1. Lord of the Flies Chapter 2: Fire on the Mountain

2. The three boys are back from exploring the island
The three boys are back from exploring the island. Ralph tells the others they are on an uninhabited island. He says, “We’ve been on the mountain top and seen water all round. We saw no houses, no smoke, no footprints, no boats, no people.”
Jack mentions the pig that escapes and slams his knife into the trunk to illustrate that next time he’ll be ready.
Ralph says, “There aren’t any grownups. We shall have to look after ourselves. . .And another thing. We can’t have everybody talking at once. We’ll have to have ‘Hands up’ like at school.”
At the meeting, what rules does Ralph establish?
The boys must raise their hands to speak. Ralph will then give them the conch so they can speak. ONLY the person holding the conch has the right to speak

3. Jack agrees and wants rules. He says, “We’ll have rules. Lots of rules
Jack agrees and wants rules. He says, “We’ll have rules! . . .Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks ‘em-”
Why, do you think, does Jack want rules?
A: He wants rules so he can punish the boys breaking the rules.
What does Ralph suggest the boys do until they are rescued by adults?
A: He says, “Until the grown-ups come and fetch us, we’ll have fun. . .It’s like in a book.”
“Treasure Island-”
“Swallows and Amazons-”
“Coral Island”

4. Jack points out that the island has:
Food
Pigs
Bathing water
A little stream for drinking water
BUT
a little boy with a huge mulberry-colored birthmark asks Piggy and the group about the snake-thing or beastie.
What does the small boy with the birthmark say inhabits the island? Why is this ominous? What might this foreshadow?
A: A snake-like creature or beastie. It foreshadows the beginning of fear on the island, and fear is a powerful emotion.

5. How does Jack handle the children’s fear of the beastie
How does Jack handle the children’s fear of the beastie? A: The boys agree that a creature that big could not live on a small island. They are adamant that there is not a beastie on the island. The boys think the little boy had a nightmare.

6. Ralph vs. Jack
Pg. 36
Ralph’s response to the beastie: “But there isn’t a beastie!”
Jack’s response: “Ralph’s right of course. There isn’t a snake-thing. But if there was a snake we’d hunt it and kill it.”
Notice how Jack wants to make the kids feel secure by telling them he will protect them from the beast.

7. How do they boys plan on being rescued?
Ralph’s next decision as a leader is that they must make a signal fire.
He says, “There’s another thing. We can help them to find us. If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire.”
The boys immediately run up the mountain to build a fire.
Jack yells, “Come on! Follow me!”

8. When the boys race up the side of the mountain, what does Piggy think?
Twice Piggy says, “Like a crowd of kids.” What does this judgment say about Piggy?
A: This lets us know how Piggy thinks. Ralph mentions the word fire and they all race up the mountain to build it. To Piggy, this is not proper behavior.
Piggy would have preferred to finish the meeting, set priorities, and make a plan for the fire before actually building it.

9. How do they boys eventually light the fire?
The boys climb the mountain and begin to build a fire.
There is an abundant supply of dead wood on one side on the mountain.
They make a large pile, but realize there is no way to light the fire.
Jack sees Piggy and realizes they can use his ‘specs’ to light the fire.

10. Once the fire is burning, the boys struggle to keep it going because the dead wood burns too quickly.
In addition, the dry wood produces only fire, no smoke.
When Piggy points this out, Jack lashes out at him. He says that Piggy did not help them collect the wood, but
Simon points out that he helped light the fire with his specs.

11. In what way does Jack try to limit the power of the conch
In what way does Jack try to limit the power of the conch? What is the conch a symbol of?
Piggy wants to talk and says he has the conch which gives him the right to speak, but Jack tells Piggy the conch does not count on top of the mountain, so he should shut up. The conch, then, is a symbol of democracy and island government. If the boys are allowed to speak while they hold the conch, then they ALL have an equal voice on the island.

12. What does Jack say his choir will do?
Jack says his hunters will be responsible for keeping the fire going at all times.

13. Piggy starts to criticize Jack saying, “You’ve got your small fire all right” and the boys all notice that the fire has spread and is now out of control. The entire side of the mountain is engulfed in flames.
Piggy continues, “There ain’t nothing we can do. We ought to be more careful. I’m scared-”
Jack: “You’re always scared Fatty!”

14. Piggy losing his temper: “ I got the conch. Just you listen
Piggy losing his temper: “ I got the conch! Just you listen! The first thing we ought to have made was shelters down there by the beach. It wasn’t half cold down there in the night. But the first time Ralph says ‘fire’ and you go howling and screaming up this here mountain. Like a pack of kids!. . . How can you expect to be rescued if you don’t put first things first and act proper? . . Then when you get there you build a bonfire that isn’t no use. Now you been and set the whole island on fire. Won’t we look funny if the whole island burns up? Cooked fruit, that’s what we’ll have to eat, and roast pork! And that’s nothing to laugh at. You said Ralph was chief and you don’t give him time to think. Then when he says something you rush off, like, like—”

15. “And that’s not all. Them kids. The little ‘uns
“And that’s not all. Them kids. The little ‘uns. Who took any notice of ‘em? Who knows how many we got? . . .Then you don’t know how many of us there ought to be?”
“And them little ‘uns was wandering about down there where the fire is. How d’ you know they aren’t still there? . . .That little’ un – him with the mark on his face. I don’t see him. Where is he now?”
What happened to the littl’un with a mark on his face?
A:Presumably, he dies in the fire. The boys are in real danger unless they get their act together.