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Lord of the flies – character essay on jack.
Choose a novel with a character who you find fascinating. With reference to the text show how the writer made the character fascinating.
William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies is a novel in which Jack is a fascinating character. In the book a group of boys are stranded on a desert island and must work out how to survive. Golding makes Jack a fascinating character as he makes him change from a darling little boy into a terrifying and reckless young man. We can explore how this change takes place.
At the start of the book Jack is clearly still confined by society’s rules and still wants to be seen as good. We know this as in the scene where he catches a pig he struggles to kill it and we’re told ““he hadn’t because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh”. Here, the word choice of ‘enormity’ tells us that Jack finds killing the pig a big deal, he struggles to murder a living thing as he’s never done this before. The description of the knife ‘descending’ reinforces this as even though the knife is traveling a short distance to Jack it feels like an eternity as he tries to commit a big act of killing. The words ‘living flesh’ shows Jack still empathises with the pig and doesn’t want to kill it. At this point it is clear Jack still wants to follow normal rules and thinks that hurting things is wrong.
Jack begins to change slowly and develops a crazy and violent side. We see this when his hunting job starts to take over his mind and we are told Jack had a “compulsion to track down and kill things that was swallowing him up”. The word ‘compulsion’ suggests that this feeling is not something Jack has any control over; it is almost instinctive for him or a crazy addiction. This is reinforced by the idea that this feeling was ‘swallowing’ him up, it was a feeling or thought that was taking over his life and killing a pig became the only thing he could think about. There’s a possibility that Jack became so fixated as he felt like a failure and less masculine for failing to kill the pig in the first place and now wants to kill one to prove he is a man. This makes Jack fascinating as it is difficult to understand how someone could want to kill something, or be so fixated on that, unless they were going crazy in some way.
Jack does finally manage to kill a pig but all this seems to do is make him madder and badder. He leads a group of boys after they kill the pig and starts a war dance around the carcass chanting “Kill the pig, cut her throat, spill the blood”. This is quite a disturbing scene, the boys appear far too young for such ferocious actions. The chant shows how savage they have become under Jack’s instructions. The words ‘cut’ and ‘spill’ are quite visceral and forceful and the boys are acting far more maturely and savagely than we’d expect them to. This makes Jack seem fascinating as he is now convincing the other boys to become savages too.
Jack’s behaviour develops again when he begins to challenge Ralph’s authority on the island. When the boys are discussing who will go up the mountain and find the beast Jack says he will go and yells at Ralph “coming?” This is clearly asked in a challenging and mocking tone. Jack doesn’t believe Ralph will go up the mountain because he is too scared and Jack will be able to prove to the boys that he should be their brave new leader. This is fascinating because we see Jack try to manipulate the situation so he can wrestle control from Ralph and lead the group.
Jack finally gets what he wants and becomes the chief of all the boys. However his control of them is through fear rather than love and we are told he was “the boy who controlled them” which is best seen when he interacts with Roger – “Jack had [Rodger] by the hair and was brandishing a knife”. The word ‘controlled’ suggests that Jack is a massive dictator but the ‘boy’ suggests that his leadership is immature. The scene with Roger is worrying as it shows Jack dominating the other boys through force and threat. This is fascinating as we see Jack reach the worst version of himself all caused by being on an island without rules.
In conclusion, Golding creates a fascinating character in Jack by making his personality develop from a reasonably pleasant boy to one who begins to challenge authority and eventually become the authority on the island. He is a brute force who has been included to show what happens if the rules are taken away. Jack is the little savage in all of us.
6 thoughts on “Lord of the Flies – Character essay on Jack”
WOW AMAZING!!! thank you so much!
thank you soo much this helped a ton!! you pointed out so many different things that i didnt notice when reading the book!
Your welcome!
really good help
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Essay On Jack In Lord Of The Flies
Essay on jack's power in lord of the flies.
Many of the boys want to have fun and see Jack's hunting as the fun
Jack In Lord Of The Flies Essay
William Golding portrayed his past through a character in his novel, Lord of the Flies; Godling brought out what he truly believed to be the "darkness" of ones heart and incorporated it into the fictional character, Jack. William Golding, according to his family, was a violent man. His family described him as being a dictator, which showed a correlation between him and the fictional character, Jack. Throughout the story, Jack was a representation of savagery. His character was blood thirsty and a manipulator. Upon their arrival to the island, Jack desired power over all things. He wanted to be the leader and in control of the boys.
