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GCSE · English Literature

GE.T-LordOfFlies Literature: Lord of the Flies (William Golding)

AQA 8702 · Calculators not allowed · about 150 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

List four of the rules or agreements the boys make for themselves during the first assembly on the island.

(Total for Question 1 is 4 marks)

List four ways in which order and organisation on the island break down as the novel progresses.

(Total for Question 2 is 4 marks)

Answer the following short questions about the context of the novel.

(a)In what decade was Lord of the Flies first published?(1)

(b)By what means are the boys being evacuated when their plane crashes on the island?(1)

(c)In which branch of the armed forces did William Golding serve during the Second World War?(1)

(Total for Question 3 is 3 marks)

Identify two objects associated with Piggy in the novel and, for each, state one idea it is generally understood to represent.

(Total for Question 4 is 4 marks)

Explain how Golding presents the conch as a symbol of order and civilisation.

(Total for Question 5 is 6 marks)

Explain how Piggy is presented as an outsider within the group.

(Total for Question 6 is 6 marks)

Explain the significance of fire as a symbol across the novel.

(Total for Question 7 is 8 marks)

Explain how Golding presents Jack's transformation from a choirboy into a savage leader.

(Total for Question 8 is 8 marks)

Explain how fear of 'the beast' is used to affect the behaviour of the group.

(Total for Question 9 is 8 marks)

Explain how Simon is presented as different from the other boys on the island.

(Total for Question 10 is 8 marks)

Analyse how Golding presents Ralph's development as a leader across the novel as a whole.

(Total for Question 11 is 10 marks)

Analyse the structural choices Golding makes to build tension across the novel as a whole.

(Total for Question 12 is 10 marks)

Write about how Golding presents the theme of civilisation versus savagery in the novel.

(Total for Question 13 is 12 marks)

Write about how Golding presents the theme of the loss of innocence in the novel.

(Total for Question 14 is 12 marks)

Write about how Golding presents ideas about power and leadership in the novel, and comment on the historical context that shaped his portrayal of human nature.

(Total for Question 15 is 15 marks)

Write about the significance of the ending of the novel, and comment on why Golding's exploration of human nature continues to be relevant to readers today.

(Total for Question 16 is 15 marks)

'The real beast in Lord of the Flies is not a monster on the island, but human nature itself.'

Using this statement as a starting point, write about how Golding explores ideas about human nature in the novel.

(Total for Question 17 is 20 marks)

Starting with your ideas about the conch and its eventual destruction, write about how Golding presents ideas about civilisation and its breakdown across the novel as a whole, and evaluate the extent to which the novel presents a pessimistic view of human nature.

In your response you should discuss:
- how Golding presents civilisation and its breakdown in the novel
- how Golding's methods create meaning
- the extent to which the novel presents a pessimistic view of human nature

(Total for Question 18 is 30 marks)

Mark scheme · GE.T-LordOfFlies Literature: Lord of the Flies (William Golding)

Question 1

B1 only the boy holding the conch may speak
B1 a signal fire must be lit and kept burning, to attract passing ships
B1 Ralph is chosen/agreed as chief
B1 any other valid agreed rule, e.g. littluns must use a particular area as a toilet, or meetings are to be called by blowing the conch
Answer: Any four of: only the conch-holder may speak; a signal fire must be kept burning; Ralph is agreed as chief; a designated toilet area is agreed; meetings are to be summoned by the conch.

Question 2

B1 the signal fire is neglected or allowed to go out
B1 assemblies are increasingly ignored, interrupted or abandoned
B1 a separate, rival group forms under Jack, splitting the boys
B1 any other valid example, e.g. shelters are left unfinished, hunting is prioritised over rescue, violence breaks out between boys
Answer: Any four of: the fire is neglected; assemblies are ignored or abandoned; a rival group forms under Jack; shelters are left unfinished; hunting is prioritised over rescue; violence increases between boys.

Question 3

(a) B1 the 1950s (1954)
(a) Answer: The 1950s (1954).
(b) B1 they are being flown away from a war zone in Britain/evacuated by air during a nuclear/global war
(b) Answer: They are being flown away from Britain during a wartime evacuation, and the plane crashes.
(c) B1 the Royal Navy
(c) Answer: The Royal Navy.

Question 4

B1 names Piggy's glasses
B1 links the glasses to a clear idea, e.g. knowledge, science, civilisation or the group's ability to make fire
B1 names the conch (as strongly linked to Piggy's use of it/his belief in it)
B1 links the conch to a clear idea, e.g. order, democracy, rules or civilised authority
Answer: Piggy's glasses, representing knowledge/science/the means to make fire; the conch, representing order, rules and civilised authority.

