How Does Jack Change In Lord Of The Flies

Although society was completely ripped away from the boys in Lord of the Flies, they are still to blame for their actions that took place on the island, as they act on the seven steps to evil, the five fears, and display psychotic and sociopathic behaviors the longer they stay on the island.

In Golding’s Lord of the Flies, a group of boys are cast away on a remote island. As time passed on the island, each of the boys exhibited the seven steps of evil all in different ways. Focusing on Jack's character, we see the way he changes throughout the book. He goes from being a school boy with a big ego, to an out for blood evil dictator. This switch in his personality comes from a need for power but the lack of understanding respect. He

“‘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. But after this moment, Jack finally feels a sense of embarrassment when nobody joins him. As “the silence continued, breathless and heavy and full of shame. Slowly the red drained from Jack’s cheeks, then came back in a painful rush.” (Golding 127). Jack’s confidence falters as, for the first time in his life, someone doesn’t follow him. One of Jack’s greatest fears is ego-death, and during his time on the island that becomes a reality multiple times. The island tests the boys in ways they have never been tested before. Some persevere and some breakdown. According to Psychology Today, ego-death is “the fear of humiliation, shame, or any other mechanism of profound

It is ingrained in us from a very young age to think that one white lie or joining in on a bad act won’t do anything. But that is proven wrong as we see in Lord of the Flies how taking that first step of malevolent behavior will lead a person to become corrupt. Toward the beginning of the book, when Ralph decides that Jack’s group will be hunters. Jack’s mood shifts as he realizes that he will get to do some real damage. But with failed attempts at slaughtering a sow, Jack really hasn’t taken the first step to being evil yet, he is still seen as innocent with no blood on his hands. He believes that he has something to prove to the group, that he has the ability to kill. Although, in his head, Jack knows what he did was wrong. As “He noticed the blood on his hands and grimaced distastefully.” He doesn’t let that get to him because “he wiped them on on his shorts and laughed.” (Golding 69). At this moment, on the outside, Jack seems put together and proud of his accomplishment, but he didn’t enjoy killing the sow in the slightest. He exclaimed that “[he] cut the pig’s throat,” but then “twitched as he said it.” (Golding 69). Jack’s body manner tells the reader what Jack’s isn’t saying out loud. He knows he should not have killed the sow but he enjoys the praise too much. As the reader has seen so far, evil is everywhere on this island, it’s trying to take over the boys, it's waiting for them