Jack Merridew Power Quotes
By disobeying Ralph’s rules, Jack is trying to weaken the rules. Jack still has an effect on the boys, and his breaking of rules weakens the their will to follow them. In a later meeting, Jack claims that Ralph “isn’t a proper chief” and that “[he’s] going off by [himself].” Jack’s departure weakens Ralph’s tribe, since the choir has been with Jack before the crash on the island, and showed loyalty to him on the island. This results in a majority of the boys abandon Ralph for Jack. Some of the non-choir boys go off with Jack’s tribe, because of the beast they want protection from. They believe his hunters will supply that. Jack is no longer under control, but is now in control. Jack’s department of the tribe, and weakening of the boy’s opinion on Ralph leads to his desire for power being satisfied.
How Does Jack Change In Lord Of The Flies
When Jack was first asked to kill the pig he hesitated. He said, “ ‘I was waiting for a moment to decide where to stab him’ ” (Golding 31). Although it is not directly stated why Jack didn’t kill the first pig, it is assumed that it is because he is a child and this is his first time killing. This is the only time Jack struggles to kill as it starts to consume him from not only killing just animals but people too. An external conflict is Jack wants to be chief, which causes a tension between him and Ralph. When it was first decided that the boys needed a chief Jack said, “ ‘A Chief! A Chief! I ought to be Chief!’ ” (Golding 22). This was the first time Jack showed any interest in becoming a leader which grew stronger the longer they where on the island. He lets becoming chief consume him and he begins to loose sight of who he
Jack's External Conflict
Both Jack and Ralph were struggling for power. At first, Jack and Ralph had similar goals for what they should do on the island. They quickly retreated when Jack became obsessed with hunting for pigs on the island. Ralph thought that they should keep the signal fire going at all times. Jack started to see that he did not want to leave the island he like that there were no rules. Ralph on the other hand felt that they could not be here forever. Ralph wanted to be rescued from the island. They're very different opinion forces Jack to leave Ralph's group and start his own. Jack toke most of the other boys with him leaving Ralph with very few people. From all of this Ralph started to realize that leading a group of people was not easy. There would always be people like Jack that would disagree. Jack left feeling insulted from Ralph insulting his hunting he felt that Ralph had undermined him as a result Jack turned mean and
Jack's Hunger for Power in The Lord of the Flies Essay
Once he understands his situation upon the island Jack sees it as a fresh start where he can act as a complete tyrant and have unlimited power, and by doing so, escape his fear of being publicly embarrassed, ashamed and humiliated by other children. But his “temporary” personality change seems to have completely changed him into the blood-thirsty savage that he has become. This situation can apply to so many events that have taken place throughout history. A great example would be Salieri and Mozart, Salieri who loved music, believed himself to be a talented musician and performer, until, Mozart. His jealousy and
Essay about Jack - Dynamic Character in "Lord of the Flies"
Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, has four very important dynamic characters. A dynamic character is a character that develops and grows during the course of the story. Ralph, Jack, Piggy, and Simon are four dynamic characters in Lord of the Flies that adapt to their new lifestyles in different ways. Jack is a very important dynamic character in Lord of the Flies because he goes through the most changes during the novel. While on the island, Jack has many life experiences that change him forever. Jack never thought he would live his life the way he is living his life in the island. Jack’s authoritative figure, savage-like/instinctual behavior, and violence are three qualities that make Jack a dynamic character.
Dialectical Journal For Lord Of The Flies
This quote portrays how Jack is speaking to all boys particularly little boys who are afraid and believe that the beast is in the island. Jack says little boys begin the anxiety and create rumour about the beast and his hunters and he promise to the little boys that they will guard all by killing the beast. However, the evil within Jack make him speak like a savage by saying that because the little boy do not contribute in the hunting or making of the smoke, so this would lead them to be attacked by the beast. This shows how Jack is heartless and selfish.
Jack In Lord Of The Flies Analysis
Jack is aggressive with the other boys on the island. Jack is aggressive with the boys when he gets mad. The hunters “drove Jack to violence.” Jack then “took a step, and able at last to hit someone, struck his fist into Piggy’s stomach” (Golding 71). Jack was mad at the hunters, so he took it out on Piggy. Robert says Jack is “going to beat Wilfred.” The boys have no idea what for. Robert says Jack, “got angry and made us tie up Wilfred up for no reason just because he got angry. Jack did the same thing with Piggy.
