Unit 4: Is the World a Battlefield?

March 2023
Lord of the Flies: Chapter 7
‘Shadows and Tall Trees’
Simon’s Prophecy

Wave after wave, Ralph followed the rise and fall until something of the remoteness of the
sea numbed his brain. Then gradually the almost infinite size of this water forced itself on his
attention. This was the divider, the barrier. On the other side of the island, swathed at
midday with mirage, defended by the shield of the quiet lagoon, one might dream of rescue;
but here, faced by the brute obtuseness of the ocean, the miles of division, one was clamped
down, one was helpless, one was condemned, one was—

Simon was speaking almost in his ear.

Ralph found that he had rock painfully
gripped in both hands, found his body
arched, the muscles of his neck stiff, his
mouth strained open.

"You'll get back to where you came from."

Simon nodded as he spoke. He was

kneeling on one knee, looking down from a
higher rock which he held with both hands;
his other leg stretched down to Ralph's level.

Ralph was puzzled and searched Simon's face for a clue. "It's so big, I mean--"

Simon nodded. "All the same. You'll get back all right. I think so, anyway."

Some of the strain had gone from Ralph's body. He glanced at the sea and then smiled
bitterly at Simon. "Got a ship in your pocket?"

Simon grinned and shook his head.

"How do you know, then?"

When Simon was still silent Ralph said curtly, "You're batty."

Simon shook his head violently till the coarse black hair flew backwards and forwards across
his face.

"No, I'm not. I just think you'll get back all right."

Exercise 1: True or False Questions

1. The first paragraph establishes how unlikely the chances of rescue are. True/False
 Unit 4: Is the World a Battlefield? March 2023
2. The mirage helps Ralph maintain the illusion of being rescued. True/False
3. Simon is characterized as an evil character in Ralph’s ear in this passage. True/False
4. When Simon says Ralph will get home, Ralph is thinking about that topic. True/False
5. Ralph accepts Simon’s prophesy and praises his intuitive understanding. True/False
6. When Ralph says, ‘Got a ship in your pocket?’ he is mocking Simon’s wisdom. True/False
7. Simon says his prophesy just once. True/False
8. Simon implies that he will also be rescued from the island. True/False

Exercise 2: Synonyms

Match the words on the left with their synonyms on the right. These words are bolded in the text, ‘Simon’s
Prophesy’.

1. Remoteness a) covered; wrapped; encased.

2. Swathed b) held; clutched, grasped.
3. Mirage c) confused; baffled; perplexed, bemused.
4. Gripped d) illusion; fantasy; hallucination; vision, chimera
5. Puzzled e) alienation; inaccessibility; solitude, separateness.

Ralph Enjoys Some Hunting

The bushes crashed ahead of them. Boys flung themselves wildly from the pig track and
scrabbled in the creepers, screaming. Ralph saw Jack nudged aside and fall. Then there was a
creature bounding along the pig track toward him, with tusks gleaming and an intimidating
grunt. Ralph found he was able to measure the distance coldly and take aim. With the boar
only five yards away, he flung the foolish wooden stick that he carried, saw it hit the great
snout and hang there for a moment. The boar's note changed to a squeal and it swerved aside
into the covert. The pig-run filled with shouting boys again, Jack came running back, and
poked about in the undergrowth.

"Through here--"

"But he'd do us!"

"Through here, I said--" The boar was floundering away from them. They found another pig-
run parallel to the first and Jack raced away. Ralph was full of fright and apprehension and
pride.

"I hit him! The spear stuck in--"

Now they came, unexpectedly, to an open space by the sea. Jack cast about on the bare rock
and looked anxious.

"He's gone."

"I hit him," said Ralph again, "and the spear stuck in a bit."
 Unit 4: Is the World a Battlefield? March 2023
He felt the need of witnesses.

"Didn't you see me?"

Maurice nodded. "I saw you. Right bang on his snout--Wheee!"

Ralph talked on, excitedly.

"I hit him all right. The spear stuck in. I wounded him!"

He sunned himself in their new respect and felt that hunting was good after all.

"I walloped him properly. That was the beast, I think!" Jack came back.

"That wasn't the beast. That was a boar."

"I hit him." "Why didn't you grab him? I tried--"

Ralph's voice ran up.

Exercise C: Multiple choice questions

1. This passage shows Ralph…

a) In a positive light, because he seems to be a natural hunter
b) And Jack to be the best of friends and a great team.
c) Getting upset with Maurice
for not validating his shot at
the boar.
d) In a slightly negative light,
because he is giving in to his
instincts.
2. When Ralph says, ‘But he’d do
(kill) us’ it shows…
a) That Ralph has no
awareness of his physical
limitations.
b) That Ralph is unrealistic
about his own capabilities in hunting.
c) That Ralph, despite enjoying hunting, still retains his rationalism.
d) That Ralph is now being strongly influenced and even controlled by Jack.
3. When Ralph hits the boar with his spear, he feels…
a) Ashamed, because he realizes he is cruel like Jack and Roger.
b) Bitter, because he had intended to only clip one of its legs.
c) Proud, because he wants the respect of the other boys.
d) Angry, because hunting boars is Jack and the choirboys job.
4. The word, ‘witnesses’ refers to…
a) People who saw an event happen.
b) Hunters who use sharp sticks to kill their prey.
 Unit 4: Is the World a Battlefield? March 2023
c) Skilled speakers capable of using words to persuade.
d) Leaders of a small group.
5. What happens to the boar?
a) It was killed by Ralph’s accurate strike.
b) It attacks Jack, who runs after it alone.
c) It attacks one of the littleuns in revenge for Ralph’s shot.
d) It follows the boys at a distance.
6. This passage shows Ralph,
a) Being vulnerable to the animalistic influences that Jack is consumed by.
b) Leading the group of hunters with a cool head.
c) Orchestrating a successful hunting mission in which five boars are killed.
d) Fighting with Jack again.

