“Man produces evil, as bee produces honey” (_______). William Golding, the author of Lord of the Flies, looks at the evil side of physiology which he uses in creating the character Jack. Jack may have started out as a confident leader but, his leadership qualities soon start dwindling down and are being replaced with a sense of madness. Throughout Golding’s Lord of the Flies many of the boys, for example Jack, have gradually turned heinous because they have lost all sense of morality and therefore proving that their actions can become immoral when in dire circumstances. To start, Jack began turning unethical when Ralph started acting tempestuous around him. As through Lord of the Flies, Jack’s way of dealing with insults is by starting arguments, …show more content…
“What about my hunters?’ ‘Boys with sticks.’ Jack got to his feet.
His face was red as he marched away… The sound of the inexpertly blown conch interrupted them… Jack went on blowing till the shelters were astir and the hunters crept to the platform and the luttluns whimpered” (Golding 125). This clearly explains that Jack's temper and mind has reduced from being able to deal with some criticism to being so irritated by the slightest comment that he blows the conch at its loudest pitch that it pains some boys. His action demonstrates his inability to cope with differing opinions. Another example of Jack’s changing mind would be described when he was not voted the new tribe leader. Jack has an adverse reaction to the other boys’ decision on who should become chief, ”How many think-’ ‘His voice trailed off... ‘I’m not going to play any longer. Not with you.’... ‘I’m …show more content…
not going to be a part of Ralph’s lot-’... ‘I’m going by myself. He can catch his own pigs’… He blundered out of the triangle toward the drop to the white sand” (Golding 127). Even though Jack does not go on a rant or tries to kill any of the other boys, he surprises everyone by actually leaving the original tribe. By leaving, Jack loses the perspectives of the rest of the tribe therefore, is only left with his own ideas and reasoning. This starts Jacks transition to taking more extreme actions. In short, Ralph getting upset with Jack initiated Jack’s physiological changes. In addition, throughout Lord of the Flies, Jack progressively becomes unhinged as more time passes and he influences the other boys around him to join his rebellious tribe. Jack is caught fighting with Ralph, increasing his violence as they continue, “Jack made a rush and stabbed at Ralph’s chest with his spear… They were chest to chest, breathing fiercely, pushing and glaring… Jack wrenched free and swung at Ralph with his spear” (Golding 177). Jack has transitioned from using verbal threats to the other tribe members to physically attacking Ralph with a spear. It is becoming more clear that Jack’s mind is drifting farther away from what was considered morally right. A second example of Jack influencing the other boys in an unfavorable way was seen when he ordered Samneric to be tied up. Jack knows he contains power at this point and shows that authority, “Grab them!’ No one moved. Jack shouted angrily. ‘I said ‘grab them!’ Ralph cried out hopelessly… ‘Jack!’ ‘Go on. Tie them.’ They felled the twins clumsily and excitedly… Jack turned… ‘See? They do what I want” (Golding 179). Jack's change in temperament is being further supported by his ability to forcibly get others to obey him. Jack’s confidence is growing as he convinces himself that his way of doing things is best. (More Warrant) (Conclusion Sentence) Finally, the last moment Jack has distinctively gone psychologically insane is seen in his attempt to kill Ralph.
Samneric are talking to Ralph telling him Jack’s plan to kill him, “Listen, Ralph. Never mind what’s sense. That’s gone-’... ‘They hate you, Ralph. They’re going to do you.’ ‘They’re going to hunt you tomorrow’ (Golding 188). Although Jack is not saying this directly, it is obvious he wants Ralph dead. Also, Jack is talking about “hunting Ralph” which sounds as if Ralph is an animal and it is Jack’s job to find him and kill him for the better of the tribe. The contempt that Jack shows towards Ralph is evidence that Jack has direguard to anyone that does not agree with his opinions. In addition to Jack saying he will kill Ralph, he takes even more extreme measures to follow through with his plan. Jack's primary focus is now to take any mad idea to kill Ralph and use it, ”Once more the invisible tribe sniggered... Someone laughed excitedly, and a voice shouted. ‘Smoke!’... Cautiously, his stick trailing behind him, Ralph wormed between the rising stems… The fire was a big one” (Golding 196-197). As of know, Jack has fully reached his transformation to a psychopath. To go from only having an argument when disagreeing to wanting to eliminate Ralph once and for all has become an extremist idea that somehow has become morally correct in Jack’s mind. Also, Jack has convinced his own tribe members that this thinking is ethical and normal as well. Jack’s ability to
convince his tribe of his extreme ideas would mean that he himself would have to strongly believe of his actions therefore, he truly has become a psychopath. As seen in Golding’s Lord of the Flies,Jack has gradually turned contemptible because he has lost all sense of morality and therefore proving that his actions had come unethical when in unfavorable circumstances. Throughout the book, Jack increasingly
When Ralph blows the conch, Jack is introduced to the reader for the first time. He is represented as an audacious and selfish boy who likes to order others around when he says "I ought to be chief, because I'm chapter chorister and head boy"(Goldberg p.22). It also confirms his hunger for power and wanting control over everything. His choleric and petulant personality can be seen when he says "Shut up, Fatty."(p.23), also revealing that he is rude and inconsiderate of others. Despite his obnoxious personality, his conscious of civilization keeps him from killing the first pig they see. He even recommends that the boys should have rules to keep things in order.
