As you read through William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, make note of the following items in each chapter. Make you responses as complete as possible.
Section One:
Chapter 1
How the boys got to the island
Difference of Ralph and Piggy’s attitudes to the island
What precedes the novel
Role of the conch
Attempts to organise new environment
Why jack couldn’t kill
Section Two:
Chapter 2
First indication of fear
Piggy – voice of reason
Fire as a symbol
Chapter 3
Breakdown of discipline
Source of conflict between Ralph and Jack
Section Three:
Chapter 4
Trace changes from morning to evening
Behaviour of lilltluns
Character of Maurice and Roger
Explain “taboo of the old life”
Dazzle paint
Piggy’s baldness
Dead fire
Piggy’s broken glasses
Why Jack and Ralph are on different sides of a high barrier
Section Four:
Chapter 5
Draw the assembly set up
Ralph’s analysis of himself and Piggy
Ralph’s policies
Identify Percival Madison
Simon’s analysis of the beast
How the “understandable and lawful world is slipping away”
Identify “three blind mice”
What is the Beast from the Water
Section Five:
Chapter 6
The signal from the grown-up world
Sam’n’Eric’s terror
Simon’s inner vision of the beast
Chapter 7
Ralph’s statement “Be sucking my thumb next”
Summarize Ralph’s past
Change in Ralph
The game with Robert
Explain “Dentist’s chair unreality” (134)
“Something like a great ape”
Chapter 8
Source of power struggle
Significance of pig’s head
Simon’s inescapable recognition
How head speaks to Simon
Ralph’s mind regresses
Chapter 9
Significance of “flies around the figure too”
Simon as victimized saviour figure
Section Six:
Chapter 10
Guilt
Importance of “there was something good about a fire”
Purpose of Jack’s attack
Chapter 11
How is the third death on the island different
Breaking of the conch
Chapter 12
Paradox: “they were savages but they were humans”
Describe Ralph’s isolation
Why does Ralph weep
Choice of naval officer as rescuer
The irony of the fire set by Jack’s group
