Sophomore English Midterm Exam (Lord of the Flies Final)

Instructions

Midterm Exam Instructions
Welcome to your Sophomore English Midterm Exam! This exam covers the content we've studied in Quarter 2, focusing on Lord of the Flies. Please read the instructions carefully before beginning.
Exam Overview
Content: The exam includes 10 excerpts from Lord of the Flies, each followed by 2-8 multiple-choice questions.
Hints: If you're unsure of an answer, hints are available for each question to help guide you.
Time Limit: You have 2 hours to complete the exam.
Important Details
This exam accounts for 15% of your semester grade.
No books or notes are allowed during the exam, but all questions are based directly on the provided excerpts.
Take your time to carefully read each excerpt and question.
Tips for Success
Read Carefully: Pay attention to the details in each excerpt. Look for connections to themes, characters, and key events we’ve discussed.
Use Hints: Don’t hesitate to use the hints provided if you’re unsure about a question.
Pace Yourself: You have plenty of time—spend it wisely to review your answers before submitting.
Stay Calm: Trust your preparation and focus on showing what you’ve learned.
Good luck! You're ready for this!

Excerpt from Chapter 1: The Sound of the Shell
Lord of the Flies

 The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way toward the lagoon. Though he had taken off his school sweater and trailed it now from one hand, his grey shirt stuck to him and his hair was plastered to his forehead. All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat. He was clambering heavily among the creepers and broken trunks when a bird, a vision of red and yellow, flashed upwards with a witch-like cry; and this cry was echoed by another. 

 "Hi!" it said. "Wait a minute!" 

 The undergrowth at the side of the scar was shaken and a multitude of raindrops fell pattering. 

 "Wait a minute," the voice said. "I got caught up." 

 The fair boy stopped and jerked his stockings with an automatic gesture that made the jungle seem for a moment like the Home Counties. The voice spoke again. 

 "I can't hardly move with all these creeper things." 

 The owner of the voice came backing out of the undergrowth so that twigs scratched on a greasy wind-breaker. The naked crooks of his knees were plump, caught and scratched by thorns. He bent down, removed the thorns carefully, and turned around. He was shorter than the fair boy and very fat. He came forward, searching out safe lodgments for his feet, and then looked up through thick spectacles.

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What can be inferred about the boy with fair hair based on the description of his physical appearance in the first paragraph?

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How does the author use the image of the "scar" in the first paragraph?

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In paragraph 5, the phrase "jerked his stockings with an automatic gesture" suggests that the boy’s actions are...

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Based on the description, what does the boy with thick spectacles seem to be struggling with the most?

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Why might the author have chosen not to give the boys' names in this excerpt?

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What effect does the author’s choice of words like "creepers" and "witch-like cry" have on the tone of the excerpt?

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How does the interaction between the two boys in this scene reflect their relationship?

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Which of the following best describes the mood at the beginning of this excerpt?

Excerpt from Chapter 1: The Sound of the Shell
Lord of the Flies

 Ralph paddled backwards down the slope, immersed his mouth and blew a jet of water into the air. Then he lifted his chin and spoke. 

 "I could swim when I was five. Daddy taught me. He's a commander in the Navy. When he gets leave he'll come and rescue us. What's your father?" 

 Piggy flushed suddenly. 

 "My dad's dead," he said quickly, "and my mum―" 

 He took off his glasses and looked vainly for something with which to clean them. 

 "I used to live with my auntie. She kept a candy store. I used to get ever so many candies. As many as I liked. When'll your dad rescue us?" 

 "Soon as he can." 

 Piggy rose dripping from the water and stood naked, cleaning his glasses with a sock. The only sound that reached them now through the heat of the morning was the long, grinding roar of the breakers on the reef. 

 "How does he know we're here?" 

Ralph lolled in the water. Sleep enveloped him like the swathing mirages that were wrestling with the brilliance of the lagoon. 

"How does he know we're here?" 

Because, thought Ralph, because, because. The roar from the reef became very distant. 

"They'd tell him at the airport." 

Piggy shook his head, put on his flashing glasses and looked down at Ralph. 

"Not them. Didn't you hear what the pilot said? About the atom bomb? They're all dead." 

Ralph pulled himself out of the water, stood facing Piggy, and considered this unusual problem. 

Piggy persisted. 

"This an island, isn't it?" 

"I climbed a rock," said Ralph slowly, "and I think this is an island." 

