LORD OF THE FLIES - WILLIAM GOLDING - READING COMPREHENSION

Lord of the Flies:  Reading Comprehension Questions

Chapter One

1. What was Ralph's reaction to the idea that there are no grown-ups with them? (p. 8)
2. Who does Ralph say will rescue them? (p. 13)
3. What does Piggy believe has happened back home in England? (p. 14)
4. What does Piggy want to do now that they're on the island? (p. 14-15)
5. What do Piggy and Ralph find as they are wandering the island? (p. 15)
6. What does Piggy suggest they do with the conch?  (Notice that Piggy knows how the conch works, not Ralph) (p. 16)
7. What happened when the conch was blown? (p. 17)
8. When all of the boys sit in front of Ralph (who has the conch), what does Piggy do? (p. 19)
9. Who turned out to be the "creature"? (p. 19)
10.  Describe the boy in charge of the choir. (p. 20)
11.  What role does the choir take on? (p. 23)
12.  What decision must the boys make concerning the layout of the land? (p. 23-24)
13.  Who becomes the chief and how is this determined? (p. 23)
14.  Why is Piggy upset with Ralph? (p. 24 and p. 21)
15.  Describe how the boys have fun as explorers. (p. 25-26)
16.  Who knows who made the tracks? (p. 26)
17.  What happens to Jack when he tries to kill the pig? (p. 31)
18.  Describe these characters:
1. Ralph
2. Piggy
3. Jack
4. Simon

Chapter Two

1. How does Ralph decide the conch will be used? (p. 33)
2. Why does Jack want "lots of rules"? (p. 33)
3. What does Piggy make everybody realize? (p. 34)
4. Ralph says they will have fun until who arrives? (p. 34)
5. What do the boys hear about for the first time from the small boy? (p. 35)
6. How does Jack decide to take care of the "Beastie"? (p. 37)
7. How does Ralph make the boys feel secure? (p. 37)
8. What does Ralph say they must do to be rescued? (p. 38)
9. What does the reaction of the boys to Ralph's suggestion say about them? (p. 38)
10.  How does Piggy react when Ralph starts climbing the scar? (p. 38)
11.  Who was not helping with the fire? (p. 39)
12.  How are Ralph and Jack reacting to one another? (p. 39-40)
13.  Why is Ralph constantly standing on his head? (p. 39)
14.  What "society" are they referring to when they say that is "stops around them"? (p. 40)
15.  How does Jack decide to light the fire? (p. 41)
16.  Why does Piggy think the others will listen to him? (p. 42)
17.  What excuse does Jack make for not listening? (p. 42)
18.  Jack says they are not what? (p. 42)
19.  What two things are the hunters' responsibilities? (p. 43)
20.  What happens to the fire and what is the boys' reaction to the fire? (p. 44-47)

Chapter Three

1. What did Jack look like as he hunted? (p. 48)
2. What has happened to his physical appearance? (p. 48)
3. Why is Ralph frustrated? (p. 50)
4. What has Ralph noticed about the littleuns? (p. 50)
5. What does Jack want to do before he's rescued? (p. 51)
6. What does Jack realize concerning the pigs? (p. 54)
7. How does Jack want to disguise himself? (p. 54)
8. What does Ralph accuse Jack of liking? (p. 54)
9. Finish Ralph's quote with something appropriate: "While I..." (p. 54)
10.   Explain Simon and his retreat (p. 55-57)
11.  What is the significance of the title of this chapter, "Huts on the Beach"?