Exercise 4: Cloze Exercise

Match the words below, which appear in bold in the passage, ‘Ralph Enjoys Some Hunting’ to the gaps in the
sentences.

take aim foolish snout apprehension witnesses

1. When you prepare for a shot in basketball, you _________________ by aligning the ball with the
basket and backboard.
2. If someone has a feeling of ________________, they are worried about something.
3. __________________ are people who saw something, often a shocking or even criminal public event.
4. Going to the beach without wearing any sunblock would be considered ________________.
5. A ________________ is the projecting nose or mouth of an animal.

A Discovery Is Made

As they came to the last slope, Jack and Roger drew near, changed from the ink-stains to
distinguishable figures. By common consent they stopped and crouched together. Behind
them, on the horizon, was a patch of lighter sky where in a moment the moon would rise.
The wind roared once in the forest and pushed their rags against them.

Ralph stirred.

"Come on."

They crept forward, Roger lagging a little.

Jack and Ralph turned the shoulder of the
mountain together. The glittering lengths of
the lagoon lay below them and beyond that
a long white smudge that was the reef.
Roger joined them.

Jack whispered. "Let's creep forward on

hands and knees. Maybe it's asleep."
 Unit 4: Is the World a Battlefield? March 2023
Roger and Ralph moved on, this time leaving Jack in the rear, for all his brave words. They
came to the flat top where the rock was hard to hands and knees.

A creature that bulged.

Ralph put his hand in the cold, soft ashes of the fire and smothered a cry. His hand and
shoulder were twitching from the unlooked-for contact. Green lights of nausea appeared for
a moment and ate into the darkness. Roger lay behind him and Jack's mouth was at his ear.

"Over there, where there used to be a gap in the rock. A sort of hump--see?"

Ashes blew into Ralph's face from the dead fire. He could not see the gap or anything else,
because the green lights were opening again and growing, and the top of the mountain was
sliding sideways.

Once more, from a distance, he heard Jack's whisper.

"Scared?"

Not scared so much as paralyzed; hung up there immovable on the top of a diminishing,
moving mountain. Jack slid away from him, Roger bumped, fumbled with a hiss of breath,
and passed onwards. He heard them whispering.

Exercise 5: True or False

1. Jack and Roger are described as ink-stains, which has a negative meaning. True/False
2. Describing Jack as a ‘stain’ in the darkness strongly suggests that he is evil. True/False
3. Roger is an ally of Ralph. True/False
4. Jack’s disembodied voice is like the figurative ‘devil on the shoulder’. True/False
5. When Jack says, ‘Scared?’ he is deeply concerned about Ralph’s mental condition. True/False
6. In this passage, the three boys are climbing at a relatively high altitude. True/False
7. The strange figure launches an attack on the three boys. True/False

Exercise 6: Multiple Choice Questions

These questions refer to Chapter 7 ‘Shadows and Tall Trees’ in general.

1. In this chapter, Ralph

a) Experiences a kind of savagery, but manages to stay cool.
b) Loses his mind and becomes exactly like Jack Merridew.
c) Attempts to kill Roger by throwing a spear at him.
d) Screams at Piggy and ruins his one true friendship.
2. During this chapter, a character who becomes a dominant ally of Jack is…
a) Piggy
b) Simon
c) Roger
d) Percival
 Unit 4: Is the World a Battlefield? March 2023
3. The mysterious apparition at the top of the mountain is in fact…
a) A dead boar
b) A dead paratrooper
c) A destroyed helicopter
d) A flag left by a Portuguese explorer who first discovered the island.
4. The thing that they find at the top of the mountain is symbolic of…
a) The ruin of their own humanity.
b) The success of the signal fire.
c) Jack’s hunting skills
d) Simon’s visionary powers.
5. During the chapter, _________ is beaten by the
other boys during a game that goes wrong.
a) Maurice
b) Simon
c) Ralph
d) Robert
6. The outcome of the games, with a boy getting
seriously hurts shows that the beast…
a) Is what the boys should be concerned about.
b) Is influencing the boys in unusual ways.
c) Has complete control over Ralph.
d) Exists inside of some of the boys, especially Jack,
Roger, and Maurice.
7. When Ralph asserts himself as leader, Jack immediately…
a) Shows Ralph the respect he is due.
b) Becomes aggressive in his behavior.
c) Is quiet and questions his own authority.
d) Wants to collaborate closely with Ralph on his projects.