The Lord of the Flies – Structured Response Questions
You will respond to these on the second right hand page of your journal for each chapter. You should respond thoroughly so there is no need to write the questions. If your response is longer than the page, extend it downward with an extra piece of paper rather than turning to the next page.

CHAPTER 1 – Sound of the Shell

1.) When Piggy reveals the name the kids at school called him, he is placing trust in Ralph not to tell anyone else. When did you realize this trust in Ralph was a mistake? Were you surprised that Ralph mishandled Piggy’s trust?
2.) When Jack and the choir arrive in their uniform cloaks with insignias, we are told, “Piggy, asked no names. He was intimidated by this uniformed superiority and the off-hand authority in Merridew’s voice.” What can you infer about Piggy’s character? Can this quote be a foreshadowing of things to come? If so, what?
3.) Shortly after revealing Piggy’s secret, we are told, “Ralph, looking with more understanding, saw that he [Piggy] was hurt and crushed. He hovered between the two courses of apology and further insult.” What can you infer about Ralph’s character? Why is this quote significant?

CHAPTER 2 – Fire on the Mountain

1.) Because everyone is talking at once, Ralph says that they’ll have to have rules, “We’ll have to have ‘hands up’ like at school.” Shortly after, Jack says, “We’ll have rules…Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks ‘em—“. The implication is that punishment for breaking the rules will be severe. Describe this scene and what it reveals about Jack.
2.) As Ralph is trying to convince the others that there is no beast on the island, we are told “Ralph was annoyed and, for the moment, defeated. He felt himself facing something ungraspable.: Describe why this moment is important.
3.) On the mountaintop, Jack and Ralph share the burden, glamour, and adventure of life on the island. In your opinion, in what ways are Ralph and Jack similar? In what ways are they different?

CHAPTER 3 – Huts on the Beach

1.) We are told that Jack and Ralph both come to hate each other. Explain the root of the issue.
2.) Jack appears to be obsessed with the idea of killing a pig, so much that he puts it before more urgent needs. Write about obsession and the power it has to dictate behavior.
3.) Ralph is frustrated and disappointed because, except for Simon, none of the others are much help. Do you think there is anything Ralph could do to get better results? Why or why not?

CHAPTER 4 – Painted Faces and Long Hair

1.) Explain why Roger and Maurice purposely destroyed the sand castles of the boys and threw sand in Percival’s eyes.
2.) Some readers think that in this chapter, we see Jack turning into a savage. Do you agree? Why or why not?

CHAPTER 5 – Beast from the Water

1.) Ralph realizes that a good leader must be able to think. Due to this insight, Ralph’s opinion of Piggy changes. Relate about a time when your opinion of someone changed because of new information or a new perspective.
2.) Ralph considers giving up being a chief. Piggy says to Ralph, “If you give up, what’s happen to me?” Piggy needs his alliance with Ralph to protect himself from Jack. How does Ralph handle the situation? Was it handled well? What would you have done differently?

CHAPTER 6 – Beast from the Air

1.) On the trek to find the beast, Simon reflects on his inability “to speak at an assembly…without the dreadful feeling of the pressure of personality.” What does he mean by this? What is Simon scared of?







CHAPTER 7 – Shadows and Tall Trees

1.) Ralph and Jack struggle for power. Ralph want to wait until morning to continue looking for the beast, but Jack wants to keep looking. Ralph asks Jack, “ ‘Why do you hate me?’ The boys stirred uneasily, as though something indecent had been said. The silence lengthened.” Describe the emotion in this scene and its significance. Who do you think the stronger leader is at this point in the story?

CHAPTER 8 – Gift for the Darkness

1.) At first, none of the boys follow Jack when he claims that he will not participate anymore. Describe this scene and explain why Jack’s hunters fail to support him when he calls for a vote to remove Ralph as chief. What is Jack’s maturity level at this point in the story?
2.) Simon believes the Lord of the Flies is talking to him. The Lord of the Flies seems to be telling Simon that the evil, the beast, is a part of the boys. Describe the evil that is part of Jack, Ralph, Piggy, and people in general.

CHAPTER 9 – A View to a Death

1.) Jack encourages his followers to dance and chant, “Kill the beast! Cit his throat! Spill his blood!” In your opinion, what is the purpose of the dancing and chanting?
2.) Ralph and Piggy join in with the others to kill Simon. Write a letter from Ralph to Simon’s family and explain how Simon died and your participation in his death. Include any words of comfort Ralph may have added.

CHAPTER 10 – The Shell and the Glass

1.) Ralph tries to talk to Piggy about Simon’s murder to make himself feel better about it, but Piggy refuses to admit that they contributed to Simon’s death. Describe the circumstances of the crime and why they might refuse to admit guilt.
2.) Jack is a chief now and holds meetings, but these meetings are very different from the assemblies Ralph called with the conch. Which of these two leaders do you think is the strongest? If you were chief, how would you conduct them?

CHAPTER 11 – Castle Rock

1.) While Ralph and Jack are fighting, Piggy says to Ralph, “remember what we came for. The fire. My specs.” Piggy reminds Ralph to protect him because Piggy is extremely vulnerable without his glasses. Explain why Ralph seems to keep forgetting Piggy and the fire.
2.) Roger, “with a sense of delirious abandonment” releases the lever sending the boulder over the cliff, killing Piggy. Jack breaks the stunned silence by threatening Ralph and then hurling a spear at him. Explain whether or not you were surprised by these actions.

CHAPTER 12 – Cry of the Hunters

1.) At the end of the story, after Ralph knows he is rescued, he begins to sob with “great shuddering spasms of grief.” Why does Ralph cry after the danger is over? How would you react in the situation?
2.) The officer on the beach says, “I should have thought that a pack of British boys – you’re all British, aren’t you? – would have been able to put up a better show than that…” This speech implies that the officer is disappointed in the behavior of the boys on this island. Yet, ironically, his is an officer on a ship fighting a terrible adult war. Discuss the parallels between adults during war and the children on the island.