"They're all dead," said Piggy, "an' this is an island. Nobody don't know we're here. Your dad don't know, nobody don't know―" 

His lips quivered and the spectacles were dimmed with mist. 

"We may stay here till we die." 

With that word the heat seemed to increase till it became a threatening weight and the lagoon attacked them with a blinding effulgence.

Required

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What is significant about Ralph’s statement, “I could swim when I was five” (paragraph 2)?

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How does Piggy’s response to Ralph about his father’s rescue differ from Ralph’s perspective?

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What can be inferred about Piggy’s character from his action of cleaning his glasses with a sock (paragraph 5)?

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What effect does the repetition of “How does he know we’re here?” (paragraphs 9 and 11) have on the tone of the passage?

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Based on Piggy’s statement, “Your dad don’t know, nobody don’t know—” (paragraph 20), what can be inferred about Piggy’s outlook on their situation?

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What does the phrase “the heat seemed to increase till it became a threatening weight” (paragraph 23) suggest about the environment?

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What do the interactions between Piggy and Ralph in this excerpt reveal about their personalities?

Excerpt from Chapter 3: Huts on the Beach
Lord of the Flies

 Simon was not in the bathing pool as they had expected. 

 When the other two had trotted down the beach to look back at the mountain he had followed them for a few yards and then stopped. He had stood frowing down at a pile of sand on the beach where somebody had been trying to build a little house or hut. Then he turned his back on this and walked into the forest with an air of purpose. He was a small, skinny boy, his chin pointed, and his eyes so bright they had deceived Ralph into thinking him delightfully gay and wicked. The coarse mop of black hair was long and swung down, almost concealing a low, broad forehead. He wore the remains of shorts and his feet were bare like Jack's. Always darkish in color, Simon was burned by the sun to a deep tan that glistened with sweat. 

 He picked his way up the scar, passed the great rock where Ralph had climbed on the first morning, then turned off to his right among the trees. He walked with an accustomed tread through the acres of fruit trees, where the least energetic could find an easy if unsatisfying meal. Flower and fruit grew together on the same tree and everywhere was the scent of ripeness and the booming of a million bees at pasture. Here the littluns who had run after him caught up with him. They talked, cried out unintelligibly, lugged him toward the trees. Then, amid the roar of bees in the afternoon sunlight, Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands. When he had satisfied them he paused and looked round. The littluns watched him inscrutably over double handfuls of ripe fruit. 

 Simon turned away from them and went where the just perceptible path led him. Soon high jungle closed in. Tall trunks bore unexpected pale flowers all the way up to the dark canopy where life went on clamorously. The air here was dark too, and the creepers dropped their ropes like the rigging of foundered ships. His feet left prints in the soft soil and the creepers shivered throughout their lengths when he bumped them. 

 He came at last to a place where more sunshine fell. Since they had not so far to go for light the creepers had woven a great mat that hung at the side of an open space in the jungle; for here a patch of rock came close to the surface and would not allow more than little plants and ferns to grow. The whole space was walled with dark aromatic bushes, and was a bowl of heat and light. A great tree, fallen across one corner, leaned against the trees that still stood and a rapid climber flaunted red and yellow sprays right to the top. 

 Simon paused. He looked over his shoulder as Jack had done at the close ways behind him and glanced swiftly round to confirm that he was utterly alone. For a moment his movements were almost furtive. Then he bent down and wormed his way into the center of the mat. The creepers and the bushes were so close that he left his sweat on them and they pulled together behind him. When he was secure in the middle he was in a little cabin screened off from the open space by a few leaves. He squatted down, parted the leaves and looked out into the clearing. Nothing moved but a pair of gaudy butterflies that danced round each other in the hot air. Holding his breath he cocked a critical ear at the sounds of the island. Evening was advancing toward the island; the sounds of the bright fantastic birds, the bee-sounds, even the crying of the gulls that were returning to their roosts among the square rocks, were fainter. The deep sea breaking miles away on the reef made an undertone less perceptible than the susurration of the blood. 

 Simon dropped the screen of leaves back into place. The slope of the bars of honey-colored sunlight decreased; they slid up the bushes, passed over the green candle-like buds, moved up toward the canopy, and darkness thickened under the trees. With the fading of the light the riotous colors died and the heat and urgency cooled away. The candlebuds stirred. Their green sepals drew back a little and the white tips of the flowers rose delicately to meet the open air.

Required

1

What does Simon’s action of turning away from the hut-building project (paragraph 2) suggest about his character?