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
Mankind is innately evil. The allegorical novel, The Lord of the Flies, allows for little interpretation about human nature. William Golding depicts the idea, “evil is an inborn trait of man” (Golding). Throughout the novel the children who have crash landed on the island begin to uncover their savage nature. Although all of the children somehow succumb to a heinous behaviour, Jack, Ralph, and Roger become most noticeably corrupt. Ultimately, it becomes clear that malicious intent is intrinsic in mankind.
In “Lord of the Flies” Ralph has the goal of getting himself and the rest of the tribe off the island. His plan to execute it is by making a signal fire that a passing ship or boat will see to rescue them. Ralph realizes that maintaining order within their tribe is crucial to their survival and chance of being saved. As chief of their group, he assigns Jack the leader of the hunters. He then puts them in charge of keeping the signal fire lit. During this process, Jack and his boys get distracted from keeping it lit as they attempt to kill a pig. After a couple of hunts, Jack and his boys finally kill a pig and return in cheers. As they get back, Ralph gets mad at Jack saying “You and your blood Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might have gone home” (70). Ralph is angry with Jack because he realizes as leader that he has to make sure everyone understands their main goal, and are able to focus on that by blocking out distractions. These actions that Ralph show display why he is successful as a leader and why they accomplish the goal of getting
When Jack loses the election to become chief to Ralph, it becomes apparent that Jack is schismatic and wholeheartedly intends to act against Ralph’s actions and decisions. From small nuances such as churlish remarks to fights, it is obvious that Jack intends to eventually either dethrone Ralph or form his own tribe. In one instance, Ralph assigns Jack a very simplistic task of watching the fire on the mountain, yet Jack decides that his appetence for blood and meat is more important than fulfilling his duty to the fire. Disobeying Ralph’s orders, Jack defects from his post to hunt and does not attempt to have another person tend the fire in his absence. Because of Jack’s actions, Ralph verbally scolds Jack and states to Jack, “You talk. But you can’t even build hut...
Jack’s authoritative figure in the beginning of Lord of the Flies is one quality that shows how he is a dynamic character. To begin with, Jack shows he is authoritative by sabotaging Ralph’s integrity and rules. For instance, on pages one-hundred and one and one-hundred and two, Jack says, “We don’t need the conch anymore. We know who ought to say things. What good did Simon do speaking, or Bill, or Walter? It’s time some people knew they’ve got to keep quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us.” Jack is trying to get rid of the idea that the conch, or freedom of speech, is needed. This is another step away from civilized behavior because a newly established order of power replaces the conch. Another way Jack shows he is authoritative is by wanting to be a leader. First, Jack forms his own group that he calls the hunters. Then, Jack intimidates the other boys to join his group by talking about the beast. Jack tells the little ‘uns that are scared that they will forget about the beast. ...
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...
When viewing the atrocities of today's world on television, the starving children, the wars, the injustices, one cannot help but think that evil is rampant in this day and age. However, people in society must be aware that evil is not an external force embodied in a society but resides within each person. Man has both good qualities and faults. He must come to control these faults in order to be a good person. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding deals with this same evil which exists in all of his characters. With his mastery of such literary tools as structure, syntax, diction and imagery, The author creates a cheerless, sardonic tone to convey his own views of the nature of man and man’s role within society.
