LOTF

=Discussion Questions=
 * 1) There are two philosophies presented in Lord of the Flies on how to keep control of everyone. Ralph and Simon use kindness and Jack and Roger use force. Why do they have different philosophies and how does each philosophy affect the dynamics of the community (politically and socially)?
 * 2) Why do you think Ralph's society fell apart? Considering his was extraordinarily more organized than that of Jack, it seemed his was destined to succeed. So what is significant about the fact that it did not?
 * 3) What does the fact that Jack and Roger (especially Roger) torture the sow instead of killing it quickly say about their characters?
 * 4) Is it significant that Jack is so defensive all the time?
 * 5) What is a "creeper?" Is it significant that this word specifically is used?
 * 6) At some times Ralph act mature, and at other times immature. Which is the "real" Ralph? Are they both the "real" Ralph? What's the significance of the interplay or struggle between the two sides of his character?
 * 7) What is the significance of how quickly the boys are once again children after they stop "playing war" when the naval captain saves them?
 * 8) What does the conch symbolize? Why is that significant?
 * 9) What are the similarities/differences between the deaths of Simon, Piggy and the hunting of Ralph?
 * 10) Why is it important that Simon was the one who saw the Lord of the Flies?
 * 11) How does Piggy's character affect the story? How did his eath impact the plot?
 * 12) In the beginning of the book Roger misses hitting the boy with stones on purpose because society was restraining him from doing so. In the end of the book Roger drops a huge boulder on Piggy, killing him, as if he broke free from society. What does this tell us about Roger's character development? What does it tell us about what being stranded on an island does to people?

=**Connections**= Central Themes =Important Quotes= =Important Vocabulary= These are selections from the LOTF Vocabulary Handout. These are the ones we felt were most important. For more, refer to the handout. =Major Characters=
 * 1) The boys in //Lord of the Flies// are literally lost--on a remote island in the Pacific. They're also metaphorically "lost." Holden, in //Catcher in the Rye//, is also "lost" in this second sense, in many ways that are similar to the boys in //LOTF//.
 * 2) The word "creeper" is used many times and in many different ways throughout the //LOTF//. In //The Yellow Wallpaper//, the protagonist claims to have seem a woman outsider her window "creeping." There's something about this word... "Creep" suggests so many different meanings and has so many connotations. Is there a thematic connection between the book and the short story as well?
 * 3) Like Macbeth, Jack in //Lord of the Flies// is willing to use all of his resources to acquire power. He either doesn't care if others suffer as a result, or he is willing to do anything to get what he wants. Like Macbeth, he is ruthless.
 * 4) In a literal sense both //The Catcher in the Rye// and //Lord of the Flies// chronicle the "coming of age" of adolescent boys. What does it mean to "come of age?" Are there other connections in the other texts we've read?
 * 5) In //Macbeth// Lady Macbeth serves as a driving force that keeps Macbeth from straying away from his goals; in //LOTF// Piggy also keeps Ralph from straying from the overall goal. But both Lady Macbeth and Piggy die before the end of the play/book. They serve a certain purpose, and then they are eliminated.
 * 6) In //Catcher and the Rye// Holden is struggling to be percieved as older and act older. In //LOTF// the boys are also struggling with growing out of adolescence and how to manage their new feelings and hormones.
 * 7) In //Catcher in the Rye//, Holden is greatly affected by his family, especially his siblings. In //LOTF,// Piggy's actions are based on the adults in the real world. Also, Ralph is convinced that his father will come to rescue them, which shows his dependence on his family.
 * 8) In //Doby's Gone//, Sue relies on Doby as a safeguard, just like Piggy does with his glasses in //LOTF//. Both of them have a security blanket that they use to keep himself calm and comforted. In addition, both Sue and Piggy use their "security blankets" as a way to divert them from socializing.
 * 9) In //Catcher in the Rye//, Holden is an outsider but he tries to pull people in and make conversation even though he likes to be alone. In //LOTF//, a large group is sometimes safe and sometimes not, depending on its members. The characters must be careful who they are friends with.
 * 10) In every book there are characters that go crazy due to the lack of control in their life.
 * 11) In LOTF many of the boys are on the hunt for pigs, and in Catcher Holden is on the hunt for something, but he just does not know what it is.