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Based on Simon’s actions with the littluns (paragraph 3), what can be inferred about his personality?

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What is the significance of Simon’s solitude in the jungle (paragraphs 4-6)?

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How does the description of Simon’s environment (lines 4-7) contribute to the mood of the passage?

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In paragraphs 6-7, Simon’s actions are described as “furtive.” What does this word choice suggest about Simon’s behavior?

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How does Simon’s personality differ from Ralph’s and Jack’s, based on this scene?

Excerpt from Chapter 5: Beast from the Water
Lord of the Flies

 The tide was coming in and there was only a narrow strip of firm beach between the water and the white, stumbling stuff near the palm terrace. Ralph chose the firm strip as a path because he needed to think, and only here could he allow his feet to move without having to watch them. Suddenly, pacing by the water, he was overcome with astonishment. He found himself understanding the wearisomeness of this life, where every path was an improvisation and a considerable part of one's waking life was spent watching one's feet. He stopped, facing the strip; and remembering that first enthusiastic exploration as though it were part of a brighter childhood, he smiled jeeringly. He turned then and walked back toward the platform with the sun in his face. The time had come for the assembly and as he walked into the concealing splendors of the sunlight he went carefully over the points of his speech. There must be no mistake about this assembly, no chasing imaginary.... 

 He lost himself in a maze of thoughts that were rendered vague by his lack of words to express them. Frowning, he tried again. 

 This meeting must not be fun, but business. 

 At that he walked faster, aware all at once of urgency and the declining sun and a little wind created by his speed that breathed about his face. This wind pressed his grey shirt against his chest so that he noticed―in this new mood of comprehension―how the folds were stiff like cardboard, and unpleasant; noticed too how the frayed edges of his shorts were making an uncomfortable, pink area on the front of his thighs. With a convulsion of the mind, Ralph discovered dirt and decay, understood how much he disliked perpetually flicking the tangled hair out of his eyes, and at last, when the sun was gone, rolling noisily to rest among dry leaves. At that he began to trot. 

 The beach near the bathing pool was dotted with groups of boys waiting for the assembly. They made way for him silently, conscious of his grim mood and the fault at the fire. 

 The place of assembly in which he stood was roughly a triangle; but irregular and sketchy, like everything they made. First there was the log on which he himself sat; a dead tree that must have been quite exceptionally big for the platform. Perhaps one of those legendary storms of the Pacific had shifted it here. This palm trunk lay parallel to the beach, so that when Ralph sat he faced the island but to the boys was a darkish figure against the shimmer of the lagoon. The two sides of the triangle of which the log was base were less evenly defined. On the right was a log polished by restless seats along the top, but not so large as the chief's and not so comfortable. On the left were four small logs, one of them―the farthest―lamentably springy. Assembly after assembly had broken up in laughter when someone had leaned too far back and the log had whipped and thrown half a dozen boys backwards into the grass. Yet now, he saw, no one had had the wit―not himself nor Jack, nor Piggy―to bring a stone and wedge the thing. So they would continue enduring the ill-balanced twister, because, because.... Again he lost himself in deep waters. 

 Grass was worn away in front of each trunk but grew tall and untrodden in the center of the triangle. Then, at the apex, the grass was thick again because no one sat there. All round the place of assembly the grey trunks rose, straight or leaning, and supported the low roof of leaves. On two sides was the beach; behind, the lagoon; in front, the darkness of the island. 

 Ralph turned to the chief's seat. They had never had an assembly as late before. That was why the place looked so different. Normally the underside of the green roof was lit by a tangle of golden reflections, and their faces were lit upside down―like, thought Ralph, when you hold an electric torch in your hands. But now the sun was slanting in at one side, so that the shadows were where they ought to be. 

 Again he fell into that strange mood of speculation that was so foreign to him. If faces were different when lit from above or below―what was a face? What was anything? 

Ralph moved impatiently. The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise. And then the occasion slipped by so that you had to grab at a decision. This made you think; because thought was a valuable thing, that got results.... 

Only, decided Ralph as he faced the chief's seat, I can't think. Not like Piggy. 

Once more that evening Ralph had to adjust his values. Piggy could think. He could go step by step inside that fat head of his, only Piggy was no chief. But Piggy, for all his ludicrous body, had brains. Ralph was a specialist in thought now, and could recognize thought in another. 

