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Jack And Ralph In William Golding's Lord Of The Flies

542 Words3 Pages

In the novel, “Lord of the Flies” the author explores the potential of evil within humans. A group of English school boys were being escorted to safety, when their aircraft was shot down. The boys struggled to survive and maintain their civilization. The characters Jack and Ralph were the most influential and dominate of the boys. The boys transformed into savages and violent figures; their appearance, actions and behavior is further evidence of their transformation. The children on the island started to degenerate in appearance. The clothing of the boys began to wear out and some of the boys go naked because of the heat. This is described by the author: “Some were naked and carrying their clothes; others half-naked….” (Ch.1, LOF). Jack and his hunters were the first to transition into savagery. He and his hunters created a mask to camouflage with their surroundings. They also used it to establish a different identity and to feel empowered. “He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger” (Pg.63, LOF). This contributes to their descent into savagery. …show more content…

After Jack and his hunters violently hunted a pig, his companions chanted: “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.”(Pg.69, LOF). This chant expresses the boys declining into cruel and savagery; they feel no guilt performing evil acts. They set up a democracy choosing Ralph as their leader and put rules in place. They used a conch as an symbol for speech and authority; everyone respected the conch until they transformed into wild savages. The kid’s disrespecting the conch is evident of their declining behaviour. “The conch doesn’t count on top of the mountain…so you shut up.”(Pg.42, LOF). The boy’s behaviour changes when they are not supervised, they are more confident in performing wicked

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