Lord of the Flies (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Exam Questions

6 hours113 questions
11 mark

What object do Ralph and Piggy use to summon the other boys on the island?

  • a whistle

  • a drum

  • a conch shell

  • a trumpet

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21 mark

Who is elected as the leader of the boys at the beginning of the novel?

  • Jack

  • Piggy

  • Simon

  • Ralph

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31 mark

What is the true identity of the “Beast” that Simon discovers at the top of the mountain?

  • a pig’s head

  • the airplane pilot

  • a British naval officer

  • a dead parachutist

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41 mark

What do the boys use to start the signal fire?

  • matches

  • Piggy’s glasses

  • flint stones

  • a magnifying glass

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51 mark

What happens to the boy with the mulberry-coloured birthmark?

  • He becomes the leader of the littluns.

  • He goes missing after the signal fire spreads.

  • He is the one to be rescued first.

  • He discovers the “beast”.

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61 mark

Which character is killed by the other boys during a frenzied dance?

  • Ralph

  • Piggy

  • Simon

  • Roger

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71 mark

What do the boys offer as a sacrifice to the beast?

  • Piggy’s glasses

  • the conch shell

  • a piece of fruit

  • a pig’s head

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81 mark

Explain why Ralph is frustrated with the other boys on the island.

  • They are too focused on playing instead of keeping the signal fire lit.

  • They all refuse to help him gather food from the forest.

  • They keep arguing over who should be the leader.

  • They do not listen to his stories about England.

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91 mark

Comment on how the signal fire represents the boys’ connection to civilisation.

  • It symbolises their hope of being rescued and maintaining order.

  • It represents their fear of the beast on the island.

  • It shows their desire to establish a new society on the island.

  • It illustrates their understanding of the island’s dangers.

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101 mark

Summarise the impact of Piggy’s death on the group dynamics.

  • It inspires the boys to unite and build a new society in Piggy’s honour.

  • It marks the complete breakdown of order and civilisation among the boys.

  • It has little effect, as Piggy was not well-liked and his death removes a potential problem.

  • It causes the boys to realise the importance of cooperation, as Piggy would have survived with help.

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11 mark

How does Ralph’s use of the conch shell illustrate the theme of leadership?

  • It symbolises his attempt to establish order and authority among the boys.

  • It represents his desire to maintain communication with the outside world.

  • It demonstrates his ability to unite the group through a shared symbol.

  • It indicates his struggle to balance democracy with decisive action.

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21 mark

Comment on the significance of Simon’s hallucination involving the Lord of the Flies.

  • It indicates his physical weakness and inability to survive on the island.

  • It shows his growing loyalty to Jack’s tribe, who killed the pig and sacrificed it to the Beast.

  • It represents the manifestation of his inner fears and the evil within the boys.

  • It suggests his rejection of Ralph’s leadership, as he is sickened by the death of an innocent creature.

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31 mark

Explain why Jack’s tribe increasingly engages in rituals and dances.

  • to strengthen their sense of unity and power over the other boys

  • to prepare themselves for rescue by a passing ship

  • to express their remorse for killing Simon during one of their rituals

  • to celebrate the construction of shelters on the island

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41 mark

Using evidence from the text, how does Ralph’s leadership style differ from Jack’s?

  • Ralph relies on rituals, including dancing, while Jack avoids ordered rituals altogether.

  • Ralph is more aggressive and controlling, whereas Jack is diplomatic and inclusive.

  • Ralph prefers to lead through fear, while Jack leads with compassion and understanding.

  • Ralph maintains civility and order, while Jack embraces savagery and chaos.

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51 mark

Suggest why the boys' fear of the beast escalates throughout the novel.

  • The beast communicates with them through the Lord of the Flies, but does not like the sacrifice.

  • The beast is a real creature that they cannot defeat, even as their aggression towards it intensifies.

  • The beast symbolises their growing fear of the unknown and their own inner darkness.

  • The beast is manipulated by Jack to control the group, who weaponises it with brutal efficiency.

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61 mark

How might you support the idea that the conch shell loses its power as the story progresses?

  • The conch shell remains a symbol of order and is respected until the end when the boys are saved.

  • The boys begin to ignore its authority, and it is eventually destroyed along with Piggy.

  • The boys protect the conch and refuse to let Jack’s tribe take it, treating it like a holy relic.

  • The conch shell is buried to preserve its power and significance, and commemorate Piggy’s death.

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71 mark

Using examples from the plot, suggest how the island itself reflects the boys' descent into savagery.

  • The island heals itself after every destructive act by the boys, showing that violence is not natural.

  • The island remains a paradise, unaffected by the boys’ actions, although its future is uncertain.

  • The island becomes more chaotic and destructive as the boys’ behaviour deteriorates.

  • The island becomes a symbol of peace as the boys’ conflicts escalate, providing a safe haven.

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