The sun in his eyes reminded him how time was passing, so he took the conch down from the tree and examined the surface. Exposure to the air had bleached the yellow and pink to near-white, and transparency. Ralph felt a kind of affectionate reverence for the conch, even though he had fished the thing out of the lagoon himself. He faced the place of assembly and put the conch to his lips.

Required

1

In paragraph 1, Ralph reflects on the "wearisomeness of this life." What does this reveal about his changing perspective?

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What is the significance of Ralph noticing the discomfort of his clothes and body (paragraphs 4-5)?

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In paragraph 6, Ralph notices the imperfections of the assembly space, such as the unbalanced logs. What does this reveal about his attitude?

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What is the significance of Ralph’s thoughts on the conch (paragraphs 13-14)?

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How does Ralph’s struggle to think (paragraphs 10-11) reflect his internal conflict as a leader?

Excerpt from Chapter 6: Beast from the Air
Lord of the Flies

1   There was no light left save that of the stars. When they had understood what made this ghostly noise and Percival was quiet again, Ralph and Simon picked him up unhandily and carried him to a shelter. Piggy hung about near for all his brave words, and the three bigger boys went together to the next shelter. They lay restlessly and noisily among the dry leaves, watching the patch of stars that was the opening toward the lagoon. Sometimes a littlun cried out from the other shelters and once a bigun spoke in the dark. Then they too fell asleep. 

2   A sliver of moon rose over the horizon, hardly large enough to make a path of light even when it sat right down on the water; but there were other lights in the sky, that moved fast, winked, or went out, though not even a faint popping came down from the battle fought at ten miles' height. But a sign came down from the world of grownups, though at the time there was no child awake to read it. There was a sudden bright explosion and corkscrew trail across the sky; then darkness again and stars. There was a speck above the island, a figure dropping swiftly beneath a parachute, a figure that hung with dangling limbs. The changing winds of various altitudes took the figure where they would. Then, three miles up, the wind steadied and bore it in a descending curve round the sky and swept it in a great slant across the reef and the lagoon toward the mountain. The figure fell and crumpled among the blue flowers of the mountain-side, but now there was a gentle breeze at this height too and the parachute flopped and banged and pulled. So the figure, with feet that dragged behind it, slid up the mountain. Yard by yard, puff by puff, the breeze hauled the figure through the blue flowers, over the boulders and red stones, till it lay huddled among the shattered rocks of the mountain-top. Here the breeze was fitful and allowed the strings of the parachute to tangle and festoon; and the figure sat, its helmeted head between its knees, held by a complication of lines. When the breeze blew, the lines would strain taut and some accident of this pull lifted the head and chest upright so that the figure seemed to peer across the brow of the mountain. Then, each time the wind dropped, the lines would slacken and the figure bow forward again, sinking its head between its knees. So as the stars moved across the sky, the figure sat on the mountain-top and bowed and sank and bowed again.

Required

1

How does the description of the parachutist’s movements contribute to the plot?

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How does the imagery of the parachutist’s "bowing" figure characterize it?

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Why does the author describe the parachutist's descent in such detail?

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What does the arrival of the parachutist symbolize in the context of the story?

Excerpt from Chapter 7: Shadows and Tall Trees
Lord of the Flies

 "I walloped him properly. That was the beast, I think!" Jack came back. 

 "That wasn't the beast. That was a boar." 

 "I hit him." 

 "Why didn't you grab him? I tried―" 

 Ralph's voice ran up. 

 "But a boar!" 

 Jack flushed suddenly. 

 "You said he'd do us. What did you want to throw for? Why didn't you wait?" 

 He held out his arm. 

"Look." 

He turned his left forearm for them all to see. On the outside was a rip; not much, but bloody. 

"He did that with his tusks. I couldn't get my spear down in time." 

Attention focused on Jack. 

"That's a wound," said Simon, "and you ought to suck it. Like Berengaria." 

Jack sucked. 

"I hit him," said Ralph indignantly. "I hit him with my spear, I wounded him." 

He tried for their attention. 

"He was coming along the path. I threw, like this―" 

Robert snarled at him. Ralph entered into the play and everybody laughed. Presently they were all jabbing at Robert who made mock rushes. 

Jack shouted. 

"Make a ring!" 

The circle moved in and round. Robert squealed in mock terror, then in real pain. 

"Ow! Stop it! You're hurting!" 

The butt end of a spear fell on his back as he blundered among them. 

"Hold him!" They got his arms and legs. Ralph, carried away by a sudden thick excitement, grabbed Eric's spear and jabbed at Robert with it. 

