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An essay on the instances of moral decline
The causes of moral decline in the youth of today
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Jack is becoming evil; he follows three of the seven social processes that grease the slippery slope of evil: mindlessly taking the first small step, dehumanization of others, and being in a new and unfamiliar situation.
When Jack first tries to kill the pig and fails, all the other boys make fun of him. This failure drives Jack into a mindless rage and further stokes his bloodlust for the pig. He becomes mindlessly obsessed with killing the pig and vows to kill it. Jack tries over and over again to kill the pig; his compulsion to track it down and kill becomes greater than ever, and “the madness came into his eyes” (Golding, 70).
Jack hates Ralph because Ralph is popular and the leader. So instead of attacking Ralph, Jack picks on Ralph’s
Which is why he had gotten treated the way he did by Jack and the choir. The author writes, “ Jack made a rush and stabbed Ralph’s chest with his spear.” (Golding 177.) Even though Ralph is technically chief, Jack will stop at nothing to become chief. Ralph had been teasing Jack for being a thief, and that had pushed Jack over the edge, causing him to lunge towards Ralph. Jack does not have a high tolerance for Ralph’s actions, and Ralph obviously has a high tolerance for pain. William Golding states, “ ‘The chief and Roger.. They hate you, Ralph. They are going to do you.’ ‘They are going to hunt you tomorrow.’ ‘... Roger sharpened a stick at both ends.’ ” (188) As you, the reader, can probably tell, Jack certainly does not like Ralph. He only likes the faction that obeys and follows him. Those who do not obey Jack, he wants to kill. This island has really gotten to Jack, he is just pure evil now, and poor Ralph and every other character has had to deal with his
The early pig hunt “has been relatively innocent,” (Johnston 12-13) yet to reveal the deeper meanings. Johnston suggests that the existence of pigs leads the boys into hunting in order to satisfy hunger. On the other hand, it highlights and reveals the true danger that lies inside each individual, and to Jack, this loss of innocence only pulls him into evilness more profoundly. Soon after his second attempt in hunting, which turns out to be a success, chantings of "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood." (Golding 96) become popular among the boys. Since the idea of hunting pigs and eating meat appear attractive to the boys, they begin to admire Jack's new skill as suppose to judging for his aggressive behaviors. Merridew, however, fails to recognize that his actions come at the cost of an emerging savagery-like affiliation. At the same time, his original identity as a choirboy with “voices [like]... the song of angels” (Golding 191) slowly subsides from his character. Compared to hunting, the angelic voice does not increase the chances of survival, thus its significance becomes subordinate to that of hunting. From the first encounter with the pig to the complete loss of innocence, adult figures are also responsible for his unsubtle
Piggy had an appetite to be needed and accepted as a person in the boys' society. Jack had to kill a pig; he saw no other way.
When it comes to Jack’s fear of not being chief, it brings out the worst in him and it has an effect on others. For instance, when the boys are deciding on who should be the chief, Ralph wins by a landslide. “Even the choir applauded; and the freckles on Jack’s face disappeared under a blush of mortification” (Golding 19). That is the first physical evidence of Jack being humiliated by Ralph and judging by Jack’s personality, he is not used to failure so it has a big impact on him. This motivates him to destroy Ralph and the rivalry between the two begins. Another point is that Jack uses fear and threats to control the boys. For example, when Robert tells Roger “’He’s going to beat Wilfred.’ ‘What for?’ Robert shook his head doubtfully” (Golding 176) it shows that Jack is violent and is using his...
While Jack and Ralph are exploring the island, they encounter a piglet which Jack supposedly attempts to kill. After gaining the courage to kill the baby pig, Jack rectifies the situation by saying "I was just waiting for a moment to decide where to stab him (Golding 31)." This event clearly illustrates that along with inherent evil, "man is [also] capable of being good and kind, and has to choice and free will to choose which one he will become."(Ridley 97) Jack's mercy is short-lived, however, and when they encounter another pig, Jack and his hunters are relentless.
The portrayal of the pig demonstrates his rationality of being a chaotic savage. He tends to cover up his actions with reasoning that only deems to be true through the eyes of insanity. “He rubbed the charcoal stick between the patches of red and white on his face [...] A rounded patch of sunlight fell on his face and a brightness appeared in the depths of the water. He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger. He split the water and leapt to his feet, laughing excitedly.”(Golding 63). There is no room for civilization on the island, and Jack takes advantage of this opportunity. Jack, compels himself to distance himself from social normalities through the exterior of the world. The paint on Jack’s face represents his cover up to society and to make himself believe that he is doing the right thing. Consequently speaking, Jack desperately desires confirmation of his actions from one of his peers. However, none of his peers condone of these certain actions, so, he relies on the tangible aspects of life to give him a sense of comfortability. “All that makes sense to him is his own need to control others and impose himself, and hunting, because it is a kind of power assertion” (Lord of the Flies, Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations). On the island, Jack’s role is the leader of the hunting party. Although, this seems
As the story progresses it shows how the boys change from disciplined school boys to savages. Jack is the first to show the transition. When Jack, Simon and Ralph go exploring for the first time, they come across a piglet caught in a curtain of creepers. Jack couldn't kill it "because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood (31)." From that moment on, Jack felt he needed to prove to himself to the others that he's strong, brave and isn't afraid to kill. When Jack says, "Next Time (31)" it's foreshadowing his future of savage hunting.