Jack Gets Mad In Lord Of The Flies
Jack gets mad at Ralph. Because he blamed by Ralph and he is always a lot of set up. This makes her get bored and go away from Ralph. Jack felt that he more deserves to be a leader. Then, this separate do not make him doubt at all. It is because Jack has an ability of hunting to survive on the island. In addition, there are other kids who follow him and accompanied him to keep each other. it make him sure for what he has decided. It show by Jack's speech when he says that Ralph was not the one leader who deserved,
Power In Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis
Jack is only interested in power, he acts like a dictator and doesn’t follow the communities thoughts. Some actions that Jack takes that shows this are "I got the conch," said Piggy indignantly. “You let me speak!” “The conch doesn’t count on top of the mountain," said Jack, “So you shut up.” This shows how Jack acts like dictator because he doesn’t listen to what the people say. “He's not a hunter. He'd never have got us meat. He isn't a perfect and we don't know anything about him. He just gives orders and expects people to obey for nothing. All this talk-.” This shows how Jack is power hungry and will basically do anything to get it, he is trying to make Ralph look like a bad chief in order for him to try to take the power away from him and get it for himself. “We’ll raid them and take fire. There must be four of you; Henry and you, Robert and Maurice. We'll put on paint and sneak up.” This shows how Jack uses his power to make his tribe members listen to his orders and steal the members of the other tribes. Jack is only interested in power and wants the power for his own
Jack Merridew’s Evil Ways in The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was right in saying that the “only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Jack Merridew’s evil ways are evident as he uses fear to control the boys on the island. In the beginning of the book, his presence itself at the election of chief instills the first of the fears within each of the boys. Jack uses his personality as a menace to the boys on the island. Although Jack garners support from the majority of the group, they assist him only through fear of what he is capable of doing to them if they do not do as he commands. As one can see multiple times throughout the book, Jack deems it necessary to hunt down pigs on the island, but why? Jack carries a demon inside of him that allows him to do such acts. If things are not done as he wishes, his fury is unleashed on everyone around him. While the others find hunting as a chance for adventure, Jack practices it as if it were a ritual. This ritual extends beyond the pig caught between the “creepers”; pigs are eventually replaced with human flesh. The boys’ fear keep them in the circle of dancing for they are afraid that one of them will be the next in the center of the dance. This outlook on violence is what drives the fear inside them. Later on, Jack uses the belief of the beast to further enlarge the terror of the schoolboys. The idea of the beast was originally brought up by a “littlun” but Jack uses the little boy’s fear to his advantage. The sacrifices made, the spears, and the face
Security In Lord Of The Flies
As in the novel, Jack seems to be acting in every way to avoid a rescue, he has let the fire go out, he doesn't think positively towards Ralphs theories of rescue, and he doesn't encourage overall civilization. Thus creating fear of no rescue through the distraction of other opportunities, Jack has forgotten the real task at hand, “Jack had to think for a moment before he could remember what rescue was.” Along with denying and not reassuring any plans of rescue, Jack is trying to convince his tribe that “…fear can't hurt you any more than a dream. There aren't any beasts to be afraid of on this island . . . Serve you right if something did get you, you useless lot of cry-babies!" Although his statement is wrong, fear can hurt you, and there is clearly a beast or other disturbance on the
Lord of the Flies Nature of Man
Jack, negatively portrayed in comparison to Ralph, tempts the boys with an array of forbidden treats, indulging their most violent, suppressed desires in an attempt to lull them away from the security of Ralph. In a sense, Jack is negatively compared to Ralph throughout the novel, and is often portrayed as confused and violent, very aware of the evil inside of him: “The real problem that arises among the boys involves their own inner nature…” (Johnston 2). When his plan fails, Jack feels as though his seat of power is threatened and therefore resorts to terrorizing, threatening and essentially forcing the boys to join him and align themselves against Ralph, alienating them from their former, comfortable life-style and thus making what they once failed to appreciate all the more desirable.
Jack Merridew Character Analysis
Jack’s adventurous spirit is shown many times in the novel. He seeks adventure and establishes himself as a hunter. To illustrate, when Ralph and Jack are talking, he says, “When I’ve had a bathe and something to eat, I’ll just trek over to the other side of the mountain and see if I can see any traces. Coming?” (56) Jack loves being on an island alone, allowed to do as he pleases. He is also very passionate, and he lives in a, “...brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration and skill.” (75) His enthusiasm allows him to lead his portion of the tribe, and many of the other boys want to live life with adventure and thrill like he does. Jack lives for excitement and adventure, and this is shown when he says, “We’ll hunt. I’m going to be chief. And then - about the beast. I say this. We aren’t going to bother about the beast. We’re going to forget the beast!” (146) Even though the beast is a huge threat to the boys, Jack doesn’t care about the potential
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Essay On Jack Merridew In Lord Of The Flies
Jack's island in lord of the flies.
