William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" is a profound exploration of human nature and the inherent capacity for both good and evil within individuals. Set against the backdrop of a deserted island, the novel delves into the descent of a group of British schoolboys into savagery and chaos. At its core, the novel grapples with the fundamental question of whether civilization is merely a thin veneer over the innate brutality of human nature. Through the character of Jack Merridew, Golding presents a compelling case for the fragility of civilization and the destructive consequences of unchecked ambition and primal instincts. Jack Merridew, initially depicted as the head of the choirboys, emerges as one of the central figures in the boys' society. His flaws and attributes play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of events on the island and contribute significantly to the novel's overarching meaning. Jack …show more content…
When the boys first gather on the beach, Jack is described as "tall, thin, and bony" with "eyes that proclaimed no devil" (Golding, 23). However, his appearance belies his inner turmoil and latent savagery. As the novel progresses, Jack's flaws become increasingly pronounced, particularly in his obsession with hunting and his rejection of civilization's constraints. Jack's flaws are intricately linked to his attributes, notably his charisma and leadership skills. Early in the novel, he demonstrates an ability to command respect and rally the boys to his cause. His charisma is evident during the election for chief, where he nearly usurps Ralph's leadership through sheer force of personality. Golding writes, "The freckles on Jack’s face disappeared under a blush of mortification. He started up, then changed his mind and sat down again while the air rang" (Golding, 29). This moment highlights Jack's ambition and his willingness to challenge authority to satisfy his own
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies portrays the lives of young British boys whose plane crashed on a deserted island and their struggle for survival. The task of survival was challenging for such young boys, while maintaining the civilized orders and humanity they were so accustomed too. These extremely difficult circumstances and the need for survival turned these innocent boys into the most primitive and savaged mankind could imagine. William Golding illustrates man’s capacity for evil, which is revealed in man’s inherent nature. Golding uses characterization, symbolism and style of writing to show man’s inhumanity and evil towards one another.
After being marooned on an unknown, uninhabited island and desperate to survive, the characters in William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies are pushed to the limits of their humanity, and no one is safe from the atrocities from within, not even the seemingly innocent littluns. In an environment where civilization does not exist, the boys of the story attempt to form a society among themselves. Among the group of boys is a young boy who stands out from the rest. Jack Merridew, the leader of the choir boys, strives to take the role of leader of the boys, and he appears to be completely competent. In the beginning, Jack seems to be innocent and civilized. Jack is the cultured leader of the boys’ choir. Although the reader’s first impression of Jack Merridew may be one of an innocent leader eager to be rescued, his true, truculent nature manifests with the development of the novel, and the reader is gripped by Jack’s true schismatic, belligerent, and iconoclastic nature.
The Choir Boys and Jack’s appearance is exceptionally militaristic, “Silence.” This illustrates Jack’s control. This is a complete antithesis of what is to come in the novel, disorder and savagery.
William Golding’s novel ‘The Lord of The flies’ presents us with a group of English boys who are isolated on a desert island, left to try and retain a civilised society. In this novel Golding manages to display the boys slow descent into savagery as democracy on the island diminishes.
William Golding’s novel ‘The Lord of The Flies’ tells the story of a group of English boys isolated on a desert island, left to attempt to retain civilisation. In the novel, Golding shows one of the boys, Jack, to change significantly. At the beginning of the book, Jack’s character desires power and although he does not immediately get it, he retains the values of civilized behaviour. However, as the story proceeds, his character becomes more savage, leaving behind the values of society. Jack uses fear of the beast to control the other boys and he changes to become the book’s representation of savagery, violence and domination. He is first taken over with an obsession to hunt, which leads to a change in his physical appearance This change of character is significant as he leads the other boys into savagery, representing Golding’s views of there being a bad and unforgiving nature to every human.