"Kill him! Kill him!" 

All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of frenzy. Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife. Behind him was Roger, fighting to get close. The chant rose ritually, as at the last moment of a dance or a hunt. 

"Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!" 

Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering. 

Jack's arm came down; the heaving circle cheered and made pig-dying noises. Then they lay quiet, panting, listening to Robert's frightened snivels. He wiped his face with a dirty arm, and made an effort to retrieve his status. 

"Oh, my bum!" 

He rubbed his rump ruefully. Jack rolled over. 

"That was a good game." 

"Just a game," said Ralph uneasily. "I got jolly badly hurt at rugger once."

Required

1

How does Jack’s reaction to his wound reflect his personality?

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How does the boys’ treatment of Robert during the "game" reflect their changing behavior?

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1

How does Ralph’s participation in the "game" contrast with his earlier behavior?

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What inference can be made about the chant “Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Bash him in!”?

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What does Ralph’s uneasiness after the "game" suggest about his character?

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How does the "game" foreshadow future events in the story?

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What theme is most clearly developed through the boys’ attack on Robert?

Excerpt from Chapter 8: A Gift for the Darkness
Lord of the Flies

 He paused and stood up, looking at the shadows under the trees. His voice was lower when he spoke again. 

 "But we'll leave part of the kill for..." 

 He knelt down again and was busy with his knife. The boys crowded round him. He spoke over his shoulder to Roger. 

 "Sharpen a stick at both ends." 

 Presently he stood up, holding the dripping sow's head in his hands. 

 "Where's that stick?" 

 "Here." 

 "Ram one end in the earth. Oh―it's rock. Jam it in that crack. There." 

 Jack held up the head and jammed the soft throat down on the pointed end of the stick which pierced through into the mouth. He stood back and the head hung there, a little blood dribbling down the stick. 

Instinctively the boys drew back too; and the forest was very still. They listened, and the loudest noise was the buzzing of flies over the spilled guts. 

Jack spoke in a whisper. 

"Pick up the pig." 

Maurice and Robert skewered the carcass, lifted the dead weight, and stood ready. In the silence, and standing over the dry blood, they looked suddenly furtive. 

Jack spoke loudly. "This head is for the beast. It's a gift." 

The silence accepted the gift and awed them. The head remained there, dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth. All at once they were running away, as fast as they could, through the forest toward the open beach.

Required

1

How does the description of the "buzzing of flies" contribute to the mood of the scene?

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How does Jack's behavior in this scene reinforce his leadership style?

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What can be inferred about the boys’ emotional state when they “looked suddenly furtive” while handling the carcass?

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How does the setting contribute to the group’s ritualistic behavior?

Excerpt from Chapter 8: A Gift for the Darkness
Lord of the Flies

 "You are a silly little boy," said the Lord of the Flies, "just an ignorant, silly little boy." 

 Simon moved his swollen tongue but said nothing. 

 "Don't you agree?" said the Lord of the Flies. "Aren't you just a silly little boy?" 

 Simon answered him in the same silent voice. 

 "Well then," said the Lord of the Flies, "you'd better run off and play with the others. They think you're batty. You don't want Ralph to think you're batty, do you? You like Ralph a lot, don't you? And Piggy, and Jack?" 

 Simon's head was tilted slightly up. His eyes could not break away and the Lord of the Flies hung in space before him. 

 "What are you doing out here all alone? Aren't you afraid of me?" 

 Simon shook. 

 "There isn't anyone to help you. Only me. And I'm the Beast." 

Simon's mouth labored, brought forth audible words. 

"Pig's head on a stick." 

"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!" said the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. "You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are what they are?" 

The laughter shivered again. 

"Come now," said the Lord of the Flies. "Get back to the others and we'll forget the whole thing." 

Simon's head wobbled. His eyes were half closed as though he were imitating the obscene thing on the stick. He knew that one of his times was coming on. The Lord of the Flies was expanding like a balloon. 

"This is ridiculous. You know perfectly well you'll only meet me down there―so don't try to escape!" 

Simon's body was arched and stiff. The Lord of the Flies spoke in the voice of a schoolmaster. 

"This has gone quite far enough. My poor, misguided child, do you think you know better than I do?" 

There was a pause. 

"I'm warning you. I'm going to get angry. D'you see? You're not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So don't try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else―" 

Simon found he was looking into a vast mouth. There was blackness within, a blackness that spread. 

