Jack Merridew Analysis Jack Merridew is a key character in The Lord of the Flies. Without him, the protagonist Ralph would have no adversary, and the savage boys would have no leader. Near the beginning, Jack appears to be a scrawny, unattractive boy but it soon becomes clear that he is a powerful and manipulative figure one should fear. When Jack first comes out of the foliage with his choir group, he seems fairly confident and prideful. He is able to lead the choir comfortably as if he were born to be a tyrannical ruler. "I ought to be chief," said Jack with simple arrogance. (29) Jack is the sort of boy who takes advantage of the fact that he is alone on an island without any grownups. Instead of becoming proactive by helping Ralph look after the littlun's or devise a way off the island, he makes a game out of hunting the wild pigs. As the lost boys fall into a routine, it is clear that Jack and many of his followers are becoming more savage-like. …show more content…
At the beginning of the story, Jack is a simple school boy, looking to be part of the group and go exploring with Ralph, while waiting to be rescued. "We'll get food," cried Jack. "Hunt. Catch things... Until they fetch us." (41) But soon, Jack takes hunting too seriously, and he attains a thrill by killing pigs. He becomes more violent and aggressive and now this mean character is Jack's lifestyle. Jack changes into this harsh, impatient person because he is tired of always coming in second place to Ralph.