They say people change — but usually for the better. But this is not the case for our young English schoolboys. One plane crash that was meant for evacuation changes the course of their lives for these groups of boys. These boys get stranded on an island far away from any connection to the outside world. The only people the boys can rely on are each other and themselves due to their being no adults on the island. With no adult supervision and rules these innocent boys, from William Golding’s novel the Lord of the Flies, quickly turn from being civilized to reckless savages. This change is most evident in Jack, the head choirboy. Jack is a head choirboy that degenerates to a ruthless savage. This progress of becoming a savage is shown slowly by his change in attire, feelings about rules, and his feelings for killing the pig.
Golding has a rather pessimistic view of humanity having selfishness, impulsiveness and violence within, shown in his dark yet allegorical novel Lord of the Flies. Throughout the novel, the boys show great self-concern, act rashly, and pummel beasts, boys and bacon. The delicate facade of society is easily toppled by man's true beastly nature.
In the “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, Golding had described Jack in many different ways. In the book, the author proves Jack is an arrogant tyrant who is revealing an exaggerated sense of his own importance or abilities. Jack has a desire for power and uses violence against others. He also represents savagery which the other boys follow. In Lord of the Flies, the character Jack shows himself to be an arrogant tyrant because throughout the novel he acts in a way that is violent, mean, and savage.
We all have evil inside us but the decisions we make and what we do with that evil shape who we are. In William Golding's Lord of the Flies Jack follows the decline character arc. When the story begins Jack is helpful, he is willing to follow orders from Ralph. That quickly changes when he reaches a turning point that plunges himself into savagery. He only goes downhill from there, Jack loses all his civility and disregards others as human beings.
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies shows man’s inhumanity to man. This novel shows readers good vs. evil through children. It uses their way of coping with being stranded on an island to show us how corrupt humans really are.
William Golding's first book, Lord of the Flies, is the story of a group of boys of different backgrounds who are marooned on an unknown island when their plane crashes. As the boys try to organize and formulate a plan to get rescued, they begin to separate and as a result of the dissension a band of savage tribal hunters is formed. Eventually the "stranded boys in Lord of the Flies almost entirely shake off civilized behavior: (Riley 1: 119). When the confusion finally leads to a manhunt [for Ralph], the reader realizes that despite the strong sense of British character and civility that has been instilled in the youth throughout their lives, the boys have backpedaled and shown the underlying savage side existent in all humans. "Golding senses that institutions and order imposed from without are temporary, but man's irrationality and urge for destruction are enduring" (Riley 1: 119). The novel shows the reader how easy it is to revert back to the evil nature inherent in man. If a group of well-conditioned school boys can ultimately wind up committing various extreme travesties, one can imagine what adults, leaders of society, are capable of doing under the pressures of trying to maintain world relations.
The whole entire story could've had an entire different outcome if Jack didn’t have so many personality blemishes. Jack seems like he has something wrong with him as far as handling his emotions go. He is always very mean to Piggy and was the first to thirst for blood.
Jack is the pleasure principle in the novel, and is constantly pushing towards what he wants over everyone else. I ought to be chief.. because.. I'm a head boy.(21). Over time, he creates an army of boys and starts to hunt for Ralph. Mirroring the actions of Adolf Hitler when hunting down Jews, purely for power. Jack does these things not because he needs to, but because he wants to have the upper hand and all the power he can acquire.
His character arc is a stark commentary on how power, when unchecked, can corrupt and distort an individual’s moral compass. We see this when Jack declares, “We hunt and feast and have fun”. If you want to join my tribe, come and see us.” The novel also delves into the consequences of anarchy and the loss of law and order, demonstrating the chaos that ensues when individuals are granted excessive freedom without any rules. The descent into savagery by the boys on the island serves as a stark metaphor for the chaos that can reign in the absence of law and order, as emphasised when Golding writes, “The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away.”
Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney Looking first at the poem written by Seamus Heaney it portrays a very powerful and clear message. I guess that it is set in Ireland, he gives clues of this throughout the poem and as he is originally from Ireland I think that it is a safe presumption to make. Mid-Term break an incredibly sad poem.