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READ THIS
A pilot from a stricken fighter-jet bails out high in the night sky and parachutes onto the island. His
parachute strings become entangled in the bush, preventing his limp body from being blown out to sea.
At dawn, Sam and Eric on fire duty wake up to see the parachute bulging in the morning light. Believing
it is the beast, they scamper back to the shelters to announce their terrifying news.
After a brief meeting, Ralph, Simon, Jack and some of his hunters go in search of the beast, scouring that
part of the island which they had never before explored.
In doing so, they arrived at the furthest point which Jack and his hunters decide would make a magnificent
fort.
READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE
Piggy took off his damaged glasses and cleaned the remaining lens.
"How about us, Ralph?"
"You haven't got the conch. Here."
"I mean -- how about us? Suppose the beast comes when you're all away. I can't see proper, and if I
get scared -- "
Jack broke in, contemptuously.
"You're always scared."
"I got the conch -- "
"Conch! Conch!" shouted Jack, "we don't need the conch any more. We know who ought to say things.
What good did Simon do speaking, or Bill, or Walter? It's time some people knew they've got to keep
quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us -- "
Ralph could no longer ignore his speech. The blood was hot in his cheeks.
"You haven't got the conch," he said. "Sit down."
Jack's face went so white that the freckles showed as clear, brown flecks. He licked his lips and remained
standing.
"This is a hunter's job."
The rest of the boys watched intently. Piggy, finding himself uncomfortably embroiled, slid the conch to
Ralph's knees and sat down. The silence grew oppressive and Piggy held his breath.
"This is more than a hunter's job," said Ralph at last, "because you can't track the beast. And don't you
want to be rescued?"
He turned to the assembly.
"Don't you all want to be rescued?" He looked back at Jack.
"I said before, the fire is the main thing. Now the fire must be out -- "
The old exasperation saved him and gave him the energy to attack.
"Hasn't anyone got any sense? We've got to re-light that fire. You never thought of that, Jack, did you?
Or don't any of you want to be rescued?"
Yes, they wanted to be rescued, there was no doubt about that; and with a violent swing to Ralph's side,
the crisis passed. Piggy let out his breath with a gasp, reached for it again and failed. He lay against a
log, his mouth gaping, blue shadows creeping round his lips. Nobody minded him.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
Explain fully what incident has just occurred which has led to the calling of this assembly of the
boys. (6)
[Need help?]
Sam and Eric have been tending the fire, although both were sleeping. At dawn they awoke and spotted
the parachutist in the weak glow of the flames.
Their fear prevented their recognising it for what it was. Instead they fled the scene, believing that they
had seen the beast and that the beast was following them even as they ran.
They awoke Ralph with their news that the beast did indeed exist, and Ralph in turn called an urgent
meeting of the assembly.
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Piggy took off his damaged glasses and cleaned the remaining lens.
- Explain the circumstances that had led to Piggy's glasses being broken. (2)
[Need help?]
An altercation between Piggy and Jack had ensued at a previous assembly, and Jack had fisted Piggy
in the face, breaking his spectacles.
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- How would this affect the boy? (2)
[Need help?]
Because Piggy was almost blind without his specs, his ability to see properly was put into severe jeopardy.
He was now condemned to using only one eye.
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"You haven't got the conch," Ralph tells Piggy. "Here."
- What is the purpose of Ralph's telling Piggy that he doesn't have the conch? (4)
[Need help?]
Even though they are meeting in a crisis situation, Ralph still believes that their established principles of
debating must be followed, i.e. only a person holding the conch is allowed to speak.
Piggy, in his fear and excitement at the news of the existence of the beast, has spoken out of turn
because he does not hold the conch.
He is theoretically not allowed to speak unless he is holding the conch, although it is becoming clear that
Jack no longer cares and often speaks out of turn.
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- Why does Ralph pass him the conch? (4)
[Need help?]
Despite the fact that most of the bigger boys despise Piggy, Ralph still considers him to be a legitimate
part of their assembly and therefore entitled to speak.
Moreover, unlike Jack who believes Piggy to have no valid opinion, Ralph respects Piggy's ideas. He
understands that, although the boy is fat and irritating, he nevertheless can think clearly and logically, and
therefore his opinion is a valuable one.
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"Conch! Conch!" shouted Jack,"we don't need the conch any more. We know who ought to say things.
What good did Simon do speaking, or Bill, or Walter? It's time some people knew they've got to keep
quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us."
- This heated speech by Jack reveals clearly his hitherto suppressed emotions. Explain what these
emotions are. (4)
[Need help?]
At heart, Jack is an autocrat, a dictator.
Before they arrived on the island, Jack had been the leader of the choir boys and probably a prefect. He
had therefore been in a position of authority.
He believes that he should by rights have been elected chief and he resents Ralph's election, as well as
Ralph's manner of leadership which Jack believes is weak.
