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Jack Merridew Quotes

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Jack Merridew is a complex character in William Golding's novel "Lord of the Flies," and his actions and behavior make him a memorable character in the story. This essay will examine why Jack Merridew is a memorable character in the novel, using quotes and explanations to support the points.

Firstly, Jack Merridew is a memorable character because of his ambition for power and his thirst for control. As soon as he arrives on the island, he wants to be the leader of the boys, and he goes to great lengths to achieve this goal. For example, he tries to undermine Ralph's authority and create a separate group of boys who will follow his lead. This ambition is seen in the following quote: "I ought to be chief, said Jack with simple arrogance because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp" (Golding, 22). This quote demonstrates how Jack believes that he is more qualified to be the leader than …show more content…

He is not afraid to use violence or intimidation to get what he wants, and this makes him a memorable character in the novel. For example, he uses fear to control the other boys when he orders them to kill the pig. This is seen in the following quote: "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood" (Golding, 72). This quote demonstrates how Jack is willing to use violence and bloodshed to assert his authority and control over the other boys.

Another reason why Jack Merridew is a memorable character is because of his descent into savagery. At the beginning of the novel, he is a civilized and well-mannered choirboy, but as the story progresses, he becomes more savage and animalistic. This descent into savagery is seen in the following quote: "He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling" (Golding, 126). This quote demonstrates how Jack's behavior becomes more animalistic and savage as the story progresses, which makes him a memorable and intriguing

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This connects to the beginning part of the quote where it says that with power comes power abuse This type of power makes Jack feel exceptional and this makes him use his power in his favor. Jack Merridew was introduced as a choir leader. Jack’s first impresses as a controlling person that uses every bit of his power to direct his group. Jack merridew has a militaristic

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405 Words | 2 Pages

In the closing chapters of the novel Lord of the Flies, the character of Jack Merridew becomes the chief of the majority of the boys on the island. During this time, there are multiple ways in which he maintains his power and authority, the first of which is the promise of succulent, delicious meat. Jack is a hunter. He prefers hunting above all else, even being rescued. He uses his hunting skills to catch pigs and acquire precious meat, a rare commodity on the island, which he can use as an incentive to join his tribe or not to leave it.

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462 Words | 2 Pages

Jack is a great character to show how the theme developed through him. Jack split from the group and went a little crazy and would attack Ralph's group and the killing of Simon (chapter 9). In chapter 9 Jack attacks what he thought was the beast even with the fear of it being bigger and stronger than him. They didn't know what the beast was capable of; they knew nothing about it. Jack had the opportunity to kill the beast and did.

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453 Words | 2 Pages

At the novel's outset, Jack is introduced as a disciplined and authoritative figure, leading the choirboys with military precision. "The creature was a party of boys, marching approximately in step in two parallel lines and dressed in strangely eccentric clothing. " This initial portrayal emphasizes Jack's control and adherence to order, reflecting the societal expectations he has internalized. However, even in these early scenes, there is a hint of Jack's latent aggression and desire for dominance, as he is visibly frustrated when Ralph is elected leader over him.

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988 Words | 4 Pages

Jack won the little'uns by offering to protect them from the beast and that helped get followers. Jack essentially knows what the boys want, and one thing the boys want is protection and Jack can provide that. This instance shows how much of a charismatic person Jack is. Merridew knows what the boys want and when they want it, Jack knows that the boys want protection, meat and to have have fun. Whereas all Ralph cares about is shelter and protection.

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1143 Words | 5 Pages

As time wears on, the boys become increasingly bestial and savage, and are led by Jack to lash out against the remaining civilized group, led by Ralph. Through the actions he performs throughout this novel, it is apparent that Jack is an arrogant tyrant because he is egotistical

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581 Words | 3 Pages

These events show that Jack’s strive for power changes him for the worse. Since the beginning of the novel, Jack has always been jealous of how Ralph was chosen as chief and not him. Jack’s jealousy over Ralph could be seen when he assures Ralph saying “Where’s the man with the trumpet……examined Ralph with interest. ”(Golding 20).

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459 Words | 2 Pages

The quote shows how Jack is becoming less civilized and becoming more barbaric and wild. Jack has a great desire for power and dominance over the group and made it obvious when he said, “I’m chief…I’ll give the orders”(Golding, page 55). Here he shows his true savage nature by not wanting the democratic principles like the others and forcing them to follow what he wanted.

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931 Words | 4 Pages

At the beginning of the novel, Jack is the leader of the choir boys on the island. There is another leader on the island who was chief of all of the boys and Jack did not approve, and this quote describes how they chose the chief. “Let him be the chief with the trumpet-thing.” (Golding 22) Jack is the kind of character that wants power and leadership, therefore he was jealous and wanted power for himself. Towards the middle of the novel, nobody agrees with Jack.

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According to the author, Jack is realizing that the only way he can have power is by hunting for others, but the more he hunts the most violent he becomes, but since he does not think fondly of piggy he does not give him meat, but when Simon gives him meat, throws meat at him and yells, "Eat! Damn you!" (pg 67). This short quote reinforces my answer because it shows how jack has become more aggressive, violent, and power-crazy. The examination of this quote reveals jacks blood-lust for power, and I'm not just talking about jack, in the book Jack represents savagery in society, violent acts when no one is looking, he represents that anyone can feel bloodthirsty for power, so furthermore Jack is exposed by that quote showing that he becomes more savage and his true nature rolls in, but he is also aware of it, he wears a clay mask towards the end of the book to cover up his insecurity and how he feels about his actions so he can have the power to not realize his actions and do things without thinking realistically.

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1212 Words | 5 Pages

Golding characterises Jack as the primary representation of the instinct of violence through the use of a beast metaphor. In extract one from chapter one, Jack is not given a name, instead Golding describes him as a “creature steed from mirage on to clear sand”(line3,page15,chp.1). Jack’s first appearance and impression to the readers is

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2200 Words | 9 Pages

"(Lord of the Flies 230) Jack had inherited all the wretchedness of the adult world and he displayed them freely. When he found that he could act at will, without being challenged nor cautioned by a grown-up hand he unashamedly turned himself and his choir boys into savages and openly indulged in hunting and murdering, not only animals, but even fellow human beings. He thirsted for blood and lusted all the while for power and position.

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818 Words | 4 Pages

Snarling is a characteristic on animals, not of civil humans. Golding practically says that Jack is turning into a beast in this quote. Secondly, when Jack left the group Ralph made to start a new ‘tribe’ he became a brutal, violent leader. He helped lead a crowd of his tribal members to kill Simon. He was the leader of his

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663 Words | 3 Pages

But, as the story continues, the freedom the island has gets into Jack's mind and causes him to becomes power-hungry, evil and savage. His hunger for power starts off small with comments he makes like this one he says in the beginning of the book, "I ought to be chief, because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp" (chapter 8 page 21). But the hunger for power gets out of control and he

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583 Words | 3 Pages

Lastly, Jack is known as the rebel of the story who disagrees with the leaders, and is pure evil from middle to end. Although Jack is evil, his bad character trait ensures his survival and alliance with the boys. The first example of when Jack’s evilness is shown in the story is when Jack hunts the pig and puts its head on a stick, the line says “ Jack held the head up and jammed the soft throat down on the pointed end of the stick which pierced through into the mouth. He stood back and the head hung there, a little blood dribbling down the stick” ( Golding, 150). This shows Jack’s evilness because instead of fearing the beast he is offering him the head of the pig that he just brutally murdered.

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