How Does Golding Show Identity In Lord Of The Flies

Everything experienced in life is used for personal growth and learning. However, these experiences can change the way a person thinks or behaves. In the book Lord of the Flies, William Golding shows how some of these experiences have the ability to strip a person of their identity, in particular, young and impressionable children. A young boy uses his appearance to hide his insecurities from those around him. Being stranded on an island is an experience that is beginning to change who this boy is. He eventually gives in to the temptations of savagery. Jack's experience of being stranded on an island has sparked an inner change from an insecure young boy into a savage. Appearance-wise, Jack looks like a tough and confident leader, but deep

When he realizes that he is not elected leader, "the freckles on [his] face disappeared under a blush of mortification. He started up, then changed his mind and sat down again" (Golding 19). Jack is obviously hurt by the boys' decision to elect Ralph as leader, but is only willing to show them his shock rather than his pain due to his insecurity. He shows off to some of the other boys that he is a really good hunter by telling them how to kill, then draws his knife to do so but is afraid to actually slit the pig's throat. The other boys look at Jack, wondering why he did not kill the pig then and there but, "they knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormity of

Jack's influence is beginning to rub off on the other boys, causing them to believe that one of the other boys is 'the beast.' Simon crawls out of the jungle and, "all 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 169). The fear of the beast that sits within the boys originates from the fear that Jack has instilled into them. This causes them to murder young Simon, believing that he is the beast. Now that Jack has become chief over the boys, he makes all of the decisions and punishes people when he feels like it. One of the younger boys is excited that, "'[Jack's] going to beat Wilfred... He got angry and made us tie Wilfred up'" (Golding 176). Jack forgets how to make decisions and now when he needs to make one, they are all very irrational. When the original leader, Ralph, becomes the only boy objecting to Jack's leadership, Jack tries to kill him. While in hiding, "something boomed up on the red rock, then the earth jumped and began to shake steadily, while the noise as steadily increased. Ralph was shot into the air, thrown down, dashed against the branches" (Golding 215). Under Jack's orders, boulders are being rolled down the mountain in an attempt to kill Ralph. Jack's identity has been replaced by savagery and now all of his actions are very