Graded Assignment
Unit Test, Part 2: Lord of the Flies
Read each question carefully. Answer in complete sentences in the space provided.
(10 points)
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- Compare and contrast Ralph and Jack. How are the two boys alike and how are they different? Write your answer in a paragraph, using examples from the text to support your response.
Answer:
Jack and Ralph have a major similarity since both are gifted leaders but use very different styles of leadership. They are both action-oriented individuals who like to implement decisions immediately. In addition, the two are the oldest and tallest lads on the entire island. When looking at their differences, Jack inspirations behind his actions are to be a leader and to hunt and kill. He wishes to give orders and have them followed under warning of physical brutality and reprimand. Ralph on the other hand leads by harmony of views, he holds gatherings where plans are forwarded and approved by every person. Ralph demonstrated some kindness towards the little guns, when he left Piggy to take care of them when the big guns went to hunt. Ralph is truthful, compared to Jack, this is demonstrated when he lied by saying that Ralph had referred the hunters as cowards. Ralph had a sense of duty since he thought of allocating a lavatory area, but Jack was completely self-centered judging everybody in accordance with usefulness to his personal wants.
(10 points)
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- Explain what each of the four major symbols in the novel—conch, glasses, fire, and beast—represents. Answer in a paragraph. Provide at least one example of each symbol’s role in the novel.
Answer:
The fantasy beast that frightened all the boys symbolizes the primitive nature of savagery that is present in every human being. The boys tend to be very scared of the creature, but only Simon is able to realize that they are scared of the beast only because it is inside every one of them. As they grew more savage, their faith in the beast became stronger and by the last part of the narrative, they are even offering it sacrifices. The creature is a threat to the civilization that has just been created on the isle and is perceived as such by each character apart from Simon.
The conch symbol symbolizes civilization and democratic system. Ralph originally blew the conch to rally all the other boys in the island together to create a society. The boys also use it to represent their right to have a word and Ralph who was their chosen leader used it to maintain order in the meeting. Throughout the narrative, Piggy persuades Ralph and to use the conch whenever civilization was on the verge of being lost.
The symbol of fire emerges when the boys exploit it to draw attention, which will optimistically lead to assistance from passing vessels. This symbol of fire acts as a measure of how concerned the boys are in going back to society. It is ironical that finally, it is not mountain fire that draws their liberator but a forest fire initiated in a brutal search for Ralph.
The other symbol is Piggy’s glasses, which were used to light the fire, a possible symbol for science presenting the only remaining hope to the besieged nations in the post-war period. The glasses are a representation of technology and modernization. The glasses are applied in light the fire, and assist Piggy, who is vastly intellectual, interrelate with the humanity around him.
(20 points)
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- Piggy asks in Chapter 5, “Are we humans or savages?” One theme present in the novel is that underneath the appearance of civilization, violence and disorder are ever-present possibilities in human life. Explain how this theme is conveyed in Lord of the Flies. Use evidence from the novel to support your response. Write a response of no fewer than three paragraphs.
Answer:
In the novel, Golding emphasizes on the intricacy of human life. Because of Ralph’s management, there are some traces of civilization but underneath this outer shell, there is brutality and disorder. Jack is unable to find his human cultured conditioning that he acquired prior to his arrival in the island.
Jack savage instincts are very apparent and could be observed through his actions. He becomes a cold-blooded killer, begins to take pleasure in hunting and killing. This is observed when jack and his colleagues cornered an injured pig and tortured it. Although he attempts to conceal his evil aspirations by painting his face, his violent demeanor is always present.
This kind of conduct is dangerous. Jack started by torturing pigs and then he tortured Simon and killed him with no regret. Piggy dies in the hand of Roger. Ralph was about to perish in Jack’s hands but the British marine officer came to his rescue. Truly, brutality and disorders have filled heart of Jack and his fellow hunters to a point of revealing their savage instincts that have always existed underneath the civilization face.
| Your Score | ___ of 40 |