Lord of the Flies, Chapters Eight and Nine

Often, people act differently when they are part of a group versus when they are alone or with a couple of close friends. Guys may feel like they have to act tougher than they are if they are at football practice, or girls may act mean toward other people for no apparent reason other than that their friends do not like that person. Likewise, someone who is very shy in school may be very fun and social when he or she is around only one or two other people.  In these chapters, you are going to examine how being a part of a group affects the actions of the boys as they find themselves in a terrible situation.

Essential Question

• How can the behavior of a group affect the behavior of the individual and how does this affect the choices and actions of the characters in a story?