How Does Jack Show The Power In Lord Of The Flies

The history of man can be seen as cruel and selfish. From the fight for resources to the devastating Holocaust, there is always a constant state of war. The philosopher Thomas Hobbes's ideas of mankind are very negative. According to Hobbes, life is “nasty, brutish, and short.” The character Jack from Lord of the Flies is a symbol of Hobbes's harsh views because of his fight, power and his will to take on a monarchy.
Throughout the book, Jack represents Hobbes philosophy that men have a will to fight. Philosophically and literally, throughout the novel, it is said that man chooses fight or flight. “At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt onto the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements

but the tearing of teeth and claws” (Golding 153). In the novel Jack and the boys attack the “beast” showing that even those with innocence will brawl. Hobbes would say that Jack and the boys are acting naturally, “Since others will strike at a person to obtain his share of these resources, he should go on the offensive and strike first.” Hobbes’s beliefs and the way that Jack and his friends go after the beast prove that there is always a constant state of war, whether it be something small or large, there is a fight.
Not only does Jack symbolize the constant fight that Hobbes theorizes, he also represents the power that man can have.

Jack says, “I’m going off by myself. He can catch his own pigs. Anyone who wants to hunt when I do can come too” (Golding 127). After Jack makes his statement, many of the other boys went under his wing, and followed in his steps. Jacks persuasion helps with his power, being able to stand up to Ralph who is considered the “cruel and harsh” leader, makes the other boys want to follow Jack instead. “Men can only unite through an artificial covenant. Men, by nature, do not tend toward the common good.” Hobbes speaks of man as always coming together when there is war. As Jack leads the boys to kill the beast, they are not doing good. The only “good” they are doing is attempting to feed one

another.
Lastly, with Jack's fight and power, it leads him to becoming capable of leading a Monarchy on the island. “Grab them’, No one moved. Jack shouted angrily.‘I said grab them!’
The painted group moved round Samneric nervously and unhandily.

Once more the silvery laughter scattered” (Golding 178). Jack was able to take control of most of the group and make demands that were followed, it might not have been with ease but that came with the tension of the situation: Ralph also having power among the group. Hobbes says, “Although a monarch may rule in favor of his private interest, this is only one private interest, whereas, the parliaments must represent many private interests, which may result in civil war.” Jack's private interest would be getting himself off of the island, and Ralphs private interest (when he was the “monarch”) was to be the monarch. The civil war begins when Jack makes his interest obvious to the group and other boys share this interest, thus leading to the civil war. Jack and his followers then make it a group interest to “dethrone” Ralph and get everybody off of the

island.
Within the novel Lord of the Flies there is a constant state of war, just like reality. The boys fear and hunt down a beast, hurt one another, and demand a role to fight. Jack symbolizes Hobbes’s beliefs as a philosopher because he will fight, maintains power and has the desire and right to take on a monarchy. Showing that whatever move he makes there will still be war and man is selfish.