 Chapter Four

1. Explain the meaning of the title of this chapter (you may want to answer this at the end, once you've read the chapter).
2. What did the boys do in the morning? (p. 58)
3. What sorts of things would happen during midday? (p. 58)
4. What are the names of the smaller boys?  The larger boys? (p. 59)
5. What do the littleuns do in general? (p. 59)
6. Why did they obey the conch? (p. 60)
7. What does Roger do to the sandcastles? (p. 60)
8. What have the boys found? (p. 61-62)
9. With what does Jack compare hunting? (p. 63)
10.  What is Jack's reaction to his painted face? (p. 63)
11.  What was there about Piggy that never seemed to change? (p. 64)
12.  What does Piggy want to make? (p. 64)
13.  Ralph sees smoke.  What does the smoke mean? (p. 65-66)
14.  What does Ralph realize they are going to need?  (p. 67)
15.  What were the hunters carrying? (p. 68)
16.  What is the meaning of Jack's statement, "You should have seen the blood"?  What does this show about his character? (p. 70)
17.  What happens to Piggy's specs? (p. 71)
18.  What does Ralph do to assert himself as chief? (p. 72)
19.  Why does Simon "lower his head in shame"? (p. 74)
20.  What does Ralph decide to do at the end of the chapter? (p. 75)

Chapter Five

1. What does Ralph realize about himself? (p. 76)
2. Why does Ralph need Piggy? (p. 78)
3. Why does Ralph want water brought from the river? (p. 80)
4. Why does Ralph try to get the boys to act like humans and have rules? (p. 81)
5. According to Ralph, what is the most important thing? (p. 80-81)
6. What new rule upsets the assembly? (p. 81)
7. What does Ralph understand about the boys and their behavior? (p. 82)
8. What did the little boy see in the trees? (p. 82-83)
9. What is Simon's excuse for being out? (p. 85)
10.  Why do all the children cry along with Percival? (p. 86)
11.  Where does Percival say the beast comes from? (p. 88)
12. What does Simon think the beast is? (p. 89)
13.  What example proves Jack's refusal to accept intelligent thinking? (p. 89-90)
14.  What does Jack want to eliminate? (p. 91)
15.  What does Ralph want from the adult world? (p. 94)

Chapter Six

1. Who is tending the fire? (p. 96)
2. What do they do when they see the dead pilot? (p. 98)
3. What do they claim they saw? (p. 99)
4. Why didn't Ralph blow the conch shell to call an assembly? (p. 99)
5. How was the beast described? (p. 100)
6. Why doesn't Piggy want them to hurt the beast? (p. 101)
7. How does Ralph and Jack's concern for the littluns differ? (p. 101)
8. What is Piggy's job during the hunt? (p. 101)
9. Why do Ralph and Jack argue? (p. 102)
10. Jack has explored everywhere except for which area? (p. 102)
11.  What does Simon do? (p. 103-104)
12.  What was the castle? (p. 104)
13.  Where is Ralph going and why? (p. 105-106)
14.  Who joins Ralph? (p. 106)
15.  What does Jack say the rock place could be? (p. 106)
16.  While on the mountain top, what does Ralph notice is missing? (p. 107)
17.  What does Ralph tell them to stop doing?  Why? (p. 108)
18.  What does Ralph want the boys to do that the others don't want to do? (p. 108)
19.  Why is Simon the only one to doubt the existence of a beast?
20.  The conch represents democratic procedure.  Why does Jack say they don't need the conch any longer?

 Chapter Seven

1. What does Ralph want to do to make himself more comfortable? (p. 109)
2. What tries to attack Ralph? (p. 113)
3. What does Ralph do to the boar? (p. 113)
4. What happens to Robert? (p. 114-115)
5. Why doesn't Ralph want to leave Piggy alone all night with the littluns? (p. 117)
6. Who volunteers to go tell Piggy the rest will be late? (p. 117)
7. Where does Ralph want to go? (p. 118)
8. In what way is Ralph realistic? (p. 118)
9. Finally, Ralph lets Jack do what? (p. 120)
10.   What does Jack do that surprises and frustrates Ralph? (p. 120-121)
11.  What are the "green lights" in Ralph's head? (p. 123)
12.  What did Ralph and the other boys see? (p. 123)
13.  Why does Ralph ask Jack why Jack hates him? (p. 118)