In William Golding novel “Lord of the Flies” Golding juxtaposes Jack’s island and Simon’s to illustrate that when man is faced with a certain environment, he will chose to either make the best of what he has by staying positively calm or look at it in a negative aspect. Golding’s novel transpires when a bunch of kids plane was shot down. The boys all survive and land on an uninhabited island. The boys do not have an adult figure as their authority. The boys are split into two separate camps. Hunters who were once former choir members and workers which persits of everyone else. The hunters are led by a boy named Jack, the former head of the choir. He is in charge off the choir and virtually is second in command on the island. A few days after
Jack Merridew Lord Of The Flies Analysis
Jack is a naive head choir boy before he arrives at the island; by being stranded, Jack begins to adapt to the new environment and takes on characteristics of an animal. After Ralph tells Jack everyone's names and asks what his name is, Jack states, “Kids’ names, why should I be Jack? I’m Merridew” (Golding 21). In other
Jack Lord Of The Flies Society Essay
Society has an evil deep within. Most don’t notice it because it is them, we are the evil, people are the evil. The Lord of the Flies novel written by William Golding was a look into the evil of society. This evil was conveyed through one specific character in the novel, Jack. Jack is a main character in the story whose personality is way different than we would expect a common 12 year old boy’s to be. He had acted very barbaric, bloodthirsty, and manipulative throughout the novel.
Change In Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis
A quote by Benjamin Disraeli said, “ Change is inevitable. Change is constant.” This quote illustrates how everyone goes through changes in their life, no matter their situation. This quote is clearly shown in Lord of the Flies as all the characters changed throughout the story. In Golding’s story several boys crash land on an island and are stuck without any adults. Throughout the story the boys are faced with many obstacles that they must overcome and they often change trying to overcome those challenges. One character that had many changes was Jack, which include being a choir boy leader to being a tribe leader, growing more dangerous and aggressive as the story went on, and having the urge to hunt more.
Selfishness In Lord Of The Flies Analysis
First of all, in Lord of the Flies, William Golding demonstrates selfishness from the theme of power. Power is one of the factors that can make people express their selfishness. In Lord of the Flies of William Golding, boys decide to elect their leader who will earn the power to control the group of boys. At the beginning of the story, Ralph is chosen to be the leader of the boys, while Jack is appointed to be the leader of the hunter. Jack and his hunters think that they are the special group of boys because they have the most significant duty. In chapter 3, While Ralph and Simon work hard on building shelters for others and Ralph requires some help from Jack, but Jack says “Except me and my hunter-” (p. 50). Jack tries to avoid doing the
William Golding Lord Of The Flies Mask Analysis
Golding's use of symbolism in Lord of the Flies conveys many different meanings to ordinary objects. For example a conch shell represents power and the beast represents the devil. William Golding's Lord of the Flies is about a group of boys that are stranded on an island. The book shows the boy’s changes morally and physically. During the book most of the boys change to savages to gain power. At first they have rules and its peaceful, but then Jack leads the hunters to savagery. There are many different factors that lead the boys to savagery such as fear. In William Golding's Lord of the Flies The mask symbolism changes from Jack's anonymous identity to his empowerment and eventually savagery.
Jack Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Essay
In my project, I depicted the symbolism of Jack and the pig in William Golding’s Lord Of The Flies. In the beginning, Jack names himself a hunter; this illustrates the savage side of human nature. As the novel continues, and the desire to hunt and kill increases, and Jack finds himself not only a hunter but also feeling like he is being hunted. This change represents how fear overpowers hope and fuels the dominance of savagery. In the end of the novel, Jack turns from hunting pigs to hunting Ralph. This futile pursuit exemplifies the double-sided spear of the id. Overall, the change in Jack’s character shows the never ending spiral of violence.
