jack’s reaction to the failure of the fire.
Jack places the blame on Piggy's lack of contribution as the reason why the fire failed.

Why does Jack offer to make the hunters and fire watchers the choir?
Jack offers to make the choir the hunters and the fire watchers because he wants to gain approval from the rest of the group and thinks that since he is the leader of the choir, putting the choir in charge of all of the important jobs will make him more important. "'...and we'll be responsive for keeping the fire going--' This generosity brought a spatter of applause from the boys..." pg 43.

What is the “drum roll”? What does the raging fire possibly foreshadow? Why?
???? I AM CONFUSED



Chapter 3
What clues tell us that time has elapsed?
Jack's appearance has changed. "His sandy hair, considerably longer than it had been when they dropped in, was lighter now; and his bare back was a mass of dark freckles and peeling sunburn." pg 48

Note Jack’s actions at the beginning of the chapter.
Jack is hunting at the beginning of the chapter.

Jack “became less a hunter than a furtive thing, apelike among the tangle of trees.” Define furtive and explain what you think the sentence means. What suggestion is Golding implanting?
Furtive (adj.)
1. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious.
2. Expressive of hidden motives or purposes; shifty.
I think this sentence means that he was really sneaking around either to spy on the other boys, to find out more about the island, or to try to sneak away and pretend like he is hunting to get out of doing other work. I think that Golding is suggesting that Jack thinks he is better than the other boys and doesn't have to be working like the rest of them. Another approach to this would be that he is acting somewhat animal-ish or "apelike" as the book says. If this sentence means that Jack is sneaking around like an animal on the island (which the boys do not see all that often), then Golding may be implying that the boys are starting to lose their ideas of civilization and are become more like animals.

List the adjectives used to describe the sound of the pig’s hoofs. Significance?
"...the quick, hard patter of hoofs, a castanet sound, seductive, maddening-- the promise of meat." pg 49
The significance of using words such as seductive and maddening are that the boys are going crazy trying to hunt down a pig, and that they have their mind so focused on killing that just the sound of hooves drives them crazy and triggers them to want to kill.

Why is Ralph angry about the shelters and the assemblies?
Ralph is angry because he and Simon are the only ones who are actually working, even though at the meeting all the boys said they would help. Also, his and Simon's hard work hasn't gotten them too far since the huts are barely standing. "Two shelters were in position, but shaky. This one was a ruin. 'And they keep running off. You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished?'...'They're hopeless. The older ones aren't much better. D'you see? All day I've been working with Simon. No one else. They're off bathing, or eating, or playing.'" pg 50

Describe the conflict between Jack and Ralph. Note – smoke Vs pigs and the quote, “They walked along, two continents of experience and feeling, unable to communicate.” What could this mean?
The conflict is that Ralph is angry since nobody is helping him to build the shelters, and Jack just runs around through the forest and likes his job.

Note phrases, words and images (at least three) that build the feeling of danger.
1. "'If you're hunting sometimes you catch yourself feeling as if--' He flushed suddenly. 'There's nothing in it of course. Just a feeling. But you can feel as if you're not hunting, but-- being hunted, as if something's behind you all the time in the jungle.'" pg 53
I think this quotation builds the feeling of danger because they are beginning the boys are beginning to lose control of their emotions.
2. "He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up. 'I went on. I thought, by myself--' The madness came into his eyes again. 'I thought I might kill.'" pg 51
This quotation builds the feeling of danger because Jack is becoming obsessed with killing and obsession with killing can never be healthy. Especially when someone is going mad with the thought of killing, who is to say they wont start killing people after the animals are all gone?
3. "'They talk and scream. The littluns. Even some of the others. A if--' 'As if this wasn't a good island.' Astonished at the interruption, they looked up at Simon's serious face. 'As if,' said Simon, 'the beastie, the beastie or the snake-thing, it was real. Remember?'" pg 52
The littluns nightmares may be a foreshadowing of what is to come since they are all dreaming that the beastie is real.

Describe Simon. Where does he go?
"a small, skinny boy, his chin pointed, and his eyes so bright they had deceived Ralph into thinking him delightfully gay and wicked." pg 55. Simon goes to this hidden area in the jungle.

Note the sense description in the final pages of the chapter. Choose 3 – 4 images you think are interesting, that you like. Note them.
1. "Jack had to think for a moment before he could remember what rescue was." pg 53
2. "Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled of the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands." pg 56
3. "A great tree, fallen across one corner, leaned against the trees that stood and a rapid climber flaunter red and yellow sprays right to the top." pg 56
4. "The candle-buds opened their wide white flowers glimmering under the light that pricked down from the first stars. Their scent spilled out into the air and took possession of the island." pg 57



Chapter 5

Describe the meeting in this chapter. Whose argument is more reasonable Ralph's or Jack's? How do you know?
Ralph's argument: all the boys should be helping and doing what they said they would during meetings and keeping up their end of the bargain by using the rocks for the bathroom, keeping the fire going at all costs, and not making any other fires and if there is food that they want to cook then to bring it up the mountain. Also Jack says that they should talk about fear and realize that there is no validity behind it.
Jacks' argument: The beast can not and does not exist because big animals don't live on small islands and Jack has been all over the island and would have seen it.

