How Did Jack Break The Rules In Lord Of The Flies

In Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a group of boys land on an uninhabited island in the midst of an unnamed war. Jack Merridew, the leader of the choir boys, insists on the boys following rules in the beginning and still inhabits the mindset that there are consequences and rewards for actions. Jack attempts to be leader but Ralph, a fair-haired 12 year old boy, wins the vote. Jack makes it his job to hunt and get meat for the rest of the boys. Jack becomes so invested in the hunt that he neglects the fire and ruins their chance to get home because a ship was on the horizon. Overtime Jack seems to become less interested in actually getting meat for the boys and more interested in the hunt itself. In the end Jack breaks away from Ralph’s

When Ralph suggests having rules, Jack becomes fixed on the consequences on breaking the rules. Jack supports Ralph’s decision, “I agree with Ralph. we’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything. So we’ve got to do the right things.” (34). Throughout the book he becomes more savage and as he adapts to the island he cares less and less about the rules until he says, “ ‘Bollocks to the rules!’” (79)”. Jack is instrumental in the boys’ devolution. Jack becomes obsessed with hunting and leads the choir boys into his obsession. Jack was always a relatively cruel character, when Simon, a choir boy, faints Jack seems annoyed by Simon’s fragile health rather than concerned. Jack becomes crueller over time, when Jack attempts to kill the pig for the first time he is unable to. After his blunder he becomes obsessed with proving himself until he is able to brutally murder a nursing sow. After the first hunt Jack gives everyone a piece of pork except Piggy. Jack shows a special hatred toward Piggy, even going as far as punching him. Piggy represents all the flaws and benefits of society, and Jack shows immediately dislike of the plump boy with glasses and asthma. Jack’s hostility toward Piggy is symbolic of his animosity toward society’s restricting

Jack and Ralph both respond, Ralph adamantly denies the existence of such an animal while Jack attempts to console the boys by saying that “There isn’t a snake-thing. But if there was a snake we’d hunt it and kill it.”(28) Jack attempts to win the boys over by giving them what they want, while Ralph attempts to give them proper guidance. At the end of the story, Ralph’s tribe is essentially disbanded, his closest cohorts killed, and Jack has ascended to power. The divide of power represents the human craving for fun and freedom, however freedom has repercussions, and killing Simon was the consequence of becoming savage. Ralph attempts to lead the boys in a way that would ensure maximum efficiency and the least amount of conflict; most of the boys chose Jack because it was the more appealing