Lord Of The Flies Practise Essay Questions

1) Which of the two do you think behaves more responsibly on the island, Piggy or Simon? You may wish to consider: 

• Their response to being on the island. 
• What they have to say.
• Their relationship with the other boys.
• The events of the novel.
• Any other ideas of your own.

2) Which do you think is the more true, that the boys bring evil to the island, or that the island exerts an evil influence on them?

3) Look at chapter 5, Beast from Water. What are the reactions of different boys to the idea of the beast, here, and elsewhere in the novel?

4) How well do you think Ralph copes with being Chief? You may wish to consider:

• His response to being elected. 
• The ways in which he carries out his duties. 
• The events of the novel.
• His relationships with other boys.

5) Turn to the end of the novel, when Ralph is found by the naval officer. How far do you agree that the boys alter the island from a paradise at the beginning of the novel to a kind of hell at the end? You should refer closely to events.

6) Which pair do you find more interesting, Ralph and Piggy or Jack and Roger? You could compare the two pairs, referring closely to the boys' words and actions.

7) The reader's sympathies are usually with Ralph. Why do you think so many of the boys follow Jack?

8) Ralph said, "Things are breaking up. I don't understand why. We began well. We were happy". Explain what went wrnog and why. You may choose to examine each of Ralph's four short statements, if you wish. 

9) Write about the importance of the conch in Lord of the Flies, and the importance of any two from the following list: masks, Piggy's glasses, the fire, the parachhutist, the pig's head. You should write about their symbollic use as well as the part they play in the story. 

10) Show how Golding creates a world of increasing violence in the novel, by considering all or some of the following: the characters themselves, the setting of the novel, the events of the novel, the behaviour of the characters, the way the author works out his theme.

11) What do you think Golding has to say about human nature in the novel, and how does he convery these ideas to you? You should make detailed reference to at least three specific passages of your choice.

12) Who makes the better chief, Jack or Ralph?

13) What is the importance of meetings and rituals in the novel?

14) How are children and adults presented in the novel?

15) What does Goulding have to say about loyalty?

16) Remind yourself of the passage from page 187 'Do our dance!' to the end of chapter 9. Write about Golding's use of language in this passage and its significance to the novel as a whole.

17) Read from page 79, 'Jack explained to Roger as he worked' to page 80, 'The mask compelled them', Why is this passage an important turning point in the novel?

18) In chapter 1, Roger is described as 'a slight, furtive boy... with an inner intensity of avoidance and screcy'. (page 29). What are your first impressions of Roger, and how does he develop as the novel progresses?

19) Remind yourself of the initial description of Jack in chapter 1 on page 27. What is hinted at and how does this character develop?

20) In chapter 8, Simon encounters the Lord of the Flies. What is the significance of this meeting.

21) In chpater 8 (pages 166 to 168) Jack and the hunters track and kill a sow. How does Golding use language to convey the violence of this hunt? What is the significance of this episode?

22) What is the importance of Jack Merridew in this novel? You should refer closely to his actions and language.

23) How far do you agree that this novel is about the discovery of 'the darkness of a man's heart'?