Chapter 8: Gift for the Darkness
• The boys are told about the beast on the
mountain
• Jack leaves to set up his own tribe
• The hunters kill a pig and leave its
head on a stick.
• Jack invites the other boys to join
him
• Simon hears the Lord of the Flies
Grade Booster
An A* answer might explore the fact that
Jack’s question to the boys is a classic mistake.
The boys are unlikely to challenge Ralph when
he is in front of them. If Jack had simply said
“Who wants a powerful hunter like me as
chief?” he might have been more successful.
Key Quotes
“boys with sticks."
“He’s a coward himself”
"like Piggy....He says things like Piggy. He isn't a proper chief.'"
“Piggy. What are we going to do?”
“Demoniac figures with faces of white and red and green rushed out
howling…”
“Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!” said
the head… “You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you?”
Is Jack simply evil?
Agree? Disagree?
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Vicar
Writer
Historian
Psychologist
Are the boys working in harmony on the island?
Is there evidence of anarchy (lack of order and law) or
violence?
Sense of community 0-5
Anarchy or violence 0-5
Chapter 1
The Sound of the Shell
Chapter 4
Painted Faces and Long Hair
Chapter 8
Gift for the Darkness
Sense of community
Working 0
Together
1
2
3
4
5 In
Opposition
2
3
4
5 Clear
Evidence
Anarchy or violence
No
0
Evidence
1
The killing of the sow is rich in
symbolism
How is it ironic that they kill the sow?
Match the quotation to the character
1. In [his] right temple, a pulse began to beat on the
brain.
2. He just gives orders and expects people to obey for
nothing.
3. They danced and sang and there was a partyish air
about the gathering.
4. They spread out, nervously, in the forest.
5. He understood how far Ralph had gone towards
accepting him.
Simon
Littluns
Hunters
Ralph
Piggy
1. What offering do the boys leave as a gift for
the beast in Chapter Eight?
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The conch
Simon
A pig’s head
A fire
2. In Chapter Seven, the boys re-enact a pig
hunt. Who plays the part of the pig?
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Robert
Johnny
Simon
Eric
3. In Chapter One of the novel, who is given the
task of taking the boys’ names?
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Piggy
Roger
Simon
Jack
4. Who discovers the ‘beast’ on top of the
mountain in Chapter Seven?
• Sam and Eric
• Ralph, Jack and Roger
• SimonJack and Roger
5. What does Ralph say is ‘the most important
thing’ on the island?
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Hunting
The fire
The conch
Clean habits
6. In Chapter Six, Sam and Eric claim to have seen
the beast. It is actually a parachutist whose dead
body has landed on the island. Ralph suggests
searching the only part of the island that Jack has
not yet visited – where is this?
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The forest
The mountain
The tail-end part
The lagoon
7. In Chapter Five, one of the littluns, Phil,
claims to have seen ‘something big and
horrid moving in the trees’ at night. Who or
what is it really?
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The dead airman
The beast
Jack
Simon
8. What is Jack called by the end of Chapter
Eight?
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Merridew
Chief
Lord of the Flies
Leader
9. Who has sand thrown in his eye?
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Percival
Henry
Maurice
Johnny
10. At the end of Chapter Eight the hunters raid
the other group. What do they want?
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Fire
Piggy’s glasses
Shelters
Pig meat