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Year 9 - English

An exploration of Chapter 9 of 'Lord of the Flies'

'Lord of the Flies'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and explore 'The Lord of the Flies' by considering Golding's message about human nature. They first read the novel, before analysing the characters Ralph, Simon, Jack and Piggy. They then look at setting and symbolism before planning and writing an essay on human nature.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain and explore the key events of Chapter 9 of 'Lord of the Flies'.

Key Notes

  • Simon wakes up after fainting, sees the parachutist and realises the boys have mistaken the dead body for the beast.
  • Simon goes to Jack's feast to tell the boys that the beast is not real.
  • Jack's feast becomes a frenzy as the boys perform a hunting dance - even Ralph and Piggy join in.
  • The boys mistake Simon for the beast and savagely kill him with their hands and teeth.
  • Golding uses pathetic fallacy to describe how the tension builds, explodes and reduces in this chapter.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • hallucinatory: relating to experiences in which you see, hear, feel or smell something that does not exist
  • collective: shared by every member of a group
  • pathetic fallacy: the projection of human emotions onto non-human objects found in nature
  • tension: a feeling of anxiety or nervousness before a significant event
  • connotations: a feeling or idea that is suggested by a word in addition to its basic meaning

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils sometimes think that only Jack's hunters are involved in the killing of Simon.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Simon wakes up after fainting, sees the parachutist and realises the boys have mistaken the dead body for the beast. Simon goes to Jack's feast to tell the boys that the beast is not real.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'hallucinatory'

relating to experiences in which you see, hear, feel or smell something that does not exist.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils sometimes think that only Jack's hunters are involved in the killing of Simon. Correction: Draw attention to the one sentence where Golding says that Ralph and Piggy want to be part of the group.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 9 English guide library.