Lord of the Flies - Chapters 1 and 2

Question 1

Sound of the Shell

Who is first described as “the boy with the fair hair”?

Answer 1

Ralph

Question 2

Sound of the Shell

Who does Ralph first meet on the beach?

Answer 2

Piggy

Question 3

Sound of the Shell

What does Ralph do when he realises there are no grown-ups on the island?

Answer 3

“In the middle of the scar he stood on his head and grinned.”

Question 4

Sound of the Shell

Why did Piggy’s auntie tell him not to run?

Answer 4

Because he has asthma.

Question 5

Sound of the Shell

How old is Ralph?

Answer 5

Twelve years old.

Question 6

Sound of the Shell

Golding on Ralph: “you could see now that he might make a…”

Answer 6

Boxer

Question 7

Sound of the Shell

How does Ralph react when he learns of Piggy’s unusual nickname?

Answer 7

“Ralph shrieked with laughter.”

Question 8

Sound of the Shell

What two things does Piggy want to do initially to organise the group?

Answer 8

Make a list and have a meeting.

Question 9

Sound of the Shell

Who does Ralph believe will come and rescue the boys?

Answer 9

His father.

Question 10

Sound of the Shell

What information did Piggy hear from the pilot on the plane?

Answer 10

That there was an atom bomb explosion.

Question 11

Sound of the Shell

“We may stay here till we die” - who spoke these pessimistic words?

Answer 11

Piggy

Question 12

Sound of the Shell

What do Piggy and Ralph find in the lagoon?

Answer 12

The conch.

Question 13

Sound of the Shell

“The two boys, bullet-headed and with hair like tow, flung themselves down and lay grinning and panting at Ralph like dogs.” - who does this quotation refer to?

Answer 13

Sam and Eric.

Question 14

Sound of the Shell

“Within the diamond haze of the beach something dark was fumbling along” - what is this quotation referring to?

Answer 14

Jack and his choir moving towards the meeting.

Question 15

Sound of the Shell

“but each boy wore a square black cap with a silver badge on it. Their bodies, from throat to ankle, were hidden by black cloaks which bore a long silver cross on the left breast and each neck was finished off with a hambone frill.” - what have some critics compared the uniforms of the choir to?

Answer 15

The uniforms of Nazi soldiers.

Question 16

Sound of the Shell

What are Jack’s first words in the novel?

Answer 16

“Where’s the man with the trumpet?”

Question 17

Sound of the Shell

Golding on Jack: “Inside the floating cloak he was ______, _______ and ________.” What adjectives are used to describe Jack here?

Answer 17

Tall, thin and bony.

Question 18

Sound of the Shell

Who does this quotation refer to? “This was the voice of one who knew his own mind.”

Answer 18

Jack.

Question 19

Sound of the Shell

What does Jack want to be called by the other boys?

Answer 19

“Kids’ names,” said Merridew. “Why should I be Jack? I’m Merridew.”

Question 20

Sound of the Shell

Which member of the choir faints in this chapter?

Answer 20

Simon.

Question 21

Sound of the Shell

“For the moment the boys were a closed circuit of sympathy with _________ outside.” Who has been excluded from the group and what has caused this?

Answer 21

Piggy, and Ralph has just revealed his nickname to the rest of the boys.

Question 22

Sound of the Shell

Who is being described in this quotation? “There was a slight, furtive boy whom no one knew, who kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy.”

Answer 22

Roger.

Question 23

Sound of the Shell

What reasons does Jack give for why he should be chief?

Answer 23

“I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.”

Question 24

Sound of the Shell

Which boys are being described in the gaps? “what intelligence had been shown was traceable to _______ while the most obvious leader was _________. But there was a stillness about _________ as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch.”

Answer 24

Piggy, Jack, Ralph.

Question 25

**Sound of the Shell** Who wins the election and is nominated as chief?

Answer 25

Ralph.