Leadership Abuse In Lord Of The Flies
After the boys catch their first glimpse at what they imagined was the beast, Jack calls his own assembly to address the issue. As Jack leads his own meeting instead of Ralph, he immediately exerts this new authority in an attempt to overthrow Ralph as chief, exclaiming, “He’s like Piggy. He says things like Piggy. He isn 't a proper chief,” (Golding 92). Jack’s influence among the boys has been gradually growing, and calling his own meeting grants him with more immediate power than he has ever had before. Jack instantly abuses this power by unjustly criticizing Ralph and challenging his authority, demonstrating that no one on the island can hold a position of power without quickly abusing it. Shortly after, Jack forms his own band of hunters, giving him even more power to toy around with, and it doesn’t take long for him to begin to abuse it. For what appears to be no reason, Jack decides that he’s “Going to beat Wilfred…. He got angry and made [the other boys] tie Wilfred up.” (Golding 116). It is barely over a day since he made his own clan, and he is already abusing his authority, and in a considerably more vicious manner than Ralph. At the start of his little campaign, Jack promised that his tribe would just go hunting and have fun all day. As soon he is in a position of power, however, Jack becomes a different person, ferociously beating Wilfred for no reason other than to assert his
Civilization Vs Savagery In Lord Of The Flies Essay
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is a novel that revolves around the concept of civilization versus savagery. The boys argue about points that eventually split the boys amongst themselves. These disputes come up multiple times over the course of the novel. One of which being the fight over the leader of the boys. Some believed the leader should be Jack while others believed it should be Ralph. Ralph was the leader of the civilized group, and Jack was the leader of the savage and bloodthirsty hunting group. Important arguments between the civilized boys and savage boys come up in three important moments throughout the book: when the signal fire is allowed to go out and a boat passes by the island, when Jack leaves the civilized group to create his group of savages, and when the savages steal Piggy’s glasses to make their own fire.
Character Development In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding
Everyone has this underlying darkness within them that is hidden away deep inside the nooks and crannies of their hearts. Golding demonstrates this through the use of his major characters, Ralph and Jack. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, the author William Golding utilizes character development to suggest the idea that when individuals are separated from civilization, dark forces will arise and threaten unity and harmony.
The Lord Of The Flies Key Incident Essay
“Lord of The Flies” by William Golding is a novel with a key incident. Goldings shows the significance of the key incident through use of characterization, plot, language and exploration of themes of innate. Savagery, civility, fear, violence and murder. The novel features a group of boys who are marooned on a tropical island. The main characters are Ralph, Jack and Piggy. Initially, the characters get on and create a civilsed society. However, the antagonist (Jack) undergoes a dramatic transformation when he acquires a mask made of clay. This mutates him, in that he loses all essences of his moral fiber. This is the important key incident as the mask influences his behavior as he instantly becomes a murder. The mask plunges the island into darkness and brings the character innate savagery.
How Does Golding Use Children In Lord Of The Flies
William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies does not simply describe the life of a group of children stranded on an island, but rather it is a representation of the qualities of human nature. As the novel progresses, the children grow deeper into savagery, performing actions that would be often criticised in society. The absence of law and order devolves even those that attempt to recreate it, like Ralph and Piggy. In this novel, Golding uses children to answer the question whether or not humans are born inanimately good or truly evil. Golding answers this question by symbolising the main characters and their descent into savagery. He uses Ralph and Piggy to describe the well-educated that attempt to grasp civilisation, but ultimately fail to deliver. His symbol of Roger as an ordinary person that breaks loose of the chains of society once disconnected from it. Finally, the nature of Jack is a depiction of the power hungry that will do anything to lead.
Argumentative Essay On Lord Of The Flies
What would happen if boys from a civilized culture were unexpectedly thrown together on an island? William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, provides a potential answer. Despite them trying to form leadership to keep everyone civil, the island’s environment changed them. The environment and situation caused them to change as they had to be responsible without adults, they all began to act like the animals they hunted, and they were able to commit murder.
Compare And Contrast Ralph And Jack In Lord Of The Flies
Lord of the Flies was written by William Golding, an award winning Nobel Prize in Literature British author. William Golding was born on September 11, 1911, in Saint Columb Minor, Cornwall, England. Golding wrote Lord of the Flies that soon became published on September 17, 1954. In the story, two characters that have a lot of differences between each other are Ralph and Jack. Examples of some of their differences include the fact that Ralph is a leader, Jack wants to be in control of things, and they both have different goals they want to achieve on the island.
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The Role Of Jack's Character In Lord Of The Flies
- Topics: Lord of The Flies
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In Lord of the Flies, Jack Merridew’s character traits propel the theme of violence and evil, the dark part of human nature. As a former “head boy” as well as choirmaster, Jack arrives on the island with the experience of significant success in controlling as well as exerting his power over his peers. As such, he is eager to establish rules and consequently punish individuals who fail to meet his expectations, even though he is quick to break the same rules whenever he needs to further his self-interest. This paper will, therefore, provide an analysis of how Jack’s violent, jealous, and manipulative character traits propel the manifestation of the theme of savagery and evil in the novel.