Question 5

Level 3 (5-6): Clear, relevant explanation: analyses how the conch's use (calling assemblies, granting the right to speak) presents it as a symbol of order, tracking a clear change in its authority across the novel.
Level 2 (3-4): Some explanation: identifies the conch's role in assemblies or speaking rights and offers a generally appropriate comment on order/civilisation.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple point that the conch is important, with little development.
Indicative content:
- the conch is used to call the boys together and to grant the sole right to speak, making it a physical embodiment of democratic procedure
- its authority is initially respected by nearly all the boys, showing how readily a group will accept a shared symbol of order when a society is first being formed
- as the novel progresses, the conch's authority is increasingly ignored, talked over or physically left behind, tracking the wider collapse of civilised behaviour on the island
- its eventual destruction removes the last formal symbol of shared rules, marking the point at which organised society on the island effectively ends

Question 6

Level 3 (5-6): Clear, relevant explanation: analyses how Piggy's physical characteristics, speech and treatment by other boys combine to present him as an outsider, with clear reference to specific moments in the novel.
Level 2 (3-4): Some explanation: identifies relevant details about Piggy's appearance or treatment and makes a generally appropriate comment on his outsider status.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple point that Piggy is different or bullied, with little development.
Indicative content:
- Piggy's asthma, poor eyesight and overweight build set him apart physically from the fitter, more able-bodied boys
- his nickname, chosen by the other boys against his wishes, immediately marks him as someone whose own preferences are not respected by the group
- his more formal, adult-influenced speech and reliance on logic and rules contrast with the other boys' growing informality, making him seem out of step with the group's direction
- his repeated mistreatment, being mocked, ignored, and eventually a victim of the group's violence, shows how a society under pressure can turn against those who represent reason and civilisation

Question 7

Level 4 (7-8): Convincing, well-supported explanation: analyses fire's shifting significance (rescue, destruction, hunting) across several key moments, showing a developed understanding of how its meaning changes.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear explanation: explains at least two different significances of fire with clear reference to the novel.
Level 2 (3-4): Some explanation: identifies one significance of fire (e.g. rescue) with a generally appropriate comment.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple point that fire is important, with little development.
Indicative content:
- fire begins as a hopeful symbol of rescue and connection to the adult, civilised world beyond the island
- the fire started to signal a ship indirectly causes the first death on the island, introducing the idea that the boys' actions have real, uncontrollable consequences
- as the novel progresses, fire becomes associated with hunting and destruction rather than rescue, reflecting the shift in the group's priorities away from civilisation
- the final, uncontrolled fire that spreads across the island, intended to hunt down Ralph, shows fire completing its transformation from a symbol of hope into a symbol of the boys' capacity for destruction

Question 8

Level 4 (7-8): Convincing, well-supported explanation: analyses how specific stages (loss of the choir's identity, first failed hunt, painted face, rival tribe) mark Jack's transformation, with confident, precise reference to the novel.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear explanation: explains at least two stages of Jack's transformation with clear reference to the novel.
Level 2 (3-4): Some explanation: identifies a relevant change in Jack with a generally appropriate comment.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple point that Jack becomes more savage, with little development.
Indicative content:
- Jack begins the novel as the leader of a disciplined, uniformed choir, suggesting an initial identity built around order and obedience to adult institutions
- his early failure to kill a pig shows a lingering civilised restraint that is gradually worn away as the novel progresses
- painting his face before hunting is presented as a turning point, allowing Jack to shed self-consciousness and act without the restraint of being recognised as himself
- his eventual establishment of a rival, tribal group with its own rules, chants and punishments shows a complete transformation into a savage leader whose authority rests on fear rather than agreement

Question 9

Level 4 (7-8): Convincing, well-supported explanation: analyses how fear of the beast is introduced, spreads and is exploited by different characters, with confident reference to specific moments in the novel.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear explanation: explains how fear of the beast affects the group's behaviour with clear reference to the novel.
Level 2 (3-4): Some explanation: identifies that fear of the beast affects the group with a generally appropriate comment.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple point that the boys are afraid, with little development.
Indicative content:
- fear of the beast begins among the youngest boys but gradually spreads to affect the whole group, showing how quickly unfounded fear can take hold in an isolated community
- the mistaken sighting of a dead parachutist as a beast shows how fear distorts perception, causing the boys to misread ordinary or explainable events as evidence of a monster
- Jack exploits fear of the beast to draw boys towards his group, offering protection and the excitement of hunting as an answer to a fear that Ralph and Piggy cannot easily dispel through reason alone
- the beast is eventually suggested to exist within the boys themselves rather than as an external creature, reframing the fear as really being about the group's own capacity for violence

