How Did Jack Lose His Innocence In Lord Of The Flies

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Left Arm: Jack shows his hesitance and skepticism to losing his innocence when he restrains from killing the pig that was well within his grasp at the beginning of the novel. Prior to coming onto the island, Jack had lived a normal childhood and had not ever found the need, or desire, or shed blood, as he was just a young boy. However, the boys on the island pressured him into hunting for pigs in order to obtain the meat from them. As he had the opportunity to kill his first, “There came a pause, a hiatus,”(Golding 23), in which Jack did not have the will to have blood on his hands. This event highlights his remaining innocence, displaying that no one could pressure him into leaving his childhood behind, yet. Meanwhile, while he claimed that …show more content…

First, Jack disregarded all of his important duties in order to prove his strength when he finally killed his first animal. He knew that it would be more beneficial to keep a fire going as a ship passed by, and it had been explicitly demanded of him by the members of his tribe, especially Ralph. However, finally conquering his fear was all that he could think about, while avidly exclaiming, “I cut the pig’s throat” (Golding 52). His hubris during this moment made it clear that his wish for approval and respect is much greater than his desire to escape from the island, or his original skepticism to lose his innocence by shedding blood. Also, at the beginning of the novel when Jack is introduced, he taunts Piggy, immediately, saying, “Shut up, fatty” (Golding 15). Jack often used bullying and tormentation to instill fear in his companions, which hints toward the idea that he valued a strong and powerful reputation far more than morality and innocence, …show more content…

First, being a part of Ralph’s civilization became too much for Jack to bear, so he decided upon calling an assembly, where he attempted to induce his peers to join him on creating a new group. When his officious behavior received no supporters, he exclaimed that, “[He was] not going to play any longer” (Golding 98). This impulsive action reveals how desperately he wanted his own civilization, and how leadership was a major priority, in his mind. Additionally, when taunting Ralph about his new, successful tribe of followers, he includes that, “...they do what I want” (Golding 140). This brings to light that Jack’s main goal was to create a society that revolved around him, and not one where its members would be prosperous and happy. This is an idea prevalent in Jack throughout the entire novel, but it comes into conflict with some of Jack’s other desires, leading to an internal