Lord of the Flies

“Lord of the Flies,” written by William Golding, is a novel that is set during World War II. The story describes the troubles of a group of British schoolboys stranded on a Pacific island after their plane was shot down on course to England. Jack is the antagonist of Lord of the Flies. He is tall, redheaded, and emerges as the leader of the choir-boys. Jack’s character progression is very interesting, in that he reverts back to his animal instincts not very long after arriving on the island.

When the boys are all gathered for their first assembly by Ralph and Piggy, Jack interrupts rudely. Piggy tries speaking and inputting ideas Jack interjects, ‘“You’re talking too much . . . Shut up, Fatty”’ (Golding 21). This ridicule of Piggy shows the first signs of Jack’s personality. When Ralph first gets elected as chief, Jack is upset and disagrees with the boys’ decision to elect Ralph instead of himself as chief. Because he was leader of the choir, he believed he should be in charge of the island’s Army or “hunters.” Ralph and Jack surprisingly agreed with this separating of powers.

In chapter four, Jack ignores his responsibilities to keep the signal fire attended. By leaving the fire to go hunting, he destroys their chances of being rescued as a ship had passed the island. When Ralph confronts Jack about the fire going out and the ship passing the island, Jack’s egotistical behavior becomes very known. Ralph spoke, “You let the fire go out . . . there was a ship. They might have seen us. We might have gone home” (Golding 70). Jack doesn’t care what Ralph is saying, he is so consumed in his hunger for killing the pigs.

During chapter nine, after yet another hunting escapade, Jack and his hunters have a giant feast in which they invite Ralph and Piggy, who now along with Samneric, are the only boys left belonging to the original society of the island. At this pig roast, Jack excitedly begins again the ritual dance enacted earlier in the novel, repeating