Jack is depicted as a violent character in the novel. The trait is evident when hunting begins to take over him as it is revealed that he attempted to convey “the compulsion to track down and kill things that was swallowing him up” (Golding 42). The use of the word “compulsion” suggests that killing had become an instinct that came to him easily, a characteristic of evil and savagely tendencies. Additionally, Jack’s violent nature is manifested when he rushes at Piggy, and slaps him, causing Piggy’s glasses to break. Also, when Ralph asks Jack to return Piggy’s glasses, he reacts by attacking Ralph. Based on these reactions, Jack’s actions as a violent character propel the theme of evil and savagely in the novel.
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Jack is also jealous of Ralph in the novel, which furthers the theme of savagery and evil in the book. More specifically, when Ralph is chosen as chief, Jack’s jealous nature is seen as his face shows a blush of mortification. Jack’s envy of Ralph’s authority is also seen when he shouts at him, “and you shut up! Who are you anyway? Why should choosing you make any difference? Just giving orders that don’t make any sense” (Golding 79). The rant reveals that Jack is so envious of Ralph’s authority and leadership that he is unwilling to acknowledge him as the new chief. The jealously builds up in the plot until it explodes in the theme of evil as Jack eventually turns savage, calling for Ralph’s blood.
Furthermore, the theme of evilness and savagery is propelled by Jack’s cunning and manipulative nature. More specifically, he uses fear and excitement to scheme and manipulate his peers in the novel. In this regard, he uses excitement to lead his peers into a hunting adventure, which he paints as exciting and fun. In this way, using excitement, the boys cling to Jack due to the excitement that he generates. Similarly, he uses fear to manipulate the boys into supporting him as he plays up the fear and horror of the beast, which he paints as a godlike figure with the ability to change its form (Golding 82). The fear gives the tribe a reason to obey Jack, just as he intended. As such, Jack’s scheming and manipulations create chaos and manifest the elements of savagery and evil in the novel.
Jack is an essential character in The Lord of the Flies as he influences the theme of savagery and evil in the novel. In this regard, his compulsion to kill and his violent attack on Ralph are evidence of evil in the story. Additionally, his jealousy of Ralph’s authority drives him to take actions aimed at undermining his power, including attempting to kill him. Jack also uses manipulation to propel his evil and savagely deeds and further his leadership agenda. In these ways, Jack’s character traits influence the theme of evilness and savagery in the novel.
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What really separates us from animals as human beings? The need for civility, being controlled by fear and power is instilled in the fundamentals of our instincts. William Golding’s 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies explores these themes through the fictional story of a group of schoolboys who are trapped on a deserted tropical island when trying to evacuate Britain in the midst of a war. Although the boys seem to be enjoying their new lives without parents or rules...
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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Lord of The Flies — The Frightening Character of Jack in Lord of the Flies
The Frightening Character of Jack in Lord of The Flies
- Subject: Literature
- Category: Books
- Essay Topic: Lord of The Flies
- Words: 1148
- Published: 14 Jun 2018
- Downloads: 141
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- Lord of the Flies
William Golding
- Literature Notes
- Lord of the Flies at a Glance
- Book Summary
- About Lord of the Flies
- Character List
- Summary and Analysis
- Character Analysis
- Character Map
- William Golding Biography
- Critical Essays
- Major Themes
- Concept, Identity, and Manifestations of the Beast
- Golding's Use of the Fable Structure
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Character Analysis Jack
Jack represents evil and violence, the dark side of human nature. A former choirmaster and "head boy" at his school, he arrived on the island having experienced some success in exerting control over others by dominating the choir with his militaristic attitude. He is eager to make rules and punish those who break them, although he consistently breaks them himself when he needs to further his own interests. His main interest is hunting, an endeavor that begins with the desire for meat and builds to the overwhelming urge to master and kill other living creatures. Hunting develops the savagery that already ran close to his surface, making him "ape-like" as he prowls through the jungle. His domain is the emotions, which rule and fuel his animal nature.
The conflict on the island begins with Jack attempting to dominate the group rather than working with Ralph to benefit it. He frequently impugns the power of the conch, declaring that the conch rule does not matter on certain parts of the island. Yet he uses the conch to his advantage when possible, such as when he calls his own assembly to impeach Ralph. For him, the conch represents the rules and boundaries that have kept him from acting on the impulses to dominate others. Their entire lives in the other world, the boys had been moderated by rules set by society against physical aggression. On the island, however, that social conditioning fades rapidly from Jack's character. He quickly loses interest in that world of politeness and boundaries, which is why he feels no compunction to keep the fire going or attend to any of the other responsibilities for the betterment or survival of the group.
