Final Assessment

Your final assessment for this novel will be a multiple choice test and a literary analysis essay (5paragraph) which will count as part of your final exam grade. To prepare yourself for these assessments, respond to the guiding questions, and track character development and key events in each chapter, along with any important quotes with page numbers. Provide explanations of the importance of your chosen quotes. Further instructions for completing this packet are found in the chart for Chapter 1. You will also be graded on your participation in class discussions over the next few weeks. See the discussion rubric posted on Schoolwires.

For your analysis of Lord of the Flies, consider William Golding’s intended message. He said the novel is "an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individuals and not on any political system."

Keep in mind that during this unit, each of you is expected to contribute to the class discussion of the novel. This packet will be graded for completion, but your efforts to remain involved in the discussion count towards this grade.

Chapter 1 Analysis

1.  There are no grown-ups on the island. How does this island act as a metaphor? (what is the island a symbol for?) Also, how does the scar contribute to the metaphor?

2.  Look at the boys' interaction with the conch. What role does the conch serve thus far? What might it symbolize on an island without order and structure?

3.  How does Golding describe Ralph and Piggy. Examine also how they and Jack interact in the first meeting (pp. 18-24). Based on these descriptions along with this first meeting, what individual piece of society does each of the three (Jack, Ralph, & Piggy) represent? What parts of the individual human condition?

4.  Re-read the part of chapter 1 where the boys form their island government. What do you think they did well as far as organizing goes? Do you see any possible flaws in their organization?

5.  Examine p. 14-16 and the discovery of the conch. What are its physical features that draw Ralph to it? What does the conch symbolize? What is the significance of the fact that Ralph discovers it? Why is it important that it is Piggy that knows its use?

6.  Examine Jack’s character (his actions and words) throughout chapter 1. What characteristics of a good leader do you see in him?

7.  Examine Jack’s character (his actions and words) throughout the chapter. Do you see any flaws in his personality/character that would make him a bad leader?

8.  Examine Ralph’s character (his actions and words) throughout chapter 1. What characteristics of a good leader do you see in him?

9.  Examine Ralph’s character (his actions and words) throughout the chapter. Do you see any flaws in his personality/character that would make him a bad leader?

Chapter 1 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): The island acts as a symbol of the struggle between good and evil within society and within each human heart. What features contribute to this symbol? What about the island is Ralph most excited about? What does each of the main characters represent in terms of societal roles and in terms of individual human condition?
Character development- (What new information is revealed about characters and/or how do characters change?)
Plot development- (What notable or important events occur? What might be significant about these events?
Most important quotes-(Select two or three significant, meaningful quotes from the chapter and copy them here. Then comment on the significance or meaning. Consider symbols, themes, characters and connections.)
Chapter 2 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): What events in chapter 2 lead us to think that this group will survive? Which show the group breaking down?
Character development
Plot development
Most important quotes
Chapter 3 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): How is Jack characterized symbolically (especially pp. 48-49)? What is Ralph’s failure as a leader? What is Simon’s role in society?
Character development
Plot development
Most important quotes
Chapter 4 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): Why was Jack able to act wildly after assuming the mask? What event signaled the end of rational rule on the island and indicated the beginning of a more primitive rule?
Character development
Plot development
Most important quotes
Chapter 5 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): The title of this chapter is “Beast from the Water.” What is the beast? Why did Ralph’s assembly fall into disarray?
Character development
Plot development
Most important quotes
Chapter 6 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): How does the arrival of the dead parachutist reinforce the notion that the world of these children is really a microcosm (look it up!) of the entire world?
Character development
Plot development
Most important quotes
Chapter 7 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): In what ways is the boys’ increasing barbarity manifest?
Character development
Plot development
Most important quotes
Chapter 8 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): Why did Jack leave the assembly and run away into the forest alone? Why did Jack and his followers save the sow’s head for the beast? What is the Lord of the Flies? Why is it given this title?
Character development
Plot development
Most important quotes
Chapter 9 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): What religious imagery do you see around the fire? What unites the boys? How does Ralph act? And why do you think he was killed without being able to reveal his knowledge to the boys?
Character development
Plot development
Most important quotes
Chapter 10 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): How does each of the boys react to the events of last night? How does this contribute to the portrayal of the individual human condition?
Character development
Plot development
Most important quotes
Chapter 11 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): Why did Ralph plan to visit Jack and his boys on their side of the island? How did he get sidetracked from his original purpose? What did the breaking of the conch symbolize?
Character development
Plot development
Most important quotes
Chapter 12 / Page #s
Guiding Question(s): Why did Ralph cry at the conclusion of the book?
Character development
Plot development
Most important quotes

Symbolism Chart

Symbol / Page #s / Quotes
Island & scar