Answer to Question #285424 in English for Kelsey Jand

Question

Lord of the Flies Study Guide Questions

Direction: Your answers need to be thorough, and where possible, quote the text (with citation).

Chapter 5-6

Theme: What theme is Golding developing in the opening paragraph of Chapter 5? How is the meeting in Chapter 5 different from previous meetings? How do the topics at the meeting reflect the novel’s themes? Interpret the statement, “Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness.” How does the larger setting described in the second paragraph of Chapter 6 reinforce the theme of the novel?

Answer 1

The theme in chapter 5 is the loss of innocence as Ralph paces in the water as he remembers his fun in the sun and turns away, remembering all of his responsibility.

The meeting is different from the rest of the meetings as this one is very serious and disagreement occurs and the meeting ends unceremoniously. It started by Ralph griping the conch shell and berates the boys for failing to uphold the group’s rules. They have not done anything required of them: working at building shelters, gathering drinking water, neglecting the signal fire, and not using the designated toilet area. The things discussed in the meeting concerns their safety in the jungle.

The meeting shows the themes of the poem as at the end we see Ralph almost giving up on leadership but his friends assure him that the boys need his leadership.

Interpreting the statement

"Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind's essential illness means he is trying to explain that the Beast they are talking about is not a force they cannot control but is a part of their own natures and the "essential illness" can be explained as savagery.