Question 26

**Sound of the Shell** "Jack's in charge of the choir. They can be--what do you want them to be?" How does Jack respond here?

Answer 26

"Hunters."

Question 27

**Sound of the Shell** After the meeting, who goes on the initial expedition around the island?

Answer 27

Ralph, Jack and Simon. Piggy wants to come but is rejected by the others.

Question 28

**Sound of the Shell** Where do Jack, Simon and Ralph go on their expedition?

Answer 28

They climb the mountain on the island.

Question 29

**Sound of the Shell** On their expedition, Jack, Simon and Ralph encounter a pig. Why don't they kill it?

Answer 29

"because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood."

Question 30

**Fire on the Mountain** What have the choir discarded at the start of the chapter?

Answer 30

Their cloaks.

Question 31

**Fire on the Mountain** "All the same you need an army--for hunting. Hunting pigs--" - who speaks these lines?

Answer 31

Jack.

Question 32

**Fire on the Mountain** "And another thing. We can't have everybody talking at once. We'll have to have 'Hands up' like at school." - Who proposes this rule to the rest of the group?

Answer 32

Ralph.

Question 33

**Fire on the Mountain** What will the boys hold when it's their turn to speak?

Answer 33

The conch.

Question 34

**Fire on the Mountain** We'll have rules!" he cried excitedly. "Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks 'em--" - who says this at the meeting in this chapter?

Answer 34

Jack.

Question 35

**Fire on the Mountain** "Nobody knows where we are. We may be here a long time." - who speaks these lines?

Answer 35

Piggy.

Question 36

**Fire on the Mountain** What three books do the boys compare their adventure to? What sorts of books are these?

Answer 36

Treasure Island, Swallows and Amazons, Coral Island. They are all adventure stories for young boys with happy endings and lots of adventures!

Question 37

**Fire on the Mountain** "He was a shrimp of a boy, about six years old, and one side of his face was blotted out by a mulberry-colored birthmark**.**" This boy whispers something to Piggy: what does he want to know?

Answer 37

"He wants to know what you're going to do about the snake-thing" - this is the first mention of 'The Beast'.

Question 38

**Fire on the Mountain** "There isn't a snake-thing. But if there was a snake we'd hunt it and kill it. We're going to hunt pigs to get meat for everybody." - who speaks these words?

Answer 38

Jack.

Question 39

**Fire on the Mountain** Who repeats this phrase throughout the meeting? "But there isn't a beastie!"

Answer 39

Ralph.

Question 40

**Fire on the Mountain** What do the boys decide to do in order to attract passing ships?

Answer 40

Build a fire on top of the mountain.

Question 41

**Fire on the Mountain** "Like kids!" he said scornfully. "Acting like a crowd of kids!" Who speaks these words, and why are they scornful?

Answer 41

Piggy, and he's upset because the children have all rushed off to help build a fire.

Question 42

**Fire on the Mountain** How do the boys start the fire?

Answer 42

Using Piggy's glasses to focus the sunlight.

Question 43

**Fire on the Mountain** Who "snatched" Piggy's glasses from his face?

Answer 43

Jack.

Question 44

**Fire on the Mountain** "The conch doesn't count on top of the mountain," said \_\_\_\_\_, "so you shut up." Who says these words to Piggy?

Answer 44

Jack.

Question 45

**Fire on the Mountain** "After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything." - who speaks this line?

Answer 45

Jack.

Question 46

**Fire on the Mountain** What happens to the "small fire" the boys try to build on top of the mountain?

Answer 46

It spreads out of control. EXT: What could this be a metaphor for?

Question 47

**Fire on the Mountain** "How can you expect to be rescued if you don't put first things first and act proper?" - who speaks these words to the group?

Answer 47

Piggy.

Question 48

**Fire on the Mountain** What happens to the boy with the birthmark on his face?

Answer 48

It is heavily implied that he dies in the fire.