Question 10

Level 4 (7-8): Convincing, well-supported explanation: analyses how Simon's actions, insight and treatment by the group present him as distinct from the other boys, with confident reference to specific moments in the novel.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear explanation: explains at least two ways Simon differs from the other boys with clear reference to the novel.
Level 2 (3-4): Some explanation: identifies one relevant difference in Simon with a generally appropriate comment.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple point that Simon is kind or different, with little development.
Indicative content:
- Simon quietly helps the younger boys and builds shelters without being asked, showing a natural kindness that contrasts with the self-interest shown by most of the other boys
- he is the only character to reach an understanding that the beast may be something within the boys themselves rather than an external monster, suggesting a deeper insight than the rest of the group
- his habit of going alone into the forest to a private, almost sacred space sets him apart from the group's increasingly public, tribal behaviour
- his death, mistaken for the beast during a frenzied ritual, presents the destruction of goodness and insight by a group driven by fear and mob behaviour

Question 11

Level 4 (9-10): Convincing, well-structured analysis: tracks Ralph's leadership from confident election, through mounting difficulty, to near-total isolation, with confident, well-integrated reference across the whole novel.
Level 3 (6-8): Clear analysis: explains at least two stages of Ralph's development as a leader with clear reference to the novel.
Level 2 (3-5): Some analysis: identifies one relevant stage in Ralph's leadership with some supporting reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited analysis: makes a simple, undeveloped point about Ralph as a leader.
Indicative content:
- Ralph is elected chief early in the novel largely because of his physical presence and his possession of the conch, suggesting his authority initially rests on circumstance as much as ability
- he prioritises rescue and long-term planning (fire, shelters) over immediate pleasures such as hunting, presenting him as a leader guided by reason and responsibility
- his growing frustration and difficulty holding assemblies as the novel progresses shows the practical limits of reasoned leadership when a group's priorities begin to shift
- by the end of the novel he is reduced to a hunted, isolated figure with almost no followers, showing the near-total collapse of the civilised model of leadership he represents
- his final grief on being rescued, understanding what has been lost, suggests Golding presents Ralph as gaining painful self-knowledge even as his practical authority disappears

Question 12

Level 4 (9-10): Convincing, well-structured analysis: tracks structural choices (opening calm, escalating incidents, cross-cutting between groups, the shock of the ending) across the whole novel, explaining precisely how each builds tension.
Level 3 (6-8): Clear analysis: identifies at least two structural features and explains their effect on tension, with relevant reference to the novel.
Level 2 (3-5): Some analysis: identifies one or two structural features with some supporting reference, though explanation of effect may be limited.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited analysis: makes a simple, undeveloped point about structure.
Indicative content:
- the novel opens with a sense of paradise and possibility before gradually introducing signs of disorder, allowing tension to build slowly rather than beginning with immediate danger
- incidents of violence and loss of control escalate in severity across the novel, from minor disobedience, to a serious injury, to two deaths, giving the novel a clear rising structure
- Golding increasingly cuts between Ralph's shrinking group and Jack's growing tribe, using this contrast to heighten the sense of an approaching, inevitable confrontation
- the sudden arrival of the naval officer at the very end of the novel creates an abrupt tonal shift, undercutting the tension built up by the hunt for Ralph and forcing a reappraisal of everything that has happened
- recurring symbols, such as the fire and the conch, are structured to reappear at key moments in changed forms, marking the stages of the boys' decline for the reader

Question 13

Level 4 (10-12): Convincing, well-structured response: sustained analysis of how civilisation and savagery are presented through several characters, symbols and events across the whole novel, with confident subject terminology.
Level 3 (7-9): Clear response: explains how civilisation versus savagery is presented through at least two methods, with relevant reference to the novel.
Level 2 (4-6): Some response: identifies relevant moments relating to civilisation versus savagery with some supporting reference, though development may be limited.
Level 1 (1-3): Simple, limited response: makes a simple, undeveloped point about civilisation versus savagery.
Indicative content:
- the conch and assemblies represent civilised structures of order and shared decision-making, which are gradually abandoned as the novel progresses
- Jack's tribe develops its own rituals, chants and face paint, presenting an alternative, savage form of social organisation built on fear and hierarchy rather than agreement
- Piggy's reliance on logic, rules and adult authority contrasts sharply with the instinctive, physical behaviour increasingly valued by the majority of the boys
- the boys' uniforms, initially neat school clothing, become torn and abandoned across the novel, providing a visual marker of their movement away from civilised society
- the arrival of the naval officer, himself a symbol of adult civilisation, is used ironically, since he represents a wider adult world simultaneously engaged in a war, suggesting savagery is not confined to the island