"―Or else," said the Lord of the Flies, "we shall do you? See? Jack and Roger and Maurice and Robert and Bill and Piggy and Ralph. Do you. See?" 

Simon was inside the mouth. He fell down and lost consciousness.

Required

1

What does the Lord of the Flies mean when it says, "I'm part of you"?

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1

What is implied when the Lord of the Flies says, "We are going to have fun on this island"?

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What does the Lord of the Flies’ warning about “Jack and Roger and Maurice” foreshadow?

Excerpt from Chapter 10: The Shell and the Glasses
Lord of the Flies

 Ralph climbed on to the platform carefully. The coarse grass was still worn away where the assembly used to sit; the fragile white conch still gleamed by the polished seat. Ralph sat down in the grass facing the chief's seat and the conch. Piggy knelt at his left, and for a long minute there was silence. 

 At last Ralph cleared his throat and whispered something. 

 Piggy whispered back. 

 "What you say?" 

 Ralph spoke up. 

 "Simon." 

 Piggy said nothing but nodded, solemnly. They continued to sit, gazing with impaired sight at the chief's seat and the glittering lagoon. The green light and the glossy patches of sunshine played over their befouled bodies. 

 At length Ralph got up and went to the conch. He took the shell caressingly with both hands and knelt, leaning against the trunk. 

 "Piggy." 

"Uh?" 

"What we going to do?" 

Piggy nodded at the conch. 

"You could―" 

"Call an assembly?" 

Ralph laughed sharply as he said the word and Piggy frowned. 

"You're still chief." 

Ralph laughed again. 

"You are. Over us." 

"I got the conch." 

"Ralph! Stop laughing like that. Look, there ain't no need, Ralph! What's the others going to think?" 

At last Ralph stopped. He was shivering. 

"Piggy." 

"Uh?" 

"That was Simon." 

"You said that before." 

"Piggy." 

"Uh?" 

"That was murder." 

"You stop it!" said Piggy, shrilly. "What good're you doing talking like that?" 

He jumped to his feet and stood over Ralph. 

"It was dark. There was that―that bloody dance. There was lightning and thunder and rain. We was scared!" 

"I wasn't scared," said Ralph slowly, "I was―I don't know what I was." 

"We was scared!" said Piggy excitedly. "Anything might have happened. It wasn't―what you said." 

He was gesticulating, searching for a formula. 

"Oh, Piggy!" 

Ralph's voice, low and stricken, stopped Piggy's gestures. He bent down and waited. Ralph, cradling the conch, rocked himself to and fro. 

"Don't you understand, Piggy? The things we did―" 

"He may still be―" 

"No." 

"P'raps he was only pretending―" 

Piggy's voice trailed off at the sight of Ralph's face. 

"You were outside. Outside the circle. You never really came in. Didn't you see what we―what they did?" 

There was loathing, and at the same time a kind of feverish excitement, in his voice. 

"Didn't you see, Piggy?" 

"Not all that well. I only got one eye now. You ought to know that, Ralph." 

Ralph continued to rock to and fro. 

"It was an accident," said Piggy suddenly, "that's what it was. An accident." His voice shrilled again. "Coming in the dark―he hadn't no business crawling like that out of the dark. He was batty. He asked for it." He gesticulated widely again. "It was an accident." 

"You didn't see what they did―" 

"Look, Ralph. We got to forget this. We can't do no good thinking about it, see?" 

"I'm frightened. Of us. I want to go home. Oh God, I want to go home." 

"It was an accident," said Piggy stubbornly, "and that's that." 

He touched Ralph's bare shoulder and Ralph shuddered at the human contact. 

"And look, Ralph"―Piggy glanced round quickly, then leaned close―"don't let on we was in that dance. Not to Samneric." 

"But we were! All of us!" 

Piggy shook his head. 

"Not us till last. They never noticed in the dark. Anyway you said I was only on the outside." 

"So was I," muttered Ralph, "I was on the outside too." 

Piggy nodded eagerly. 

59"That's right. We was on the outside. We never done nothing, we never seen nothing."

Required

1

What does Ralph mean when he says, “That was murder”?

Required

1

How does Piggy respond to Ralph’s assertion that Simon’s death was murder?

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1

What is the tone of Ralph and Piggy’s conversation?

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1

Why does Ralph cradle the conch during the conversation with Piggy?

Excerpt from Chapter 12: Cry of the Hunters
Lord of the Flies

 A naval officer stood on the sand, looking down at Ralph in wary astonishment. On the beach behind him was a cutter, her bows hauled up and held by two ratings. In the stern-sheets another rating held a submachine gun. 

