Lord of the Flies Discussion Questions—Chapters 9-12
   
1. List some examples of how the civil behavior of these proper British schoolboys has been replaced with behavior that is totally savage.
   
2. We have watched these boys progress throughout the novel from confusion, to joy, to fear.  In these last chapters we see them move from fear to chaos and, finally, to complete savagery.  Where does chaos first emerge? How does savagery follow it?
   
3. How does the above pattern parallel the idea that Fear + Chaos = Emergence of Evil?
   
4.
  1. Explain the irony of the following situations:
    bulletFire on the island (at the end of the novel)
    2. bulletBoys are rescued by a war cruiser
    bulletSimon’s death
   
5. At the end of the novel, Golding writes: “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness in man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.” What has Ralph realized about humanity that makes him weep?  Considering your answer to that question, what is the theme of this novel?
   
6. Because this novel is an allegory, the characters, objects, and events all have symbolic meanings.  Below is a list of the major symbols.

The island is a microcosm of society.

Characters

Ralph
Jack
Piggy
Simon
Roger

Objects
Island
Conch
Fire
Face Paint
Piggy’s Glasses
Pig’s head on a stick (Lord of the Flies)
Beast/dead parachutist/darkness
Huts
Cave (Castle Rock)

Events
Breaking the conch
Ralph enjoys wounding the boar
Piggy’s death
Simon’s death
Ralph attempts to negotiate with Jack

Christian Symbolism
Island as the Garden of Eden
Paradise
Disobedience/Temptation
Fall
Redemption
Simon as a Christ-like Figure
Lord of the Flies as Beelzebub
   
7. What are two (2) examples of “civility” in these chapters?  What are two (2) examples of savagery in these chapters?

 
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