Fire On The Flies Chapter Questions And Answers

Ralph gives everyone on the island equal rights and freedoms. Ralph makes everyone feel worthy but Jack makes almost everyone feel useless. Firstly, Ralph lets everyone on the island

When first introduced, Ralph is not interested in Piggy, who was not popular because he was fat. “He tried to be offhand and not too obviously uninterested, but the fat boy hurried

Even though many supporters suggest that Ralph is a great leader, it is obvious that Jack is the best leader on the island. Since the boys set foot on the island, Jack was honest, and he never hesitated to express his feelings. “Human nature cannot be so irremediably bad if the arrival of one adult can immediately put everything to rights” (Reilly,10). This quote explains that when Jack was introduced on the island he was a great leader, and this made the boys realize they each have individual responsibilities in order to contribute to the group. While being honest, Jack demanded the group to do what he wanted, and the boys would obey him. “Jack at first demands to be called as at school, Merridew, the surname his mark of superior age and authority”(Oldsey 4). This quote illustrates that Jack immediately separated himself from the other boys on the island.

Despite the fact that Jack’s fear of not being chief ends badly, Ralph’s fear of not surviving has another whole level of bad endings. Ralph’s main concern when the boys crash into the island is being rescued, but because of this, he neglects other problems such as looking out for littluns. “’That litte’un – ‘gasped Piggy – ‘him with the mark of his face, I don’t see him. Where is he now?’” (Golding 46). Ralph is so blinded by the idea of being rescued that he forgets his priorities. He should be watching the littluns, but instead, he is being selfish and cares only about the fire. As a consequence to his poor action, an innocent life is taken away. Also when a ship comes by and Ralph realizes that the hunters let the fire out, he loses it and he yells at Jack, but “his voice was loud and savage, and struck them into silence. ‘There was a ship’” (Golding 74). This is the first time that Ralph shows any sign of savagery, which tells the readers that evil and savageness is

He is eventually chosen as leader on account of his many positive qualities. He maintains a conflict with Jack throughout the entire novel, trying to keep order while Jack isn't as dedicated to it. The next person you meet in the story is a short fat boy, who wears spectacles. He is the most intellectual boy on the island, but since he has no social skills, he is usually in the background trying to maintain the peace. Together Ralph and Piggy represent the struggle for order and democracy.

Piggy clearly requests Ralph not to reveal his nickname, but Ralph tells the other boys without his consent. Ralph does not stop the injustice shown towards Piggy or the humiliation he suffers. This reveals his ineffectiveness as a leader because he does not make decisions or take actions that are necessary for the wellbeing of everyone. Many more unfair incidents take place later on in the book that may have been avoided if Ralph realized the importance of Piggy earlier in the novel, before everything slipped out of his control. Furthermore, Ralph does not demonstrate concern for everyone’s safety. Piggy attempts to talk sense into the boys and make them realize their mistakes, however Ralph fails to take action when the boy with a mulberry-coloured birthmark disappears. His reply to Piggy’s question is “muttered [...] as if in shame”: “‘Perhaps he went back to the, the-’” (47). Ralph’s lack of empathy and initiative is clearly shown in this passage. By being unable to provide an explanation, Ralph proves that he does not view the disappearance of a young boy as a serious matter. He once again breaks the trust of the boys while they remain unaware of his unfair actions. Although a majority of the island’s inhabitants appear unconcerned, Ralph acts unjustly when he chooses to do the same. He does not take the responsibility to search for the boy with a mulberry-coloured birthmark. Instead, Ralph simply “muttered [...] as if in shame” and tries to

At the beginning of chapter three, Jack is getting better at hunting, and starting to turn insane. "There was only the faintest indication of a trail here; a cracked twig and what might be the impression of one side of a hoof" indicates that the trail is barely visible, yet he can spot it which concludes that he spends most of his time in the jungle, which also explains how he tracks the pig so well. Evidence that Jack is becoming deranged is "eyes that in frustration seemed bolting and nearly mad." His obsession of wanting meat foreshadows him turning into a monster. "except for tattered shorts held up by his knife belt" symbolizes that he still has not discarded the trappings of civilization altogether.

