Chapter 4: Painted Faces and Long Hair Practice Quiz — Lord of the Flies
by William Golding — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 4: Painted Faces and Long Hair
What collective name is given to the youngest boys on the island?
They are called 'littluns.'
What does Jack use to create face paint for hunting?
He uses colored clay (white and red) and charcoal.
What psychological effect does the face paint have on Jack?
It liberates him from shame and self-consciousness, allowing him to act without civilized inhibitions.
Who is responsible for maintaining the signal fire when it goes out?
The twins Sam and Eric (Samneric), who abandoned the fire to join Jack's hunt.
What happens when Ralph spots a ship on the horizon?
He races to the mountaintop only to discover the signal fire has gone out, and the ship passes without seeing them.
What chant do the hunters sing after their first successful kill?
'Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.'
What does Jack do to Piggy when confronted about the dead fire?
Jack slaps Piggy across the face, breaking one lens of his glasses.
What does Roger do to the littluns' sandcastles?
He kicks through them, destroying what the littluns have built.
Why does Roger aim to miss when throwing stones at Henry?
He is still restrained by 'the taboo of the old life' — the conditioned rules of civilization that prevent direct violence.
What does the signal fire symbolize in the novel?
It symbolizes hope, the desire for rescue, and the boys' connection to civilization.
What does Jack's face paint symbolize?
It symbolizes the shedding of civilized identity and the embrace of savagery, acting as a mask that removes moral responsibility.
Who gives Piggy his share of the roasted pig meat?
Simon gives Piggy his own portion of meat.
What literary device is used when the ship appears at the exact moment the fire is out?
Dramatic irony — the reader understands the tragic coincidence while the characters on the beach do not.
What does Roger's stone-throwing foreshadow later in the novel?
It foreshadows Roger killing Piggy by rolling a boulder onto him, when the taboo of civilization has fully eroded.
What happens to the littlun Percival in this chapter?
Maurice kicks sand into his eyes while destroying sandcastles, making him cry.
How does Jack justify letting the fire go out?
He deflects blame by emphasizing his successful hunt and the meat he has provided for the group.
What does the chapter title 'Painted Faces and Long Hair' signify?
It refers to the boys' physical transformation that mirrors their psychological descent from civilized schoolboys into savagery.
What two competing visions of leadership emerge in this chapter?
Ralph represents democratic governance and rescue through the signal fire; Jack represents authoritarian control through hunting prowess and providing meat.
What does Ralph do at the end of Chapter 4?
He calls an assembly to reassert his authority and address the group's breakdown in discipline.
How do the littluns spend their days on the island?
They eat fruit, play on the beach, build sandcastles, and suffer from stomach problems and nightmares.