 The ululation faltered and died away. 

 The officer looked at Ralph doubtfully for a moment, then took his hand away from the butt of the revolver. 

 "Hullo." 

 Squirming a little, conscious of his filthy appearance, Ralph answered shyly. 

 "Hullo." 

 The officer nodded, as if a question had been answered. 

 "Are there any adults―any grownups with you?" 

 Dumbly, Ralph shook his head. He turned a halfpace on the sand. A semicircle of little boys, their bodies streaked with colored clay, sharp sticks in their hands, were standing on the beach making no noise at all. 

"Fun and games," said the officer. 

The fire reached the coconut palms by the beach and swallowed them noisily. A flame, seemingly detached, swung like an acrobat and licked up the palm heads on the platform. The sky was black. 

The officer grinned cheerfully at Ralph. 

"We saw your smoke. What have you been doing? Having a war or something?" 

Ralph nodded. 

The officer inspected the little scarecrow in front of him. The kid needed a bath, a haircut, a nose-wipe and a good deal of ointment. 

"Nobody killed, I hope? Any dead bodies?" 

"Only two. And they've gone." 

The officer leaned down and looked closely at Ralph. 

"Two? Killed?" 

Ralph nodded again. Behind him, the whole island was shuddering with flame. The officer knew, as a rule, when people were telling the truth. He whistled softly. 

Other boys were appearing now, tiny tots some of them, brown, with the distended bellies of small savages. One of them came close to the officer and looked up. 

"I'm, I'm―" 

But there was no more to come. Percival Wemys Madison sought in his head for an incantation that had faded clean away. 

The officer turned back to Ralph. 

"We'll take you off. How many of you are there?" 

Ralph shook his head. The officer looked past him to the group of painted boys. 

"Who's boss here?" 

"I am," said Ralph loudly. 

A little boy who wore the remains of an extraordinary black cap on his red hair and who carried the remains of a pair of spectacles at his waist, started forward, then changed his mind and stood still. 

"We saw your smoke. And you don't know how many of you there are?" 

"No, sir." 

"I should have thought," said the officer as he visualized the search before him, "I should have thought that a pack of British boys―you're all British, aren't you?―would have been able to put up a better show than that―I mean―" 

"It was like that at first," said Ralph, "before things―" 

He stopped. 

"We were together then―" 

The officer nodded helpfully. 

"I know. Jolly good show. Like the Coral Island." 

Ralph looked at him dumbly. For a moment he had a fleeting picture of the strange glamour that had once invested the beaches. But the island was scorched up like dead wood―Simon was dead―and Jack had.... The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. 

The officer, surrounded by these noises, was moved and a little embarrassed. He turned away to give them time to pull themselves together; and waited, allowing his eyes to rest on the trim cruiser in the distance.

Required

1

What is Percival Wemys Madison unable to recall?

Required

1

Midterm Exam Instructions

Exam Overview

Important Details

Tips for Success

Sophomore English Midterm Exam (Lord of the Flies Final)

Midterm Exam Instructions

Exam Overview

Important Details

Tips for Success

What can be inferred about the boy with fair hair based on the description of his physical appearance in the first paragraph?

How does the author use the image of the "scar" in the first paragraph?

In paragraph 5, the phrase "jerked his stockings with an automatic gesture" suggests that the boy’s actions are...

Based on the description, what does the boy with thick spectacles seem to be struggling with the most?

Why might the author have chosen not to give the boys' names in this excerpt?

What effect does the author’s choice of words like "creepers" and "witch-like cry" have on the tone of the excerpt?

How does the interaction between the two boys in this scene reflect their relationship?

Which of the following best describes the mood at the beginning of this excerpt?

What is significant about Ralph’s statement, “I could swim when I was five” (paragraph 2)?

How does Piggy’s response to Ralph about his father’s rescue differ from Ralph’s perspective?

What can be inferred about Piggy’s character from his action of cleaning his glasses with a sock (paragraph 5)?

What effect does the repetition of “How does he know we’re here?” (paragraphs 9 and 11) have on the tone of the passage?

Based on Piggy’s statement, “Your dad don’t know, nobody don’t know—” (paragraph 20), what can be inferred about Piggy’s outlook on their situation?

What does the phrase “the heat seemed to increase till it became a threatening weight” (paragraph 23) suggest about the environment?

