Sophia Laffler Ms. Dougard Honors English 100 6 March 2023 Change for the worse Children always have someone making sure they have a well-rounded life. Whether it be a parent or a teacher children are used to a higher power in their lives. At the beginning of William Golding’s novel Lord of the flies, Jack Meridew was infuriated by not being elected chief of the group while Ralph was. From this event, Jack gradually becomes a cruel, vicious leader of a new tribe that he started without Ralph. As he started being a leader of his new tribe he developed an unhealthy obsession with killing animals and even Piggy and Simon. These events show that Jack’s strive for power changes him for the worse. Since the beginning of the novel, Jack has always been jealous of how Ralph was chosen as chief and not him. Jack’s jealousy over Ralph could be seen when he assures Ralph saying “Where’s the man with the trumpet……examined Ralph with interest.”(Golding 20). As the person that Jack is he needs to have full control to be sane in his nature. Before the plane crash, Jack was used to being the leader of his choir so when Ralph became chief of the group, Jack couldn’t stand to have this be. Jack sees Ralph as someone who caused his reign of leadership to end so now …show more content…
We see this when Jack starts chanting “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!( Golding 152) Jack feels high from the blood that is spilled when the killing of living things starts to happen. He enjoys the dominance and power he has over living things and finds the idea that he is able to end their life when he feels like it comforting. This kind of power over living has gotten way out of hand throughout the book since Jack went from killing just animals to killing Piggy and Simon. Jack never realizes that his hunting has gotten to the point where he is hypnotized into thinking that this is one of the only ways that he could feel
When the boys are first on the island, they elect Ralph as leader even though Jack repeatedly states he should be in charge. “I ought to be chief,” said Jack with simple arrogance, “because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing a C sharp.” (page 22) Jack is self absorbed from the beginning and becomes upset when Ralph is elected leader.
For example, Piggy wanted to talk, and he had the shell but Jack kept talking over him. Also to show at the beginning how he still had good morals in him, he was out hunting and had the opportunity to kill the pig for food, but inside him he knew he did not want to do it and that it was not the right thing to do. Later on he did not hesitate to kill the pig, after Jack killed the pig it says, “His mind crowded with memories, memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed it on the struggling pig, knowledge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink”(70). Not only did he kill the pig, but he enjoyed it.
In this quote Jack was telling the boys fear is just like a nightmare. Nightmares are imaginative just as fear is. The most important issue for the little'uns is concern of the beast. Jack says he will do all he can do to slaughter the beast. He is very good when it comes to speaking.
Jack’s temper flairs in this moment because he can’t accept the fact that Ralph’s qualities make him more suitable to be chief. Ralph then feels obligated to accommodate to Jack’s need for power. This part of the story symbolizes Jack’s ignorance for others’ opinions. Without accepting other people’s differences, conflicts are established. With that being said, near the end of the book, Jack couldn’t take not having any authority anymore.
He begins as a choir director and progresses to become a brutal hunter and tribe chief. Jack is the embodiment of the evil and barbarism that may exist in human nature. Jack is shown as dominating and manipulative, prepared to resort to violence in order to achieve his objectives and preserve power. He is also portrayed as egotistical and lacking in empathy. Throughout the novel, Jack's conduct and actions demonstrate his dominating and manipulative mentality, such as his use of intimidation and violence to keep power, as well as his lack of guilt when hunting and killing pigs.
“‘Who thinks Ralph oughtn’t to be chief?’…Under the palms there was deadly silence. ‘Hands up,’ said Jack strongly, ‘whoever wants Ralph not to be chief?’” (Golding 127). Jack displays this need to be looked at and worships as above everyone else. Up until this point in the book Jack was sure of himself and refused to be left behind.
Jack chose to do this because he did not like Ralph’s rules and wanted to make his own rules and not have to listen to anybody. Jack’s pride got to him because he thought since he was leader he was superior over the rest and through that he should be in charge. He was being selfish because he was only thinking about himself he was not thinking about the overall success of the group and how they were going to get rescued. As mentioned previously, he thought this was all a game and that everything would work out. He was not thinking about what would be best for the group for survival and hope of being
Jack and Ralph have two different motivations to be a leader. Ralph wants to do what's best for the group while Jack has a lust forpower and only cares for himself. They are similar because when they are dropped off on the
The novel Lord of the Flies is one of the best examples of human instincts and the ability to become savage from one day to the next. All throughout William Golding’s novel there are signs of the characters changing from well behaved boys to complete savages. In the beginning of the novel, Lord of the Flies, Jack Merridew is one of the best examples of a boy who goes from a civilized manner to a complete savage. One of the first things Jack does is insults Piggy, an overweight boy who cannot do very much.
After calling a meeting, Ralph begins to list the changes that need to take place on the island. While the chief creates new rules, Jack grows angry and starts to question Ralph's authority; this leads to an argument over power. Disrespectfully, Jack Merridew calls out Ralph’s flaws, carelessly shouting for him to “‘shut up! Who [was he], anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do.
Authority is something you earn, but it can’t just be given to you. During the entirety of this novel Ralph and Jack continuously fight about who should be in charge of the chiefly duties. No doubt they both have great leadership skills and qualities. Because the two boys
Golding says, “They knew very well why he hadn't; because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood“ (3.) Jack can’t bring himself to kill the poor animal, his old ways staying with him.
For example, he tries to undermine Ralph's authority and create a separate group of boys who will follow his lead. This ambition is seen in the following quote: "I ought to be chief, said Jack with simple arrogance because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp" (Golding, 22). This quote demonstrates how Jack believes that he is more qualified to be the leader than
After Jack and his choir agree to tend to the signal fire, Ralph spots a potential rescue ship but finds that Jack’s group let the fire go out as they went on a pig hunt, making Ralph extremely enraged and disappointed. Whereas previously there were only minor arguments that resolved quickly and easily that did not damage their relationship much, this marks the official beginning of the conflict of Ralph against Jack. After this incident was yet another turning point. What started off as an assembly “to put things straight” resulted in Jack disputing Ralph’s authority and leading everyone away in a show of clear mutiny. This shows that Jack is distancing himself and the group away from Jack.
Jack lost his sanity and civility and this changed him in more ways than imaginable. Jack was a natural leader when the boys first came onto the island, but as time continued he became a horrible dictator. On the first day on the island, Ralph and Jack competed for chief of the island. Ralph won. Jack was unhappy with this result, but it didn’t yet throw him into a spiral of craze and anger.