The dictator in Jack becomes dominant in his personality during the panic over the beast sighting on the mountain. In trying to get Ralph impeached, he uses his rhetorical skills to twist Ralph's words. In defense, he offers to the group a rationale that "He'd never have got us meat," asserting that hunting skills make for an effective leader. Jack assigns a high value only to those who he finds useful or agreeable to his views and looks to silence those who do not please him. Denouncing the rules of order, Jack declares, "We don't need the conch any more. We know who ought to say things." He dictates to his hunters that they forget the beast and that they stop having nightmares.
As Jack strives to establish his leadership, he takes on the title of "chief" and reinforces the illusion of station and power by using the other boys ceremoniously as standard bearers who raise their spears together and announce "The Chief has spoken." This role is no game for him, though; by the night of Simon 's death, Jack has clearly gone power-mad, sitting at the pig roast on a large log "painted and garlanded . . . like an idol" while "[p]ower . . . chattered in his ear like an ape." His tribe addresses him as "Chief," indicating a form of more primitive tribal leadership.
True to Piggy 's assertion that "It's them that haven't no common sense that make trouble on this island," Jack takes an entirely different direction from logic or common sense. Perhaps acting out of some guilt he is unable to acknowledge, Jack becomes paranoid and begins feeding misinformation to his tribe, a typical practice of dictatorships to control the collective thinking by controlling the information that is disseminated.
Given the thrill of "irresponsible authority" he's experienced on the island, Jack's return to civilization is conflicted. When the naval officer asks who is in charge, Jack starts to step forward to challenge Ralph's claim of leadership but is stopped perhaps by the recognition that now the old rules will be enforced.
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Character analysis - jack in lord of the flies.
- Word Count: 462
- Approx Pages: 2
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- Downloads: 1
- Grade level: High School
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Jack, one of the main characters in "Lord of the Flies," by William Golding is an excellent example of a dynamic character. Most of the British boys stranded on the island transition from a civilized to a savage personality. Jack is included in the boys that transition to violence. Jack is introduced in the book as the head of a choir group. This makes him seem like a calm guy. He is presented in a way that shows he is a ruthless leader. Jack is a nominee against Ralph, who is another main character in the book, to be chief on the island. Jack says, "[I] ought be chief" (22). This quote shows the need for leadership he has in an arrogant way. Jack still has yet to transition into a savage, so he is accepting when Ralph is elected leader. Jack shows signs of obedience during this point. He listens to Ralph when he makes the rule about listening to the conch. . When the idea of hunting enters the book Jack begins the transition into a savage. Jack fails in killing the first pig he encounters because "the enormity of [a] knife descending into and cutting into live flesh" (31) is troubling and disturbing to him. This proves Jack's innocence. Jack still maintains his good personality, but this also motivates him for later hunting. In chapter four, Jack's sinister trait is brought out. Jack decides to make a mask for himself." He made one cheek and one eye- socket white, then he [rubs] red over the other half of his face and slashed a black bar of charcoal across from right ear to left jaw" (63). The trigger for Jack to become a savage and kill with fulfillment is the mask. . From the point Jack makes the mask he becomes an addict to killing and hunting pigs. He makes it notable when bragging about killing and says comments like "you should [see] it, there [is] lashing of blood" (69). As the book progresses Jack's transition to savage progresses. Jack begins to have leadership issues with Ralph.
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1. lord of the flies.
Lord of the Flies In his novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding evaluates the nature of man. He uses characterization and the interaction of those characters in order to come to the theme of a loss of innocence. ... Jack represents passion. ... Lord of the Flies. ... "A Critical Analysis of the Psychological Insights in Lord of the Flies by William Golding". 10 September 2003. ...
- Word Count: 516
- Grade Level: High School
2. Lord Of The Flies: Analysis Of Characters, Symbolism, And Setting
In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the characters, symbolism, and setting to give a detailed description of these two faces of human nature. The characters in Lord of the Flies serve as archetypes that depict the conflict between man's journey toward civilization and his urges to become primitive. Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and Jack are the most important characters in the novel. ... Jack is the antagonist of Lord of the Flies and his characteristics are the opposite of Ralph's. ... "Lord of the Flies" is the name given to the pig's head on a stick offered to the beast a...
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3. Theme Analysis - Lord of the Flies
In most people's opinion, "Lord of the Flies," by William Golding is one of the best novels of all time. ... In the book, the main characters consist of big uns, little uns, Ralph, Piggy, Roger, Jack, Sam, Eric, and Simon. In the book Lord of the Flies Jack and the painted savages represent loss of innocence as a theme. ... Jack Merridew is the main antagonist in the novel, Lord of the Flies. ... To conclude, in the book Lord of the Flies Jack and the painted savages represent loss of innocence as a theme. ...
