Savagery being a Symbolism in Jack Merridew In the book Lord of the Flies, William Golding makes us believe that we are all truly savages when away from society. This is mainly demonstrated from the character Jack Merridew throughout this novel. At the beginning of this book Jack and a group of young schoolboys get shot down from their plane onto an deserted island with no adult survivors. As they arrive onto the island they quickly decide to pick a chief to maintain order. Jack is not chosen as chief even though he has skills with leading. Slowly afterwards they undergo traumatizing events that change their personality throughout this novel. As Jack becomes a violent, manipulative and savage character towards the end of this book and makes his own clan. This essay will prove how Jack is a representation of Golding’s view on how savagery lies within all human beings. By showing how Jack was confined by society at the beginning to how Jack started becoming a violent, manipulative and savage character. …show more content…
This is proven because Jack says “We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages' ' and tells Ralph that he will split up his group to take turns to keep the fire going. By him saying this it shows that he is still holding onto society and wishes to have rules to maintain order to not descend into savagery. Also him saying that he will split up his group shows that he is willing to compromise with Ralphe to keep order. Furthermore, at the end of chapter one Jack attempts to kill a pig but hesitated “He raised his arm in the air. There came a pause, a hiatus”. The reason why Jack hesitated is because he was not ready to kill or take the life of anything yet since it's not normal in society. Hence that Jack and the other schoolboys are trying to hold onto society and
Jack was surprised, frightened even, when he realized that he did not hold any position of power. His anger and frustration only washed away when he was put in charge of the hunters, which implies that he needed some kind of authority to be happy. Soon after, Jack disregards the rules about the conch by interrupting Piggy as he was trying to speak. By defying the democratic rules, Jack creates an idea in the boy’s heads that opposition to the newly appointed rules is acceptable. Jack develops as careless and insensitive when he cares more about control and violence than the stability and strength of the society Ralph is attempting to build.
Later, however, Jack led his group to kill a human being: “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 153). From struggling to even kill a pig, to killing an entire human being, it is clear that Jack had a rapid and intense shift in mindset. Jack lost almost all of what seems to others as common sense, but in his mind he’s just doing what it takes to survive. Jack’s fight is more difficult than others, and he’s let the savagery win.
But that doesn’t discourage him from keeping order. The situation at this moment was in control and the boys still believed in society. But Jack later on discovers an absence of authority. He was able to control most of the boys. Jack then had an urge to kill something and used pigs as his source for flesh.
Although Jack struggled at first, he became obsessed with hunting and devoted himself to the task. “Jack stood there, streaming with sweat, streaked with brown earth, stained by all the vicissitudes of a day's hunting” (Golding, 37). Through showing his savage ways, Jack was able to manipulate the others boys to represent the instinct of savagery within human beings. The more savage Jack became, the more he was able to control the group.
Overall their strive to have significant parts in the tribe and how it affects them. Jack, however, outdoes them all, his strive and thirst for power throws his morals into the sea and ultimately leads him to
During a time of war, a british plane carrying a group of schoolboys is shot down over the Pacific, killing all adults and leaving the group of boys stranded on an island. One of the two leaders of the group, Jack, is the perfect character to portray humanity changing from civilized to savage. Jack is power-hungry, violent, and savage. In the beginning of the book, Jack is innocent and carelessly follows the leader, Ralph.
Taking the life of another living thing gives him the impression that he is more capable to lead. Therefore, he is no longer cooperative with Ralph; all he wants to do is get meat and kill. Through his aggressive personality, it becomes clear that Jack likes to pick fights. “’You would, would you?
Leaders can become savages. A leader can be a good, civil person, but due to their actions and behavior, they may end up becoming savage. Jack crashed into an island, hoping to be rescued. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Jack lives on an island, and while on the island, he descends into savagery. Jack regularly acts against his moral foundation and descends into savagery.
This conflict grows when Jack did not keep the fire lit and a ship passed by. Jack wants to hunt and does not give a second thought as to what he is affecting. Conflict and confusion take over as the children fully grasp that the ship and the hope they had is gone. Ralph also states while watching people cave into the fear that Jack has imposed that “The world , that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away. Once there was this and that; and now- and the ship had gone.
How Savagery Takes Over George R.R. Martin once said, “There is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs.” William Golding demonstrates that every person has savagery inside of him in his novel, Lord of the Flies. In this novel, Golding shows us that civilization is lost and savagery begins when the urge to kill takes hold of us. William Golding’s character development of Jack and motif of weapons help develop his point.
Jack and Ralph smiled at each other with shy liking. The rest began to talk eagerly” (22-23). In this quote, can see Jack was under pressure since he had lost the vote and was in fear of going against the group’s decision knowing that he was outnumbered. Jack then agreed with the group’s decision and proceeded. Your persona doesn’t stay there forever, people’s deep inner comes out eventually and that’s what happened with Jack. ”
Savagery Creates Beasts Jack became a savage, murderer and dictator within the short span of time he was on the island. Jack has changed greatly, over the course of William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies. Crashing onto an island without adults and having to survive put a strain on all of the boys, but Jack’s personality altered the most due to this experience. He went from living as an ambitious choirboy to being a vicious, brutal, beast. He ruined the childhood of many boys, abused people, and went crazy.
He takes part in killing one of the boys with everyone else. Even though it was an accident, he was very violent. These acts of Jack represent the theme that the absence of civilization leads to
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
What causes savagery behavior ? Biology can make people do bad things. It can cause savage and immoral behavior. Just like in the novel The Lord of the Flies. In the book, The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, he writes about character who are kids whose plane has crashed on an island.