What was wrong with Ralph too was that jack ignores everything and try’s to do his own thing the whole time instead of working together with everyone. All Jack wants is his
Jack begins the novel partially innocent, cruel enough to yell at the boys yet pure enough to hesitate when faced with the task of killing the pig. Jack obtains the tools necessary to kill the pig, yet claims to need help cornering the animal. Jack, not truly needing help to kill the pig but rather needing the support provided by the mob mentality, acquires the support of his choir and together the boys hunt and kill the pig, all the while chanting, “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood”...
Jack still would like to think that he is the better leader because he was more aggressive than Ralph. He would like to think that he is the better leader because he put priorities before play. Although unsaid, both boys suffer from this conflict at the end of the story. When the officer asks who is in charge, Ralph is quick to say he is. Jack does not speak up because he is fearful that problems with start between him and Ralph. Ralph had little to no control over most of the boys’ towards the end of the story. Jack would believe he was the leader because he had more children on his side by the end. This conflict is unresolved because the boys cannot settle on which was
Remembering his encounter with the pig, Jack feels as if it was one of the happiest moments of his life. The fact that Jack is relating murder to a thirst quenching drink is concerning because it means that he had had a throbbing desire to kill, and that he is no longer tied to civility. During Jack’s first encounter to kill a pig, he is unsuccessful because he pauses for just a moment, still feeling connected to the rules of civilization. After Jack’s first successful kill, his innocence is completely gone, suggesting that humans adapt in ways deemed appropriate to their specific environment. One’s environment can get them to do things they would never expect, such as when Jack, “with full intention, hurl[s] his spear at Ralph” (181). Jack purposefully threw his spear at someone, who earlier in the novel, had tried to help him, had tried to help the group as a whole get rescued. At first, Jack kills pigs, but it soon progresses to the point where he feels inclined to go as far as trying to kill his once companion. As Jack gains more power and falls further into savagery, he starts to commit more savage acts. This implies that the environment can cause people to adjust, allowing their once
During Lord of the Flies we are introduced to a number of boys stranded on an island. Jack who soon takes the leader role among the tribe also turns into an animal. A group of savages by the end of the book that have killed another boy. Jack's animalistic behavior soon took over when he was on the island. Jack wants food and he is willing to kill a pig for his own survival. The group almost got a pig but it got away so they played a game to cheer themselves up. A boy named roger pretended to be a pig and the rest of the boys almost killed him. “the strength of frenzy. Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife. Behind him was Roger, fighting to get close. The chant rose ritually, as at the last moment of a dance or a hunt. “Kill
Golding is right in his underlying belief that the evil and hatred lies in us all along. The evidence from the paragraph shows that Jack is now acting only in his own rage and determination to kill A pig. Even from the beginning Jack has always been this way, but the binding of society has held him from acting in his full force. However, as the tithings to society are slowly disappearing we are seeing his natural actions that make up his true feelings and
As time has passed throughout the novel, all of their positive guidelines they made have been deflected or have changed. The author shows numerous examples to develop the idea that without strong leadership society falls apart and will change people, in this case, the boys are becoming barbaric savages. In Chapter One of the novel, Jack was faced with the situation of killing a pig for food and showed a desire to kill the pig however he couldn’t because of the “unbearable blood” that the aftermath of the situation would impose. He paused “only long enough for [him] to understand what an enormity the downward stroke would be.” In Chapter Four, Jack was faced with this same situation again and killed the pig for the different food source that the boys craved for after living on the island. Jack “cut the pigs throat, [he] said proudly..." indicating a sense of satisfaction showing he is not upset. Jack describes the situation in Chapter Four when he kills the pig, however, “there [were] lashings of blood” that made him “[stutter]” as he completed his thought. The progression of this theme ends in Chapter Eight when Jack kills the pig, out of enjoyment. When Jack brutally kills the sow in was in a situation when the heard of pigs were “sensuously enjoying the shadows” and a “deep maternal bliss” describes the situation as non-threatening, implying that Jack is killing for enjoyment and not for food. This theme is continued to be illustrated when Jack says he “[can] do for some meat.” Jack is a strong example of the reoccurring theme that the author is trying to pursue. The most evident example of the boys descending into barbarism is the gradual brutality that Jack and the other boys display around the
The corruption of innocence and humane instincts is expressed through the progression of the hunting of pigs. The boys retain their innocence as they first arrive, which forestalls them from causing harm to the pigs. As the story progresses and the need of food takes over, they are capable of killing the pigs. As an example, during his first few hunting attempts, Jack finds it difficult to kill the pigs. This is because he hesitates when hunting which shows us how he still has humanity and mercy for pigs. As the book progresses they give into their hunger and more blood is spilled. Jack becomes desensitized to the violence and loses sympathy for the pigs, which allows him to do what he could not do before. The more they kill, the easier it