What is Simon's reaction to this meeting? What idea does he come up with? Who does he think the beast is?
Simon thinks that the beast is not real.

What might Ralph have done to have a more "productive" meeting?
Ralph should have tried to control the boys from the beginning and given Jack a chance to talk so then he wouldn't have gotten angry.

Re-read the first paragraph of this chapter. What does this paragraph tell us about Ralph? How is he changing? How do you know?


What role does Percival play in this chapter?
Percival is a littlun who says that he has seen the beast and that it comes out of the sea.



Flies Chapter 7

Who are the three boys who go up the mountain in the dark at the end of the chapter and what happens?
Roger, Jack, and Ralph go up the mountain and see the "great ape" which is actually the body of the dead pilot.

What is the "great ape" in the second to last paragraph on page 123? HDYK?
The great ape is the pilot because they keep using the same description of the dead pilot, saying that he raises up then flops over, and the great ape says that it was "sitting asleep with its head between its knees."



Who is talking to Simon?
The beast within himself was talking. Simon was imagining that the dead head was talking to him because he is going crazy and needs to hear a voice of reason, and imagines it in the head.

Re-read page 143 where the beast speaks to Simon. What does the 'beast's" words mean? Why are these words important?
The "beast's" words mean that Simon is seeing the truth, that there is no beast. The beast says "'Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!'" This proves that Simon is right that there is no beast.

The "beast's" words mean that Simon is seeing the truth, that there is no beast. The beast says "'Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!'" This proves that Simon is right that there is no beast.



Flies Chapter 9

How does Golding show us the passage of time?
He shows the boys acting like they have become accustomed to the island and like they have a routine. This shows the passing of time since they are now used to living on the island.

examine the description of Simon on page 146.What does it mean that he walked with "... a glum determination like an old man."?
He is like an old man because old men are kind of grumpy and sick of their lives and no longer have excitement. This is used to describe Simon because he is so sick and tired of the island and wants to leave and go home.

What purpose does the weather and the dance serve in this chapter? How ode it contribute to the mood of the chapter?
The weather and rain and dance add to the mood and the craziness of the scene because it makes it have a dark tone and it makes it seem like they are angry and insane and like losing control.

On pages 152-153 why does Golding use the word "beast" when we know that he is describing Simon?
Because the boys are so far gone that they cannot see the difference between the beast and Simon. They are so intent on killing this beast that no matter what comes running out of the forest, they would kill it, thinking its the beast.



Chapter 10

What is the effect of the previous nights events on Ralph and Piggy?
They are scared that they will be pegged as murderers. They keep trying to convince themselves that it was an accident, and that they weren't involved in killing him and that they had gone to bed early and weren't there.

Why does Piggy say (on p 157) that "he asked for it."?
He should have known what was coming by running out of the forest in the middle of the dark night when all the boys were on edge about a beast and were looking for it.

What do Piggy's glasses symbolize?
Piggy's glasses symbolize the fire and smoke signal which is their only hope to be rescued.

Why does jack say that they didn't kill the beast?




Flies Chapter 11

How does Piggy show courage?
He tells Jack's group to shut up and listen to him.

What events foreshadow the ultimate tragedy in this chapter?
Piggy repeatedly asks Ralph to stay with him.

Examine Ralph's speech about the fire. What., in this speech, highlights Ralph's essential difference from the other boys?
Ralph still remembers civilization and does not get influenced by the mob of kids who are obsessed with hunting. "Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up?"

How does Jack respond to Piggy's statement about being a "pack of painted Indians" or to be "sensible like Ralph"? Does jack's response make sense?
They were getting worked up to charge at Ralph and Piggy. It says "now Jack was yelling too and Ralph could no longer make himself heard. Jack had backed right against the tribe and they were a solid mass of menace that bristled with spears." pg 180

What does it mean that Roger now held a "nameless authority"?
Roger, although not regarded as a leader, still had an authority because Jack relied on him to hunt and kill. HE KILLED PIGGY.



Flies Chapter 12

How do Samneric respond when Ralph finds them?
Samneric tried to help him hide and informed him of their plan.

Why does Roger sharpen a stick at both ends?
I DON'T KNOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. OH WAIT I THINK I KNOW. They sharpened it with both ends to spear Ralph on one end then stick the other into the ground. This is exactly what they did with the pig's head, so maybe they wanted to leave Ralph as an offering for the beast.

How does the tribe hunt Ralph? What is ironic about this?
They try to burn down the forest so eventually he will have to run out and they will be waiting to kill him. The irony in this is that their burning the forest is what attracted the boat to the island and what rescued them. So by trying to kill him they actually saved him.

How does the last scene compare with the first?
In both the first and last scene, Ralph was trying to survive a traumatic event (plane crash vs. being burned out of the forest) and was pretty much alone.

Is this a fitting ending?
I thought that the ending was a bit ironic that a boat happened to be traveling past the day that the boys burn down the island. Other than that, I thought it was a fitting ending, albeit annoying. I wanted to slap the officer for not believing that there was a legit problem and for thinking it was just kids playing.