DIGITAL Lord of the Flies Socratic Seminar Questions (House)

We will be using the following questions in our Socratic Seminar. This will be one of your summative assignments for
this reading unit. Come up with assertions (verbal topic sentences/claims) that directly answer the question. Write
notes with evidence to support your claim. The evidence is REQUIRED because it will help back up your assertion and
it will help keep the conversation centered around the novel. The talking points are equally important. They allow you to
elaborate on the so what of your assertion and evidence. They should just be bullet points and not complete sentences.
Without this verbal matters, your conversations will seem flat and boring. Not all of the questions will be used but you
need assertions, evidence, and talking points for each one.

1. Which character endures the most mental stress in the novel? Which character
endures the most physical stress? Find text evidence to support your position.
Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

Simon endures the most mental and

physical stress.

Chapter 8: Simon saw the Lord

of the Flies hung his stick and
grinned. Then in Simons right
temple, a pulse began to beat
on the brain.

Simon goes through both mental and physical stress when he

faces the Lord of the Flies and is violently killed by his
friends.

2. Is American society like the "civilization" in the novel or not? Give text examples and
life examples to defend your position.
Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

I think the American society is like

the civilization is in the novel
because the boys mention about
adults many times throughout the
novel.

Throughout the novel, the boys

talked that include adults such
as auntie, parents and etc.

This shows that the boys is still on the civilization side even
though they are alone on the stranded island without any
grownups.

3. What is the most shocking moment of the text? Give textual evidence to defend your
position.
Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

The most shocking moment of the

text was when Piggy got killed by
Roger when he throws the rock
and strucks Piggy.

Chapter 11: The rock struck

Piggy a glancing blow from
chin to knee.

The moment after Piggy was killed by the rock threw by

Roger, the superego and intelligence was gone. There was no
longer one to keep the boys thinking long-term about
survival on the island.

Chapter 11: Piggy, saying

nothing, with no time for even a
grunt, traveled through the air
sideways from the rock, turning
over he went.

4. Who was a better leader? Ralph or Jack? Give text evidence.

Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

I believe that Ralph was a better

leader, for he thinks of long-term
results

Chapter 5: Keep the fire going

and smoke showing as a signal.
Dont take fire from the
mountain.

Ralph wanted to signal passing ships to be able to be rescued

from the island instead of just thinking of surviving on the
island for life. He is thinking that the sooner they get off the
island, the less time they have to worry about hunting for
food.

5. Who is the "beast" in American society?

Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

The beast in American society, in

my opinion, is selfishness and greed.

In my experience, I would argue

with my sibling about who
should get the last of some food.

This shows that my sibling and I would much rather take

something for ourselves than to share it or even give it up for
the other person.

6. Is it better to be a conformist or nonconformist?

Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

I believe its better to have beliefs

because it can help you dig deeper
than others or see the truth.

ch 3: He came at last to place

where more sunshine
fell(Golding 56)
When he was secure in the
middle he was in a little cabin
that was screened off by a few
leaves (Golding 57)

Simons connection with the island leads him to go to a glade

in the jungle where he becomes one with his surroundings.
Later on, when he visits the glade, he witnesses and pig
being killed and put on a stick. Simon then hallucinates a
conversation with the dead pig in which the truth is revealed
about the beast.

ch 8: the pig tells Simon, Im

part of you Im the reason its
a no go? Why things are what
they(Golding 143)

7. What do you think the theme is? Provide text evidence to support your theme.
Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

I think the theme for this novel is if

society is left without rules, then it
becomes corrupt and savage.

ch 11: the conch exploded into

a thousand white fragments and
ceased to exist(Golding 181)

After the conch is destroyed, Jack and his tribe take the
situation to an extreme and decide to hunt for Ralph and kill
him, which shows corrupt thinking and savagery.

ch 12:
Samneric tell Ralph Theyre
going to hunt you
tomorrow(Golding 188)

8. Who is to blame for what happened on the island?

Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

Piggy is the one to blame for the

events on the island.

ch 1: Piggy suggested to Ralph

We can use this to call the
others. Have a
meeting.(Golding 16)

Piggy tells Ralph to use the conch to gather the others, If it

werent for Piggy Ralph wouldnt have found the conch, let
alone come up with using it to gather up everyone on the
island.

9. William Goldings philosophical belief stems from the principle that innate in all human beings is an aggressive and
even primal instinct to act out of our own selfish desires. In addition, in our station rotations, we learned about
multiple theories discussing our innate human qualities. Now, it is up to you to determine where you stand with our
essential question: To what extent are people good or evil?
Assertion

Evidence

Talking Points/Matters

People are evil to the extent that they

will work to make others suffer.

ch 12:
Samneric tell Ralph Theyre
going to hunt you
tomorrow(Golding 188)
Roger sharpened his stick on
both ends (Golding 190)

Jacks tribe work to hunt for Ralph and try kill him. Roger
makes a double-sided spear so e can decapitate Ralph and
impale his head with the stick then plant it in the ground.

10. Write your own open ended question for Socratic Seminar. This should not be something
everyone will agree on and should be connected to the novel or the themes/ideas the novel
brings up. It should not be the same as your peers, so think of this on your OWN. You don't need
to answer the question on this paper, just write the question.

Question: Without Piggy, would the boys still come together as a community with rules
and roles?