Chapter 12: Cry of the Hunters Practice Quiz — Lord of the Flies
by William Golding — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 12: Cry of the Hunters
What does Ralph do when he finds the Lord of the Flies skull in Chapter 12?
He smashes the skull to the ground, breaking it in two, and takes the sharpened stake to use as a weapon.
What warning do Sam and Eric give Ralph at Castle Rock?
They warn him that Jack plans to send the entire tribe to hunt him the next day, and that Roger has sharpened a stick at both ends.
What is the significance of a stick sharpened at both ends?
It references the stake used to mount the sow's head as an offering to the beast, implying the tribe plans to behead Ralph and display his head the same way.
How does Jack's tribe try to flush Ralph out of hiding?
They roll boulders into thickets, send hunters crawling through undergrowth, and ultimately set the entire island jungle on fire.
How are the boys finally rescued?
A British naval officer spots the smoke from the island fire and comes ashore in a cutter, finding Ralph on the beach.
What is ironic about the fire that leads to rescue?
It is not the responsible signal fire Ralph maintained, but a destructive wildfire set by Jack's tribe solely to kill Ralph.
What does Ralph weep for at the end of the novel?
He weeps for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the death of his wise friend Piggy.
How does the naval officer react when he sees the boys?
He is bemused and disapproving, unable to understand how British boys could have lost all discipline and order.
What is ironic about the naval officer's disapproval?
The officer is himself participating in a war, making his shock at the boys' savagery hypocritical since the adult world is also engaged in violence.
What literary device does Golding use in the rescue scene with the naval officer?
Dramatic irony — the officer is unaware of the murders and savagery on the island while expecting orderly British schoolboys.
What happens to Sam and Eric in Chapter 12?
They have been forced into Jack's tribe and are guarding Castle Rock. Though they still sympathize with Ralph, they are too afraid to rejoin him.
Where does Ralph hide during the night before the hunt?
He hides in a dense thicket near Castle Rock, close enough to communicate with Sam and Eric.
What does the destruction of the Lord of the Flies skull symbolize?
Ralph's defiance against the savagery and superstitious fear that have taken over the island.
What role does Roger play in Chapter 12?
Roger is the one who sharpens the stick at both ends, establishing him as the tribe's most sadistic member who intends ritualistic violence against Ralph.
What central theme does Chapter 12 bring to its climax?
The theme of civilization versus savagery — savagery has completely overtaken the island, and only external intervention (the naval officer) stops the violence.
How does the fire function as a symbol in this chapter?
Fire, originally a symbol of civilized hope for rescue, has been transformed into a tool of destruction and murder.
What is the tone of the final paragraphs of Lord of the Flies?
Elegiac and sorrowful — Golding shifts from tense, action-driven prose to lyrical reflection on loss and the darkness within humanity.
Why can't Sam and Eric help Ralph escape?
They have been tortured and coerced into loyalty to Jack's tribe and are too frightened of Roger and Jack to resist.
What does the boys' appearance tell the naval officer?
The boys are filthy, painted, and carrying sharpened sticks — their savage appearance shocks the officer, who expected civilized British children.
What broader commentary does Golding make through the ending?
That civilization is a fragile construct and that the capacity for violence and evil exists in all human beings, not just children stranded on an island.