It is his contention, therefore, that this democratic form of assembly must cease, to be replaced by a
dictatorship.
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- Why does Jack ask what good it did for Simon, Bill and Walter to speak? What did these boys say?
What was the result? (4)
[Need help?]
The previous meeting, partially called to debunk once and for all the existence of the beast, had ended
in turmoil through speeches by Bill, Walter and Simon.
Bill and Walter believed that they had seen the beast, while Simon believed that the beast was part of
them -- existing inside them.
The boys had no idea what Simon meant, but his words sparked terror that the beast did indeed exist.
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- Whom does Jack mean when he says that all decisions must be made by "the rest of
us"? (4)
[Need help?]
Jack wants the regular assembly to be disbanded, to be replaced by a dictatorship of himself with advice
from his closest allies.
The term "the rest of us" therefore probably refers only to himself who will rule by dictate.
This is called "fascism", a system of government which Adolph Hitler had adopted in Germany and
which had led to the outbreak of World War II.
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Ralph uses a series of rhetorical questions in his argument.
- Identify ONE such rhetorical question. (2)
[Need help?]
There are several rhetorical questions.
"And don't you want to be rescued?" Ralph asks.
He turns to the assembly and asks again, "Don't you all want to be rescued?"
Later he retorts to Jack and his supporters, "Or don't any of you want to be rescued?"
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- What is the purpose of a rhetorical question? (4)
[Need help?]
A rhetorical question is employed so as to take control of a situation.
It is a question that demands an expected answer and thereby rejects any alternative.
The question, "Don't you all want to be rescued?" demands the answer "Yes!". There is no
other answer.
The rhetorical question therefore serves as a means to control people, to make them think and respond
in the way that the questioner wishes them to.
It is therefore a form of mind-control.
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- Why does Ralph use rhetorical questions several times in his argument? (4)
[Need help?]
Ralph employs the rhetorical questions as a direct means to take back control which appears to be drifting
to Jack.
Jack is showing signs of taking control and then establishing a dictatorship where no-one will be asked
for their opinion. He is already refusing to take orders.
By using his series of rhetorical questions, Ralph intends to put Jack in the wrong, to prove to the boys
that support for Jack will doom them to an eternity on the island.
In short, Ralph stands for rescue, Jack for hunting. He wants the boys to believe that he alone is right.
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Yes, they wanted to be rescued, there was no doubt about that; and with a violent swing to Ralph's
side, the crisis passed.
- Why had opinion so nearly sided with Jack? (4)
[Need help?]
Jack stood for power and force.
He had tried to convince the boys that his hunting party could track down and kill the beast. Because the
boys were terrified of the beast, they tended to side with anyone with strength who could promise death
to the beast.
Jack could not promise that, of course, but he was capable of mouthing promises so as to get the boys
on his side and thereby assume leadership.
This is called politics and Jack would be called a politician.
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- Explain how it was that Ralph had managed to restore control over the situation. (4)
[Need help?]
Ralph restores his control by means of his series of rhetorical questions which point to the fact that only
he can lead them to rescue.
A vote for Jack represents no hope for rescue -- and rescue is of course their ultimate goal. The death
of the beast is merely an intermediate goal.
And so the boys reluctantly give Ralph another chance to achieve the ultimate of rescue.
But time is now no longer on his side. The boys are now beginning to look to strong leadership to protect
them.
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- If Jack had won, what do you think would have happened next? (4)
[Need help?]
If Jack had won the vote, his next step would undoubtedly have been to depose Ralph as chief. It's what
is called a vote of no confidence which forces the leader to step down.
The rescue fire would then become a thing of the past as Jack and his entourage of hunters embarked
upon a frenzy of hunting and fun.
Because Jack appeared to have a natural sadistic streak -- i.e. he had an innate desire to hurt -- his
dictatorship would also have been one of bullying and rule by fear.
One could presume that harsh military conditions would be brought in, with severe physical punishment
-- perhaps even death -- for anyone who was seen to be against him.
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Piggy let out his breath with a gasp, reached for it again and failed. He lay against a log, his mouth
gaping, blue shadows creeping round his lips. Nobody minded him.
- Why does Piggy lie back against a log, "his mouth gaping, blue shadows creeping round his
lips"? (4)
[Need help?]
Piggy suffers from asthma. As a rule it is under control but the news that the beast did indeed exist and
the fear that Jack might take over leadership caused his asthma to spiral out of control.
If Jack did usurp the chieftainship, Piggy knew all too well that he would become the first victim of Jack's
revenge. He was also terrified that he and the littluns might be attacked by the beast while the bigger boys
were away attempting to hunt it.
It was these fears that caused his asthma attack.
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- Why does nobody mind him? (4)
[Need help?]
The boys ignore Piggy because they find him irritating and too much unlike them.
He does not play with them. He whines a lot. He hates Jack and argues with him. Only Ralph and the
littluns have any liking for him.
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