Lord of the Flies, Chapter 12: Cry of the Hunters quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. What does Ralph do when he encounters the Lord of the Flies skull in Chapter 12?

   • He buries it in the sand near the platform
   • He hides behind a tree and waits for it to move
   • Correct answer: He smashes it and takes the stake as a weapon
   • He leaves it undisturbed and walks away

   Ralph knocks the skull to the ground in anger and disgust, breaking it in two, then takes the sharpened stake to defend himself against Jack's tribe.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What warning do Sam and Eric give Ralph about the next day's hunt?

   • The tribe plans to offer Ralph to the beast at sea
   • Jack plans to set traps on the beach
   • The tribe will leave the island without him
   • Correct answer: Roger has sharpened a stick at both ends

   The stick sharpened at both ends echoes the stake used for the sow's head offering, implying the tribe intends to behead Ralph and mount his head as a sacrifice.

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3. 3

   Question 3. How does Jack's tribe ultimately try to force Ralph out of hiding?

   • Correct answer: They set the island's jungle on fire
   • They use the conch to call him out
   • They send Samneric to trick him into surrendering
   • They flood the jungle with water from the lagoon

   Jack's tribe sets the jungle ablaze to smoke Ralph out, creating a massive fire that drives him toward the beach.

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4. 4

   Question 4. Who rescues the boys at the end of the novel?

   • A search party of parents
   • Correct answer: A British naval officer
   • Pilots from the same war that stranded them
   • A passing fisherman

   A British naval officer comes ashore after his ship spots the smoke from the burning island. He finds Ralph on the beach.

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5. 5

   Question 5. What is ironic about the fire that leads to the boys' rescue?

   • Correct answer: It was a destructive fire set to kill Ralph, not a signal fire
   • It was set by Piggy with his glasses shortly before his death
   • It was a natural fire started by lightning, not by the boys
   • It was the signal fire that Ralph had kept burning on the mountain

   Throughout the novel, Ralph insisted on maintaining a signal fire for rescue. Ironically, the fire that attracts the ship was set by Jack's hunters to destroy Ralph, not to signal for help.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What does Ralph weep for at the end of the novel?

   • Joy at being rescued and returning home
   • Correct answer: The end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the death of Piggy
   • Fear that the naval officer will punish them
   • Guilt over his role in Simon's death

   Golding writes that Ralph wept for 'the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart' and for the fall of his true, wise friend Piggy.

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7. 7

   Question 7. How does the naval officer react to the boys' savage appearance?

   • He is horrified and calls for military backup
   • He is angry and threatens to leave the boys on the island
   • Correct answer: He is disapproving and unable to understand how British boys acted this way
   • He immediately recognizes what happened and is sympathetic

   The officer expresses bemused disapproval, expecting better from British schoolboys — which is ironic since he himself is participating in a war.

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8. 8

   Question 8. Which of these events actually happened in this chapter?

   • Did Sam and Eric willingly join Jack's tribe and help hunt Ralph?

     Didn't happen

     Sam and Eric were forced into Jack's tribe through torture and coercion. In Chapter 12, they still sympathize with Ralph and warn him about the planned hunt, but they are too afraid of Roger and Jack to resist openly.

   • Did Ralph destroy the Lord of the Flies skull before the final hunt?

     Happened

     Yes. Before the hunt begins, Ralph encounters the pig skull on a stake in the jungle and smashes it to the ground in anger and disgust, then takes the sharpened stake to use as a weapon.

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9. 9

   Question 9. What does the word 'ululation' mean as used in the chapter?

   • A sharp, crackling, snapping noise of burning
   • A deep, rolling, rumbling sound like thunder
   • A soft, hushed, whispered exchange of words
   • Correct answer: A long, wavering, high-pitched vocal sound

   'Ululation' refers to a prolonged, wavering cry. In this chapter, it describes the eerie hunting cries of the savages pursuing Ralph through the jungle.

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10. 10

    Question 10. What does the word 'cordon' refer to in the context of the hunt?

    • A ceremonial ribbon or sash worn as a badge of honor
    • A small scouting party sent ahead to locate a target
    • A length of twisted rope or cord used for binding things
    • Correct answer: A line of people forming a barrier or encirclement

    A 'cordon' is a line of people or objects forming a barrier. Jack's tribe forms a cordon to sweep systematically across the island and flush Ralph from his hiding places.

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11. 11

    Question 11. What does 'acrid' mean when Ralph smells the scent of salt and sweat on his forearm?

    • Having a cool, fresh, and clean smell
    • Having a sweet, mild, pleasant smell
    • Correct answer: Having a sharp, bitter, unpleasant smell
    • Having a heavy, stale, musty odor of decay

    'Acrid' describes a sharp, bitter, unpleasant smell or taste. Lying near the Castle Rock at night, Ralph rubs his cheek along his forearm and smells the acrid scent of salt and sweat.

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12. 12

    Question 12. What broader commentary does Golding make through the ending of the novel?

    • That British civilization is superior to all others
    • Correct answer: That civilization is fragile and the capacity for evil exists within all humans
    • That rescue always comes to those who wait patiently
    • That children are naturally good but corrupted by adults

    Golding's ending underscores his central thesis: the veneer of civilization is thin, and violence and evil are inherent in human nature — not just in children on an island, but in the adult world engaged in global warfare.

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