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The Painted Idol: Jack's Rise To Power

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The Painted Idol: Jack’s Rise to Power[gfbvnmj in Lord of the Flies “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” (Abraham Lincoln) Every man has a natural thirst for power and the opportunity to have an impact on his world and his life. This is natural and has led to many great things throughout history, as many virtuous people have harnessed it for benevolent purposes, but just as many have fallen to its influence, which inevitably brings destruction in its wake. William Golding’s allegorical novel, Lord of the Flies, illustrates how man can be tempted, seduced, and defiled by power and potential for an impact. It does this through Jack’s creation of the mask and use of it to hunt but …show more content…

The weapon has driven the military to thirst for control of everything, destroy all that opposes him, and abuse his power for destruction and cruelty. Golding wrote the Lord of the Flies based on realizations he received during his service in WWII. In WWII, weapons of mass destruction were used to destroy great numbers of innocent lives and their homes. The mask reflects these weapons in the last few chapters as the military authority wields it while murdering his oppositions and twisted the lives of many around him. In their fear of Jack and their captivation with the visage, the boys view him as a “painted and garlanded...idol” (Golding 149). They boys view the violent hunter as a godlike figure, but he is not a god, for an idol is only an entity who has power over their worshipers through fear and awe, no power in their own right. The new chief rules by illusion of power, which the mask gives through the bloodbaths that are associated with it. This is how every military power rules,which the red-haired boy represents, and why they do not last. Military powers rule by intimidation, and it is inevitable The society the wild boy creates is “demented but partly secure” (Golding 152). The boys have been drawn into the rogue's shadow by the promise of partial security, which was more apparent at a glance than the growing security of the conch and shelters, but that would be much more stable once built. Despite the fact that the majority of the boys seemed to support Jack, his tribe killed the scientists when they pointed out how the way of the

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In the Lord of the Flies, Jack is immoral for his poor choices making him a dangerous threat to the other survivors. Before the hunters are about to leave for the hunt, they decide to make masks. Jack creates his mask and puts it on. According to Golding, “[Jack] looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger. He spilt the water and leapt to his feet, laughing excitedly” (63).

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The Lord of the flies by James Golding uses a mask to show the tribe's descent into savagery. This mask possesses symbolic meaning which is significant to the Jacks character arc, chapter 4 where the mask first appears shows the instantaneous change in Jack's morals and character. Jack's bloodthirsty snarling displays zoomorphic characteristics in his behavior His animalistic characteristics such as his tribal-like dancing show that he wasn't the same jack in the mask. Furthermore proven by him in the next sentence in which he looks at himself like an “ awesome stranger”. This proves that Jack has let go of what morals held him back from being a barbaric tyrant with no guilt, shame or remorse.

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At this point, the boys are embracing evil. For example, when Jack states “‘I’m chief!’ Viciously with full intentions, he hurled his spear into Ralph” (Golding 209). All control is lost and evil is expressed in the injuring of Ralph. The phrase displays a vicious intent and the thoughts of Jack being negative and violent.

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“They understood only too well the liberation into savagery the paint brought” (Golding 172). The paint masked their consciousness, it shields them from their wrongdoing, therefore it is easier for them to acquire power, specifically Jack. Lord of the Flies is about a group of British boys, whose plane crashed while attempting to escape the war. The author, William Golding, wrote this book believing that there is evil in everyone. He believed by taking away society and everyday norms, evil would take over.

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