Ralph said, "Who wants me? Ralph counted. 'I'm chief then." (pg. 17) This is a positive change in Ralph’s character because he began to take charge of the group and make new rules and decisions. Ralph made the decisions for the group and began to gain control over Jack by telling him what and what not to do. Ralph and the other boys went into a venture on the island, “three of us will go on an expedition and find out. I'll go, and Jack, and Simon." (pg. 17) This venture really didn’t change Ralph but it was the first night on the island and they discovered where everything was and what the island looked like.

Piggy works as the “rational world” in the novel, and that helps Ralph with his decision making pertaining the group. Although Ralph does not always acknowledge Piggy’s suggestions, they still show the reader what should be done and how the island has affected others’ reasoning. He could bring the group back to reality, even for just a

Ralph is a 12 year old boy with fair, blond hair. He is “built like a boxer” because of the width and heaviness of his shoulders. “He was old enough, 12 years and a few months, to have lost the prominent tummy of childhood and not yet old enough for adolescence to have made him awkward. You could see now that he might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness of shoulders went, but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil. ”(pg.10)

Ralph and Jack both wanted to be leaders of the island. Ralph would be more of a better leader in terms of giving people personal freedom. Ralph gives everyone an opportunity to speak there mind and is willing to let them have a input in what goes on. A leader needs to be able to let people express their ideas and not just making orders and demands without consulting to everyone. Ralph wants to have order and doesn't want things to get out of control, Ralph tells everyone “ All this I meant to say. Now i’ve said it. You voted me for chief. Now you do what I say.” (Golding 58). I don't believe Jack would be the type of leader to allow personal freedom. Jack and his tribe had become savages which caused him and others to be ruthless, and would attack if there was a possibility of a threat. An example of jack and the other tribe members being ruthless would be when there screaming

In Chapter 1 of the dystopian novel, Ralph and Piggy are the first characters introduced. When the boys are gathered on the island, Piggy and Ralph are the first to meet. By that moment, you instantly assume Ralph is the athletic one and Piggy is not. Piggy is described as the chubby boy who has asthma and wears glasses while Ralph is the fair looking boy. The two boys find out that there is other boys on the island. They gather a meeting and decide to elect a leader. Ralph definitely meets the requirements while Piggy falls behind. Later in the chapter, you learn and find out that Piggy has had a hard time in his childhood. He comes off having a hard time and how he still tries to grasp those emotions. Ralph is shown running throughout the island as Piggy is trying to keep up behind him. He runs on the land, in the lagoon, climbing trees. He has athletic features and it’s noticeable.

On the island, Piggy and Ralph have different personalities, but they are similar. In the early development of the island, Piggy displays his logical thinking. In the first chapter, Piggy said, “I expect we'll want to know all their names,"said the fat boy, "and make a list. We ought to have a meeting" (Golding 11). Later, in chapter two, Piggy said, "...The first thing we ought to have made was shelters down there by the beach. It wasn't half cold down there in the night. But the first time Ralph says 'fire' you goes howling and screaming up this here mountain. Like a pack of kids" (Golding 45). In the early stages of the society, Piggy was logical. In the midst of all the craziness, Piggy comes through and is able to methodically think things out. Ralph and the others might not appreciate it at times, but he's a necessity on the island. When they first arrived on the island, Piggy was planning out that they should have a meeting. He wants to make sure they develop the society the proper way. A little further into the development, Piggy is planning out the development of shelters. He gets upset that they aren't putting priorities first, but instead, acting like kids. Piggy's logical thinking is different from the others, but is needed in a developing society. After further development of the society, Piggy's personality turns analytical. In chapter ten, Piggy said, "It was an accident,"

(Golding 36). Jack’s reaction to this is not at all logical and even though Ralph says over and over again that there is no Beast Jack continues to say that he will hunt and kill it. He is so obsessed with hunting and leading that most of his motives throughout the novel relate to getting meat and gaining favor with the boys so that when he eventually leaves Ralph’s tribe most of the boys follow him. An example of hunting being the driving force behind his character is when Ralph leaves Jack and his hunters to guard the fire. The only point of the fire in the novel is to make smoke so that if a ship sails by the island that they will see the smoke and rescue the boys.

The tribe is disheartened at this bleak news. Moreover, they missed a rare opportunity to escape from the island and finally return home because the fire was extinguished. Wisps of smoke coming from the lifeless fire exemplify the boys’ dream of being rescued becoming an ethereal memory. Towards the end of the book, the boys ignite a conflagration on the entire island in an attempt to capture and kill