Discussion Questions

1. What are some of the manifestations of evil in the novel?

The novel explores human nature and urges readers to question if humans are intrinsically good or evil. In particular, it encourages readers to consider whether social restraints are necessary to inhibit evil impulses and nurture civility. In this context, it is important to note that manifestations of evil occur in the novel when order breaks down and chaos takes over.

The pig’s decapitated head, which Simon believes embodies the Lord of the Flies, represents primal evil. Simon believes that Jack’s sacrifice may have unleashed evil on the island, and as Jack and his crew grow more savage, Simon is convinced that evil has taken over the island.

On the other hand, the fear of the “beast” represents the boys’ attitude toward the unknown. Only Simon knows that the “beast” is the dead body of a soldier still attached to his parachute. Though Jack and Ralph find themselves questioning the beast’s existence, they nonetheless capitulate to the fear of the unknown. Toward the end, though Jack believes that he can kill it, he nonetheless orders his crew to offer sacrifice to the beast.

2. Does the naval ship represent a solution to the evil of the Lord of the Flies?

Readers are left to wonder if the naval ship can enable order and regulation on the island. Though the boys are happy to see the officer and the naval ship, they also realize that they have committed some grave acts in the absence of adult supervision. The ship seems to remind the boys that in a civilized world, people are held accountable for their actions. They seem to realize that some of their actions are punishable. As a result, readers are unsure how the boys might react to the ship’s arrival. Nonetheless, the naval ship certainly represents the well-ordered way of life, social restraint, and authority.

3. Why does Piggy cling to the conch until the very end? Why do Jack’s “savages” destroy the conch?

Piggy and Ralph see the conch as a symbol of order. Piggy continues to believe in the conch’s effectiveness as a regulating principle even when most of the boys actively disregard it. In doing so, Piggy represents a naive belief in the conch’s effectiveness. Both he and Ralph are unable to come up with other means to encourage order on the island. Indeed, they fail to recognize that the conch has lost its effectiveness. Unlike Piggy, Ralph holds on to the conch mainly for the power he believes he derives from it.

Though Jack’s savages no longer heed to the conch’s call, they realize that Ralph views it as a symbol of power and order. They destroy the conch not just to show that Ralph has lost his power but also to indicate that savagery has triumphed over order on the island.