 * 12) In //Macbeth//, Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth into doing things he is not particucularly proud of or cannot do on his own becasue of his conscience. In //Lord of the Flies,// Jack seems to manipulate the boys into doing things they would not do at home, and forces them to want to hunt down animals (in particular, the event related to the pig!). They both are similar in the way of forcing people to do what they want to do. Some of the time it is against their will, but they stil force them into killing someone they may not have wanted to kill.
 * 13) In //LOTF//, at the begining of the book, it seems as though Simon does not have a main role in the book, but as the book progresses and the boys begin to become more uncivilized, Simon begins to show signs of him being the beast and starts to freak out the youngens on the island. In //Macbeth//, Banquo starts out having a key role throughout the kingdom and community, but as the plkay progresses, he loses all power he once had due to Macbeth. Later in the play, Macbeth has him murdered, just as in LOTF, Simon was killed by everyone around him on the island.
 * 1) The inherent violence of human beings
 * 2) Innocence
 * 3) Death
 * 4) Civilized vs. Savage
 * 5) The evil that exsists within people
 * 6) Human archetypes
 * 7) The responsiblities and expectations of adults vs. children
 * 8) Unity between people
 * 9) The Devil
 * 10) The difference between a game and a reality
 * 11) Hypocrisy
 * 12) Individual identity vs. group identity
 * 13) Maturity vs. Adolescence/Childhood
 * 14) Authority (the fight for authority)
 * 15) The importance of the hunt
 * 1) Here, struck down by the heat, the sow fell and the hunters hurled themselves at her. This dreadful eruption from an unknown world made her frantic; she squealed and bucked and the air was full of sweat and noise and blood and terror. Roger ran around the heap, prodding with his spear whenever pigflesh appeared. (135)
 * 2) SUCKS TO YOUR ASS-MAR. (13, 141, and others)
 * 3) All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat. (7)
 * 4) "That little 'un--" gasped Piggy--"him with the mark on his face, i dont see him. Where is he now?" The corwed is as silent as death.(42)
 * 5) Kill the beast, cut his throat spill his blood.(152 and others)
 * 6) He freed them from the rocks and the figure the ["beast"] from the wind's indignity.(147)
 * 7) Jack had backed right against the tribe and they were a solid mass of menace that bristled with spears.(180)
 * 8) Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of mans heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. (202)
 * 1) Abyss-- bottomless hole, vast expanse or depth
 * 2) Cascade-- a steep waterfall or series of waterfalls, a continuous series
 * 3) Covert-- Secret, concealed
 * 4) Cynical-- Given to fault-finding, sneering and sarcasm; exhibiting mocking disbelief
 * 5) Discursive-- Rambling, moving from one topic to another randomly
 * 6) Dubious--doubtful; not clear
 * 7) Ferocity-- savagery
 * 8) Furtive-- Secret in an underhanded way, stealthy
 * 9) Inscrutable-- Difficult to understand; mysterious
 * 10) Malevolence-- ill will or evil intentions
 * 11) Officious-- overly dutiful or obliging, insisting on providing service not requesting
 * 12) Parody-- humorous or rediculous imitiation
 * 13) Pinnacle-- the peak or highest point
 * 14) Vexation-- Discomfort or distress
 * 15) Vicissitude-- A passing from one thing to another, change of luck
 * 16) Vivid-- bright, distinct and clear
 * 17) Vulnerable-- susceptible to injury or attack
 * 1) Ralph: Ralph is the official leader of the boys at the beginning of the book. He emphasizes that the signal fire is imparative if they want to get rescued.
 * 2) Piggy: the source of Ralphs motivation to maintain peace, order, and the struggle to be rescued. he is fat, un-athletic, wears glasses, and has athsma and knows lots of facts. (stereotypical nerd)
 * 3) Johnny: small boy, the first kid that Piggy and Ralph find after blowing the conch. hes not major but he serves as an example of the littluns mind set: sloppy, careless, and loves fun and games.
 * 4) Jack: Ralphs arch rival, leader of the choir and the savages. obbsessed with authority and controlling people. he eventually leads the tribe and turns them against Ralph.
 * 5) Roger: sadistic biggun who eventually becomes Jacks right hand man. he is responsible for Piggys death.
 * 6) Simon: small choir boy who faints often. he serves as the symbol of innocence in the book. he is the boy who meets the lord of the flies.
 * 7) Sam
 * 8) Eric
 * 9) Samneric
 * 10) Maurice
 * 11) The Lord of the Flies
 * 12) The Beast