What do the interactions between Piggy and Ralph in this excerpt reveal about their personalities?

What does Simon’s action of turning away from the hut-building project (paragraph 2) suggest about his character?

Based on Simon’s actions with the littluns (paragraph 3), what can be inferred about his personality?

What is the significance of Simon’s solitude in the jungle (paragraphs 4-6)?

How does the description of Simon’s environment (lines 4-7) contribute to the mood of the passage?

In paragraphs 6-7, Simon’s actions are described as “furtive.” What does this word choice suggest about Simon’s behavior?

How does Simon’s personality differ from Ralph’s and Jack’s, based on this scene?

In paragraph 1, Ralph reflects on the "wearisomeness of this life." What does this reveal about his changing perspective?

What is the significance of Ralph noticing the discomfort of his clothes and body (paragraphs 4-5)?

In paragraph 6, Ralph notices the imperfections of the assembly space, such as the unbalanced logs. What does this reveal about his attitude?

What is the significance of Ralph’s thoughts on the conch (paragraphs 13-14)?

How does Ralph’s struggle to think (paragraphs 10-11) reflect his internal conflict as a leader?

How does the description of the parachutist’s movements contribute to the plot?

How does the imagery of the parachutist’s "bowing" figure characterize it?

Why does the author describe the parachutist's descent in such detail?

What does the arrival of the parachutist symbolize in the context of the story?

How does Jack’s reaction to his wound reflect his personality?

How does the boys’ treatment of Robert during the "game" reflect their changing behavior?

How does Ralph’s participation in the "game" contrast with his earlier behavior?

What inference can be made about the chant “Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Bash him in!”?

What does Ralph’s uneasiness after the "game" suggest about his character?

How does the "game" foreshadow future events in the story?

What theme is most clearly developed through the boys’ attack on Robert?

How does the description of the "buzzing of flies" contribute to the mood of the scene?

How does Jack's behavior in this scene reinforce his leadership style?

What can be inferred about the boys’ emotional state when they “looked suddenly furtive” while handling the carcass?

How does the setting contribute to the group’s ritualistic behavior?

What does the Lord of the Flies mean when it says, "I'm part of you"?

What is implied when the Lord of the Flies says, "We are going to have fun on this island"?

What does the Lord of the Flies’ warning about “Jack and Roger and Maurice” foreshadow?

What does Ralph mean when he says, “That was murder”?

How does Piggy respond to Ralph’s assertion that Simon’s death was murder?

What is the tone of Ralph and Piggy’s conversation?

Why does Ralph cradle the conch during the conversation with Piggy?

What is Percival Wemys Madison unable to recall?

What does the burning island symbolize at the end of the novel?

What can be inferred about the boy with fair hair based on the description of his physical appearance in the first paragraph?

How does the author use the image of the "scar" in the first paragraph?

In paragraph 5, the phrase "jerked his stockings with an automatic gesture" suggests that the boy’s actions are...

Based on the description, what does the boy with thick spectacles seem to be struggling with the most?

Why might the author have chosen not to give the boys' names in this excerpt?

What effect does the author’s choice of words like "creepers" and "witch-like cry" have on the tone of the excerpt?

How does the interaction between the two boys in this scene reflect their relationship?

Which of the following best describes the mood at the beginning of this excerpt?

What is significant about Ralph’s statement, “I could swim when I was five” (paragraph 2)?

How does Piggy’s response to Ralph about his father’s rescue differ from Ralph’s perspective?

What can be inferred about Piggy’s character from his action of cleaning his glasses with a sock (paragraph 5)?

What effect does the repetition of “How does he know we’re here?” (paragraphs 9 and 11) have on the tone of the passage?

Based on Piggy’s statement, “Your dad don’t know, nobody don’t know—” (paragraph 20), what can be inferred about Piggy’s outlook on their situation?

What does the phrase “the heat seemed to increase till it became a threatening weight” (paragraph 23) suggest about the environment?

What do the interactions between Piggy and Ralph in this excerpt reveal about their personalities?

What does Simon’s action of turning away from the hut-building project (paragraph 2) suggest about his character?

Based on Simon’s actions with the littluns (paragraph 3), what can be inferred about his personality?

What is the significance of Simon’s solitude in the jungle (paragraphs 4-6)?

How does the description of Simon’s environment (lines 4-7) contribute to the mood of the passage?

In paragraphs 6-7, Simon’s actions are described as “furtive.” What does this word choice suggest about Simon’s behavior?