Jack Lord Of The Flies Character Analysis

The boys live a new life without adults and social norms. Roles in their makeshift society have been carried out but Jack’s self-imposed responsibility only aims to fulfill his personal agenda. Jack’s fervent character is aggressiveness masquerading as passion. This destructive behavior sends Jack to a faster decline to savagery in relation to his peers.

(*) Jack is a natural leader. He has a domineering, almost authoritarian approach to his leadership. In their first appearance in the book, the choir was a “sweaty march” (p.16) in “two parallel lines” (p.16). He was considered as “the most obvious leader” (p.17) but his “wearily obedient” (p.17) choir may suggest they followed him out of fear rather than respect for his headship. Jack claims he “ought to be chief” (p.19) just because he was a leader in the past.

He knows his power and he isn’t afraid to wield and brandish it. Even the boys outside of his singing chorale were aware or at least had an inkling of Jack’s capabilities. In the eyes of Ralph, Jack “knew his own mind” (p.18) and therefore doesn’t seem to be the type to follow rules. This would explain why Jack “cried excitedly” (p.33) about establishing rules; doing so would most likely catapult him into more opportunities to exercise power and assert his role as a leader.

Speaking of

roles, Jack took it upon himself to establish him and his choir as “hunters” (p.38) in their makeshift society. According to caracho of Genius.com, this suggests Jack being naturally aggressive. After all, they have only been in the island for a short time and there is no certainty of anything to hunt yet. A knife soon makes its appearance; it is fitting given the situation they are in but it is peculiar a British school boy would possess one in the first place. The author wrote “a sizable sheath knife” (p.21) instead of, let’s say, a smaller pen knife for Jack. This definitely builds up Jack’s intimidating image. The boys met a terrified piglet later on; it is interesting to note that Jack “drew his knife again with a flourish” (p.29) as his first instinct. The sun has not set yet in the chapter but Jack is already showing signs of being destructive. Whether this would be internalized or directed outwardly is a question left hanging for now.

Jack is particularly expressive with his body language. However, all seem to point to his hostile tendencies. In reference to the previous paragraph, Jack “slammed it [the knife] into a tree trunk” (p.30) when he failed to kill the young pig. This affair with the knife happened again a few pages later. His capacity to be violent was also evident when he “snatched the glasses off his [Piggy’s] face” (p.41) and when he “seized the conch” (p.37). The language used was strong for a reason and it may have been to highlight Jack’s forcefulness. Jack tends to be demanding: be it his choir’s obedience, a position of power or even simple objects.

Positions of power seem to complement Jack’s commanding persona.

However, as shown in the chief election, Jack was distinctly a leader but he lacked the charisma, the “stillness… that marked him out” (p.19) and the tangible proof of power that Ralph had. The next best thing Jack had to being chief was the head of his choir, who were now hunters. Jack initiating himself as a hunter however, will only develop and open pathways to be more cunning, aggressive and violent. Coupled with his compulsive desire for power, his descent to savagery is faster because he only recognizes authority and power served by his own hands and he would stop at nothing to achieve

that.