Jack And Simon In Lord Of The Flies

Facing dark and rough phases are an important aspect of human life. Everyone faces difficult times where an individual’s character, personality and abilities are put to solid test. Each individual goes through this dark tunnel at different times and different ways, facing complex consequences and challenges along their way to end of tunnel, out of the darkness. No matter how civilized through morals, values and cultures, only an individual's true identity survives when tested. Similarly, in Lord of the Flies, the experience of being stranded in an island, throws Jack and Simon in a land of challenges and obstacles which in the end summarizes their true personality. Jack and Simon start off as innocent and civilized children but as the taboo

Throughout the very first few chapters, Jack is shown as an authoritative yet civilized leader when he firmly states, “We’ve got to have rules, and obey them. After all, we are not savages. We’re English and English are best at doing at the right thing. (Golding,42).” This demonstrates the temporary culture and values that have been enforced into him which does last in him for a couple of days showing that he does believe in the basic rules and order. He is not seen as a major antagonist or expected to turn a savage boy due to his deeds in asking for help while fetching trees, volunteering in looking after the fire, shows him as a regular innocent school boy. On the other hand, Simon is portrayed as a typical shy and quiet schoolboy before his major strength of deep thinking is shown. For instance, “Simon found them the fruit, they could not reach, pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands.” (57) indicating that Simon to be a helpful and kind person who has a natural goodwill unlike Jack. His innocence is seen as he sets off in the forest glade and finds himself a secret spot to show his distaste to crowd and loud noise, but nothing spectacular other than that is seen at the point. Additionally, as the darkness of the beast starts to take over the island, so does their inner childishness which they cherish up till now, also starts to dissolve, as seen in, “They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood.”(29) Jack was unable to kill the pig due to the humanity in him, holding him back. Both of them knew the enormity of the knife and the culture that defines this acts as violence and uncivilized, showing their identities former to their experience in the