Rank these characters in order of importance Think

Rank these characters in order of importance. . . Think about: • Their contribution to the novel • How much of the novel revolves around them • Whether or not they control events or the people around them • What themes and central ideas of the novel they represent Simon Ralph Jack Piggy

Throughout the novel, we find out key information about Ralph. Which of the following bits of information do you think are the most important? Ralph is considered to be a good leader: “There was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size and attractive appearance” He led the search for the beast at the fort alone: "I'm chief. I'll go. Don't argue. " The physical description of Ralph: “You could see he might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness in the shoulders went, but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil” Ralph starts the game where they pretend Robert is a pig: "The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering” Ralph weeps at the end of the novel: “for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy”

Rank these secondary characters in order of importance. . . Think about: • Their contribution to the novel and relationship with central characters • How much of the novel revolves around them • Whether or not they control events or the people around them • What themes and central ideas of the novel do the represent The Littluns Sam n Eric Roger Percival

What do you think is the dominant theme of the novel? Think about: • The number of characters theme relates to • How it connects to Golding’s ideas • How much it is discussed or presented in the novel • What are the other key themes?

Key themes Select one key theme and find three quotations to support this. Comment on how these quotations display this theme.

Which of the following settings do you think is the most important in the novel? Think about: • How they connect to the character or event described in the setting • How it connects to theme of the novel • How many times the setting is used in the novel The Beach Castle Rock The Mountain Top The Forest

Which of the following symbols do you think is the most important in the novel? Think about: • How they connect to the characters or events in the novel • How it connects to themes of the novel • How many times the symbol is used in the novel The Conch The Fire The Shelters The Beast The Island The Scar The Lord of the Flies

Ralph is the protagonist of the novel ‘Lord of the Flies’. Golding’s third person narrator favours the perspective of Ralph for a lot of the novel. Ralph is committed to civilisation and remains focused on his desire to be rescued throughout the story. Ralph’s goals on the island are long term; he longs to keep the ‘fire’ alive to attract the attention of passing ships so the boys can go home. Ralph’s vision is disrupted by the lack of cooperation from the other boys; Jack in particular. Ralph is distracted by the boys’ descent into savagery, this causes him to sometimes forget why the fire is important making the reader sympathise with him. Golding wrote this novel to expose the ‘darkness of mans heart’ following his horrific experiences during World War Two. His presentation of Ralph suggests that despite having the best intentions to be civilised and follow the rules, humans can be corrupted – this is demonstrated through Ralph’s involvement in Simon’s death.

How would you answer this question? Select four points that you would comment on. How does Golding present the relationship between Ralph and Jack?

How would you answer this question? Select four points that you would comment on. How is theme of friendship and responsibility presented in the novel?

Exam questions In groups of four, make up one exam question of your own and consider how you would answer this.

C

Create a Part A and Part B Exam Question to Accompany this Extract. At that moment a young man came into the bunk house; a thin young man with a brown face, with brown eyes and a head of tightly curled hair. He wore a work glove on his left hand, and like the boss, he wore high-heeled boots. ‘Seen my old man? ’ he asked. . . His eyes passed over the new men and he stopped. He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious. Lennie squirmed under the look and shifted his feet nervously. (Pg 27)

Create a Part A and Part B Exam Question to Accompany this Extract. Curley’s wife came round the end of the last stall. She came very quietly, so that Lennie didn’t see her. She wore her bright cotton dress and the mules with the red ostrich feathers. Her face was made up and the little saugsage curls were all in place. She was quite near to him before Lennie looked up and saw her. In a panic he shoveled hay over the puppy with her fingers. He looked sullenly up at her. She said, “What you got there, sonny boy? ” Lennie glared at her. “George says I ain’t to have nothing to do with you – talk to you or nothing. ! She laughed. “George giving you orders about everything? ” Lennie looked down at the hay. “Says I can’t tend no rabbits if I talk to you or anything. ” She said quietly, “He’s scared Curley’ll get mad. Well, Curley got his arm in a sling – an’ if Curley gets tough, you can break his other han’. You didn’t put nothing over on me about gettin’ it caught in no machine.

Create a Part A and Part B Exam Question to Accompany this Extract. Aunt Clara was gone, and from out of Lennie’s head there came a gigantic rabbit. It sat on its haunches in front of him, and it waggled its ears and crinkled its nose at him. And it spoke in Lennie’s voice too. “Tend rabbits, ” it said scornfully. “You crazy bastard. You ain’t fit to lick the boots of no rabbit. You’d forget ‘em and let ‘em go hungry. That’s what you’d do. An’ then what would George think? ” “I would not forget, ” Lennie said loudly. “The hell you wouldn’, ” said the rabbit. “You ain’t worth a greased jack-pin to ram you into hell. Christ knows George done ever’thing he could to jack you outta the sewetr, but it don’t do no good. If you think George gonna let you tend rabbits, you’re even crazier’n usual. He ain’t. He’s gonna beat hell outta you with a stick, that’s what he’s gonna do.