- Word Count: 714
4. Analysis of Lord of the Flies
The idea of the loss of innocence is one of the prominent themes in Lord of the Flies. ... This quotation from Lord of the Flies shows that without rigid rules in a society, anarchy and savagery will result. ... This is the "Lord of the Flies," which represents evil in its darkest form. ... As Simon is returning from his encounter with the Lord of the Flies, the other boys are partying at a feast. ... In Burgess" critical essay, he stated that Lord of the Flies has some of the qualities of a, "dystopian fable." ...
- Word Count: 1683
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5. Jack analysis
Lord of the Flies Character Analysis: Jack Jack's is the most cruel and strong-willed kid on the island. ... Jack tends to be a very ambitious boy and after a while Ralph becomes his worst enemy ". ... When Ralph sees Jack's reaction towards him being the leader he gives Jack authority over the choir. ... Besides power Jack desires hunting a lot. ... Ralph is furious at Jack and Jack has had enough, he thinks his done something right and only to hear complaints and criticism. ...
- Word Count: 534
6. An Analysis Of Lord Of The Flies
Lord of the Flies is a story about a group of boys who become stranded on an island, unsupervised by adults. ... The two main characters, Ralph and Jack, become the leaders of the group, with Piggy, the younger, pudgy boy with glasses, as a constant guide. ... Simon, one of the older boys, finds the pig's head later, dubbing it "The Lord of the Flies." ... A "pile of guts [with] a black blob of flies that buzzed like a saw...The Lord of the Flies" (138) is an offering to the beast in return for safety and for power. ... The Lord of the Flies shows this story of human natures per...
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7. Full Summary - Lord of the Flies
He stumbles across the sow's head, the "Lord of the Flies," now merely a gleaming white skull-as white as the conch shell, he notes. ... Analysis After Ralph's tense, exciting stand against the hunters, the ending of Lord of the Flies is rife with irony. ... For Ralph, as for the other boys, nothing can ever be as it was before coming to the island of the Lord of the Flies. ... Readers and critics have interpreted "Lord of the Flies" in widely varying ways over the years since its publication. ... Ultimately, there is some validity to each of these different readings and interpr...
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8. Lord Of Flies Essay
Lord of the Flies Essay Did Brooks" film accurately convey the original meaning of Golding's novel? William Golding, a remarkably talented writer, created this intriguing timeless classic, Lord of the Flies. ... Even today, more than 30 years later, exhausting analysis" of his novel are being attempted. ... Simon has a "conversation" with The Lord of the Flies (the pig's head) that is key to the story; the truth about the boys emerges. ... (p.142) However in the film, the theme of a manifestation of evil isn't clear, and the Lord of the Flies scene was left out. ...
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9. Lord of the Flies and The Inheritors
In the Lord of the Flies and The Inheritors, William Golding uses characterization in order to explore the survival instinct inherent in humans. ... Published right after World War II where, in parts of Europe, civilization decomposed, the Lord of the Flies presents itself as an analogy to the human condition found during the war. The three main characters are Ralph, Jack, and Piggy. ... Henri Talon, the author of the critical essay "Irony in Lord of the Flies" states, "The game is a game no longer. ... The internalization of evil found in the Lord of the Flies, is also found ...
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COMMENTS
In conclusion, Golding creates a fascinating character in Jack by making his personality develop from a reasonably pleasant boy to one who
Jack is a destructive hunter, selfish, and represents evil. These two main characters can be compared by the actions they take as leaders, their personalities
Jack is a very important dynamic character in Lord of the Flies because he goes through the most changes during the novel. While on the island, Jack has many
As the novel continues, and the desire to hunt and kill increases, and Jack finds himself not only a hunter but also feeling like he is being hunted. This
Jack is described by Golding as “tall, thin, and bony; and his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly
Jack is also jealous of Ralph in the novel, which furthers the theme of savagery and evil in the book. More specifically, when Ralph is chosen as chief, Jack's
In his novel, 'Lord of the Flies', Golding highlights Jack and one of the story's pivotal characters. Whilst it may originally appear that
Jack represents evil and violence, the dark side of human nature. A former choirmaster and "head boy" at his school, he arrived on the island having
In the novel Lord of The Flies, there is a moral behind the storyline and its about the way society works and peoples beliefs on aspects of the world we live in
Jack is introduced in the book as the head of a choir group. This makes him seem like a calm guy. He is presented in a way that shows he is a ruthless leader.