Question 14

Level 4 (10-12): Convincing, well-structured response: sustained analysis of how the loss of innocence is presented through several characters and events across the whole novel, with confident subject terminology.
Level 3 (7-9): Clear response: explains how the loss of innocence is presented through at least two methods, with relevant reference to the novel.
Level 2 (4-6): Some response: identifies relevant moments relating to the loss of innocence with some supporting reference, though development may be limited.
Level 1 (1-3): Simple, limited response: makes a simple, undeveloped point about the loss of innocence.
Indicative content:
- the boys' initial excitement at being free from adult supervision presents childhood freedom in a positive light before this innocence is gradually undermined
- the escalation from play-hunting to a real killing of an animal, and eventually to violence against other boys, marks clear stages in the loss of childlike innocence
- the littluns' early, almost playful fears develop into a genuine, damaging terror that affects the whole group's behaviour, showing innocence being replaced by real danger
- Ralph's final grief, understanding both the deaths that have occurred and 'the darkness of man's heart', presents the loss of innocence as something the surviving characters must consciously come to terms with
- the presence of the naval officer, who initially views the events as a game, is used to suggest that even adults can be slow to recognise the seriousness of what innocence has been lost

Question 15

Level 4 (12-15): Convincing, critical response: sustained, perceptive analysis of power and leadership across the whole novel, using confident subject terminology; contextual point about Golding's wartime experience integrated fully and convincingly into the argument.
Level 3 (8-11): Clear, relevant response: explains how power and leadership are presented through several methods; makes a clear, appropriate contextual point about Golding's experience or the period.
Level 2 (4-7): Some, generic response: identifies relevant moments relating to power and leadership; makes a generic or partly relevant contextual comment.
Level 1 (1-3): Simple, limited response: makes a simple, undeveloped point about power and leadership; little or no contextual comment.
Indicative content:
- Ralph's leadership, based on election and reasoned argument, is contrasted with Jack's leadership, which relies increasingly on fear, ritual and the offer of meat, presenting two competing models of power
- power on the island shifts from being tied to a shared symbol (the conch) to being tied to physical strength and the ability to inspire fear, tracking a wider breakdown in how authority is established
- Piggy's attempts to use logical argument to challenge Jack's authority are repeatedly dismissed, suggesting that reasoned leadership struggles to compete with power based on fear once a group feels threatened
- Golding served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and witnessed violence at close hand, and the novel was written in the years following the war, during a period in which the full extent of wartime atrocities was becoming widely known
- this context shaped Golding's interest in exploring how ordinary people, including children, might behave when the structures of civilised society are removed, using the island as a controlled setting to test his ideas about power and human nature
- the novel can be read as a direct response to the more optimistic view of childhood found in earlier adventure fiction, offering a far more pessimistic account of what children might do to gain and hold power

Question 16

Level 4 (12-15): Convincing, critical response: sustained, perceptive analysis of the ending's significance, with confident subject terminology; contextual point about the novel's continued relevance integrated fully and convincingly.
Level 3 (8-11): Clear, relevant response: explains the significance of the ending through relevant reference; makes a clear, appropriate contextual point about relevance today.
Level 2 (4-7): Some, generic response: identifies relevant features of the ending with some reference; makes a generic or partly relevant contextual comment.
Level 1 (1-3): Simple, limited response: makes a simple, undeveloped point about the ending; little or no contextual comment.
Indicative content:
- the sudden appearance of the naval officer abruptly halts the hunt for Ralph, reframing what had felt to the reader like a life-or-death crisis as, to the adult world, a game played by children
- Ralph's uncontrollable grief at being rescued, weeping for the loss of innocence and the deaths that have occurred, is presented as the emotional climax the earlier action has been building towards
- the officer's own presence as a representative of a world still fighting a war undercuts any easy separation between the 'civilised' adult world and the 'savage' island, deliberately widening the novel's argument beyond the boys themselves
- the novel's exploration of how quickly cooperation can collapse into fear-driven violence continues to resonate whenever readers consider group behaviour, bullying or the fragility of social order under pressure
- because the story uses ordinary children rather than extraordinary villains, Golding's suggestion that the capacity for cruelty exists within anyone remains uncomfortable and thought-provoking well beyond its original post-war context