Chapter Eight

1. What do Ralph and the big boys see? (p. 124)
2. How does Ralph insult Jack's hunters? (p. 125)
3. Jack blows the shell and expects others to obey it.  Why? (p. 125)
4. What does Jack try to do to Ralph as he talks? (p. 126)
5. Why does Jack call for a vote? (p. 127)
6. What does Jack mean when he says, "I'm not going to play any longer"? (p. 127)
7. Why does everyone become cheerful and rather pleased? (p. 129)
8. What does Piggy realize about Maurice, Bill, and Roger? (p. 131)
9. Where is Simon? (p. 132)
10. What does Jack offer to the Beast? (p. 136-137)
11. What is worrying and frightening Ralph? (p. 139)
12. What does Piggy say they must do? (p. 139)
13. What are Jack and his group having/assembling? (p. 140)
14. Who has joined Jack's tribe? (p. 141)
15.  Why do the boys refuse to vote for Jack as chief but slip off to join him later? (p. 140-142)
16.  Why is the killing of the sow described in so much detail? (p. 135)
17.  What does the Lord of the Flies tell Simon? (p. 143-144)

Chapter Nine

1. What happens to Simon's nose? (p. 145)
2. What is meant by "What else is there to do"? (p. 145)
3. What did Simon see at the top of the mountain? (p. 146)
4. What does Simon realize? (p. 146-147)
5. What does he decide he must do? (p. 147)
6. What does Ralph suggest? (p. 148)
7. What question does Jack ask that threatens Ralph's role? (p. 150)
8. How does Jack embarrass Ralph? (p. 150)
9. What kind of leader is Jack?
10.  What happens to Simon's body as it goes out to sea? (p. 153-154) (Read these last couple of pages very carefully)

Chapter Ten

1. Why is Ralph limping, one eye a slit, scab on leg? (p. 155)
2. Why does Ralph laugh at Piggy's suggestion that they call an assembly? (p. 156)
3. What does Piggy think they should pretend? (p. 157)
4. What is going to happen to Wilfred? (p. 159)
5. What did Stanley almost say? (p. 160)
6. Why was fire important? (p. 161)
7. What does Eric say which shocks Ralph? (p. 162)
8. What does Ralph think the noise outside is? (p. 166)
9. When a voice calls from the jungle, what does it say? (p. 166)
10. Describe the attack: who was attacking? what did they want and/or take? (p. 167-168)
11. How does Jack account for the death of Simon? (p. 161)

Chapter Eleven

1. How is Piggy blinded? (p. 169)
2. Where are Ralph and Piggy going to go? (p. 171)
3. How does Piggy assert himself? (p. 171)
4. What does Ralph want to do to their physical appearance but can’t? (p. 172)
5. Regarding the quote, "They passed the place where...," why do they shy away in silence? (p. 174)
6. What does Ralph do to attract the boys' attention? (p. 175)
7. What does Ralph tell Piggy to do? (p. 175)
8. Why do Ralph and Jack begin to fight and who starts it? (p. 176-177)
9. Piggy reminds Ralph what they came for.  What is it? (p. 177)
10.  Why does Ralph lose his temper? (p. 179)
11.  What happens when Piggy tries to use intelligence to reason with the kids? (p. 180-181)
12.  What is the reaction of Jack's tribe's to Ralph's talk of rescue? (p. 178)

Chapter Twelve

1. Where is Ralph? (p. 183)
2. What does he look like? (p. 183)
3. What does Ralph feel has happened to the boys? (p. 184)
4. Why does Ralph figure he is an outcast? (p. 186)
5. What advice does Samneric give Ralph? (p. 187-188)
6. What is going to happen to Ralph? (p. 188-190)
7. Why did Ralph plan to sleep near Castle Rock? (p. 190-191)
8. How is Jack's tribe trying to get rid of Ralph? (p. 192-194)
9. What does Ralph do to one of the boys? (p. 194)
10.  What had the tribe done? (p. 194-195)
11.  How does Ralph think he can escape? (p. 195-197)
12. What had Ralph "heard before"?  (p. 196)
13.  What does Ralph see when he staggers to his feet? (p. 200)
14. What are the most significant events at the end of the chapter? (p. 197-202)