Answer to Question #292360 in English for Kelsey Jand

Question

Lord of the Flies Study Guide Questions

Directions: Answers need to be thorough, and where possible, include quote text (with citation).

Chapter 4

Conflict: Describe the incident between the older boys, Maurice and Roger, and the littuns, Percival and Henry. Why is Roger not able to hit Henry with the stones? What does Ralph see that causes much excitement? What has Jack done to cause conflict? Contrast Ralph’s and Jack’s reactions to missing their first chance of rescue. What does Jack do to Piggy to further the conflict? In what way has Jack’s attitude towards Piggy escalated? How does Ralph feel at the feast? What does he decide to do?

Answer 1

In chapter 4 of Lord of the Flies, Roger and Maurice kick over the sandcastles of the younger children because they are embracing their primitive instincts and gradually transforming into savages. After being on the island for an extended period of time, the biguns are beginning to regress civilly and are becoming desensitized. They destroy the children's sandcastles simply because they can impose their will without any consequences or repercussions.

Roger joined Maurice they cruelly stomped on a sandcastle the littluns had built.

Roger threw stones at one of the boys, Henry but was very careful not to hit him.

Ralph gets excited when he saw a boat from the horizon. Jack only wants to hunt and play and this causes a conflict between him and Ralph. Ralph accosted Jack about the fire signal because it was the hunters' responsibility to maintain the fire.

Ralph become furious with Jack because it was the hunters’ responsibility to see that the fire was maintained but Jack and his hunters had killed a pig, they are excited and do not even listen to his complaints. Jack even slaps Piggy for complaining about the immaturity of the hunters. He finally admitted his responsibility but never apologized to Piggy.

Jack slapped Piggy for complaining about the hunters' immaturity and this furthered the conflict. He does not give him meat in the feast. Jack's attitude has escalated in that Jack doesn't want Piggy to come near them as they explore the Island and he calls him by his embarrassing nickname in front of the other boys. Why did Ralph not want to eat the meat the boys hunted? Why did he end up eating it anyway? Ralph was against Jack's desire to hunt that it felt wrong had decided not to eat the meat but he decided to eat because of hunger.