Question 17

Level 4 (16-20): Compelling, critical response: sustained, sophisticated engagement with the statement across the whole novel; perceptive analysis of methods with consistently precise subject terminology; contextual understanding woven fully into the argument.
Level 3 (11-15): Clear, well-structured response: sustained, clear engagement with the statement; explains effects of methods with accurate subject terminology; relevant context clearly shown.
Level 2 (6-10): Some, generic response: attempts to engage with the statement with some relevant reference; comments on methods with limited subject terminology; some awareness of context.
Level 1 (1-5): Simple, limited response: simple or narrative response with limited reference; simple or no comment on methods; little or no awareness of context.
Indicative content:
- agree: the imagined external beast is repeatedly shown to be either a misidentified object or, ultimately, Simon's insight that it may live within the boys themselves, directly supporting the statement
- agree: characters with no obvious external threat still turn to cruelty, seen in the mistreatment of Piggy and the mob violence against Simon, both carried out by ordinary boys rather than monstrous outsiders
- agree: Jack's escalating tribe shows that, once fear and ritual replace reasoned rules, capacity for violence can emerge from within a group with no external cause at all
- qualify: the novel does still use a genuinely frightening external event, the dead parachutist, to trigger the boys' fear, suggesting real external dangers play some part alongside internal human nature
- qualify: not all boys embrace savagery equally, since Ralph, Piggy and Simon continue to attempt reasoned or compassionate behaviour throughout, suggesting human nature is presented as varied rather than uniformly monstrous
- context: writing in the aftermath of a war in which ordinary people were shown capable of great cruelty, Golding uses the island as a deliberately controlled setting to test how thin the boundary between civilisation and savagery really is

Question 18

Level 4 (25-30): Compelling, critical evaluation: sustained, sophisticated evaluation of civilisation and its breakdown across the whole novel; judicious, precisely selected references; perceptive analysis of methods with consistently precise subject terminology; contextual understanding woven seamlessly into the argument.
Level 3 (17-24): Critical, exploratory evaluation: exploratory, critical response with a clear line of argument sustained across the novel; judicious range of references; analyses effects of methods with precise subject terminology; contextual factors integrated fully where relevant.
Level 2 (9-16): Detailed, well-structured evaluation: consistently clear, detailed evaluation of civilisation and its breakdown; well-chosen range of references; explains effects of methods with subject terminology used accurately; understanding of relevant context clearly shown.
Level 1 (1-8): Simple or clear evaluation: simple or clear response with some relevant reference; some comment on methods with limited or accurate use of subject terminology; some or little awareness of context.
Indicative content:
- the conch's journey from a respected symbol of ordered assembly to an object openly disregarded and finally smashed provides a clear structural marker of civilisation's decline across the novel
- civilisation is presented as fragile rather than natural: it depends on continued, active agreement (assemblies, shared rules) rather than existing automatically, so it collapses quickly once that agreement breaks down
- methods: Golding structures the novel around escalating incidents (the accidental fire death, Simon's death, Piggy's death) each of which further erodes the remaining civilised order, building a clear downward trajectory
- methods: recurring symbols (the conch, fire, Piggy's glasses) are used economically to track abstract ideas about civilisation through concrete, memorable objects, allowing the decline to be followed without lengthy explanation
- methods: the sudden tonal shift at the ending, brought about by the naval officer's arrival, forces the reader to re-evaluate the preceding events from an adult perspective, complicating any simple judgement of the boys
- evaluation: the novel is largely pessimistic, since civilisation collapses rapidly with only minimal external pressure, and the surviving adult world is shown to be engaged in its own war, suggesting the same capacity for savagery exists beyond the island
- evaluation, counter-view: some optimism remains in the continued, if unsuccessful, efforts of Ralph, Piggy and Simon to maintain reason, order and compassion, suggesting Golding does not present savagery as the only possible human response
- evaluation: Ralph's final grief, rather than relief, suggests the novel's ultimate concern is less with condemning the boys than with mourning what the loss of childhood innocence and civilised order reveals about human nature more broadly

Literature: Lord of the Flies (William Golding) - Worksheets, Questions and Revision