First of all, was when the idea of having a chief was brought forth in the first meeting, the narrator stated that Jack arrogantly nominated himself. Speaking of designating chief, when the idea of voting for a chief was brought forth he protested it. This presented his true intentions of being a leader, self-fulfillment and pride. Moreover, Jack was quite inconsiderate. According to the text, when Jack wanted to continue to move to find the supposed beast, Ralph told him to wait for the younger children. He replied with, "Sucks to the littluns!" How can one be a leader of he/she does not care about the welfare of others, especially those weaker than him? Nonetheless, in seek for the thrill of power Jack actually preyed on them; for example, everyone got a piece of meat from Jack's first hunt, except for Piggy, the hunter wanted to leave the younger child in doubt. He does this to intimidate and flaunt his power. In addition, he would do anything to gain it. In the eighth chapter, Jack twisted Ralph's words about the hunters, attempting to sway them on his side, rather than the actual chief. Also, he attempted a coup and forming an alternate group. Plus, when confronted by Ralph in the eleventh chapter, he stabbed him and eventually tried to hunt him down wishing to kill him, attempting to affirm himself as the "true" leader. Moreover, when Jack was chief, he could never be questioned; people solely followed him due to fear. When
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
The boys are drawn away from a civilized way of living. Comments made by Ralph and Jack show the boys that Jack is resorting to savagery. Ralph and Jack both agree in the beginning while they are reasoning in a civil manner. Throughout the novel the two leaders stray from one another because of differences in motivation. Jack told the boys "We've got to decide about being rescued" (Golding 20). This statement illustrates Jack's civilized concern for the whole group. Jack seems to put the group before him. This unselfish concern soon dissolves as the internal beast prevails over the civil Jack. "I ought to be chief because I'm chapter chorister and I can sing C sharp" (Golding, 21), displays Jacks own arrogance. However, the narrator has more insight into this power struggle, "This toy of voting was almost as pleasing as the conch" (Golding 21). The narrator sees this act of voting through the boy's eyes. The narrator implies the boy's failure to understand the importance of a leader.
“Everybody has good and evil within them. All we're trying to say is that people are not all good or all bad. People are more complicated than you think, and one has to be more knowledgeable about the complexities.” This quotation from Stephen Schwartz establishes that even the best of people can be bitter by their own nature. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding removes the restraints of society to prove that it is human nature to live primitively and that evil lies within all of us. The sanctions of society begin to deteriorate due to the loss of communication, Jack’s obsession with hunting, and the inhumane nature of Jack and his “tribe”.
In Lord of the Flies, Jack struggles to surrender to the orders of Ralph, the elected chief, and ridicules the other boys who do not possess his natural prowess for commanding the group. For example, when Ralph reprimands the hunters for not tending to the signal fire and ignoring their responsibilities, Jack angrily replies, “‘and you shut up! Who are you anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do. You can’t hunt, you can’t sing’” (Golding 123). Jack does not understand why Ralph was chosen over himself. Having always maintained the top position of the choirboys, he cannot accept ceding power to Ralph. Jack rationalizes his superiority over Ralph as being the boy who possesses singing and hunting abilities and a previous leadership role, therefore the rightful chief. Because Jack is obsessed with the thought that he deserves to rule, it never occurs to him that Ralph’s orders are logical, simple, and civ...
Inside all of man is inherited evil that is concealed by our surroundings, and the society around us. Lord of the Flies reveals that without a structure, man is an evil savage beast. The young group of boys show that humankind is inherently evil through aggressive control and power. When the boys are put to do their duties, Jack starts become more demanding and belligerent towards his group of choirboys. When Jack tells Ralph, “I’ll split up the choir-my hunters that it, “ (Golding 42). Jack tries to show his suppirouness over the choirboys and how they are becoming more and more like savages. Jack then begins show his need for control and power by breaking the rules and doing his own thing, for example he says, “ Bollocks to the rules! Were strong- we hunt! If there’s a beast , we’ll hunt it down! We’ll close in and beat and beat and b...
Jack says,“Ralph is like Piggy. He says things like Piggy. He isn't a proper chief”(Golding 159). Ralph is obviously jealous, and also thinks that being smart is near to nothing in comparison to strength and ability to hunt when it comes to anything. Jack also says,"Come on! Follow me!"(Golding 20). This little quote shows that Jack is acting like the main leader and he thinks everything he wants is the best for the tribe. Jack states, "And you shut up! Who are you, anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do. You can't hunt, you can't sing—"(Golding 91). This again shows that Jack thinks the best quality to have is hunting and even singing is important to Jack. Singing is important to Jack because he was the leader of the choir. Being controlling and forceful. Anybody would list controlling and forceful as characteristics for a