Golding uses detail and imagery in this passage to foreshadow Jack’s shift from half-hearted obedience to savagery. Golding first uses detail to demonstrate that Jack is more interested in threatening violence than following through with the act. Jack is unwilling to yet resort to such savage actions. After Jack encounters his first wild pig, he shows off his knowledge of butchering by saying, “You cut a pig’s throat to let the blood out.otherwise you can’t eat the meat”. When somebody speaks matter-of-factly, they feel as if they have the upper hand against others by possessing knowledge that others don’t. Here, the detail of Jack stating the fact of letting the pig’s blood out is used to prove that killing the pig is not a problem for him. …show more content…
After Jack makes the excuse that it was not the right place to kill the pig and is left with embarrassment because of the judging questions, Jack “snatched his knife out of the sheath and slammed it into a tree trunk.” Snatching is a clear description of an aggressive and swift movement, and slamming something implies a sense of anger and frustration that one may possess. Therefore, the imagery of Jack “[snatching] his knife and “[slamming] it into a tree trunk emphasizes Jack's shift into a fake act of violence to prove to the other boys that he is not weak and can be ruthless. Jack only gained this false sense of bravado and feelings of savagery after hearing all of the other boys comments. Furthermore, the act of “slamming the knife into a tree trunk” serves as a symbolic representation of Jack’s escalating aggressive and violent tendencies. This fierce act demonstrates his willingness to use violence as a way of asserting his authority amongst the group. It foreshadows a growing gap between Jack’s civilized behavior and his control over his rising brutality, as Jack slowly becomes more willing to resort to more violent actions to assert his dominance and control over the other boys. Directly after, once again, Golding utilizes imagery to portray Jack’s shift into savagery. After making such an assertive action, “[Jack] looked round fiercely, daring them to contradict” The adjective fiercely is typically used to emphasize the power one may have over others, and daring is usually seen as a threat or a challenge made towards another person. As a result, this imagery stimulates the idea of Jack as a stubborn, dominant role on the island. This description portrays Jack as intimidating, highlighting his growing assertiveness and willingness to challenge others. It suggests a shift in his character towards a more hostile