3.1.3
Jack
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Jack
Jack is immediately presented as an egomaniac (dangerously self-centred). He represents evil, chaos, violence, and an obsession for power.
Jack
- Jack is the main antagonist (villain) in Lord of the Flies.
- He was the head chorister at school and is an upper-class boy.
- Because of this, he appoints himself leader of the hunters.
- He neglects the signal fire and enjoys acting savage and hunting, eventually hunting Ralph.
Arrogance
- One of the first things Jack does in the novel is show his arrogance and lack of common sense.
- “"I ought to be chief," said Jack with simple arrogance, "because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.""
Leadership
- He argues that he should be elected leader of the island purely because he can sing the highest note.
- He has no real understanding of what leadership is, but simply expects to be the leader because of his singing skill.
Savagery
- Jack illustrates a severe slide from civility and proper behaviour to savagery and loss of humanity.
- At first, he tells the choirboys that they must wear their uniform robes at all times, and he is unable to kill a pig.
- However, by the end, he encourages the boys to wear very little clothing, paint their faces and bodies, and is obsessed with killing animals and people.
Identity
- By the end, Jack hides the civilised part of himself behind the face paint.
- “Jack planned his new face… he looked in astonishment no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger.”
- With his identity hidden, he feels as if he can behave however he likes because he is no longer the same person:
- “The mask compelled them.”
Jack cont.
Jack illustrates a severe slide from civility and proper behaviour to savagery and loss of humanity.
Warning signs
- Despite his failure early on, Jack becomes obsessed with killing the pig:
- “ “The madness came into his eyes again. “I thought I might kill” “.
- When Jack successfully kills a pig later on, “he giggled and flecked” the other boys with blood.
- Murder has become a game, something funny, which shows us that Jack is finding the idea of killing living things easier and easier – this is a warning for the reader.
Foreshadowing
- Very early in the novel, Jack is described in very violent, animalistic ways (he “began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling”).
- Golding uses this behaviour to foreshadow (give clues about the future) Jack completely losing his humanity.
Savagery
- Strangely, as Jack becomes more and more savage, he seems to have more control over the rest of the boys – they listen to him and are eager to be part of his tribe.
- Golding uses Jack to show how dangerous it can be to blindly follow someone who takes control.
- Because they follow Jack, the other boys also fall deeper into savagery and enjoy causing fear and pain more.
Religion
- Jack uses the boys’ fear of the beast to control them.
- He takes control of the hunt for the beast, offering to save the boys from this threat.
- The boys see him as strong and powerful, as someone who can help them, so they leave Ralph’s group to join Jack’s tribe.
- Golding could be referring to how people can manipulate religious and superstitious beliefs to cause fear and danger to others.
Irony
- It is ironic at the end of the novel – even though Ralph had been focused on, and obsessed with, saving the boys with a signal fire, it is Jack who saves them all by starting a wildfire to smoke out Ralph for the boys to kill.
Summary of Jack
- He decides that his choir boys will be hunters.
- He steals Piggy’s glasses to make fires.
- He kills the first pig and encourages dancing and chanting.
- His urge to hunt and kill becomes an obsession for him.
- He does not care about Ralph’s rules (because he thinks he should be in charge).
- With his own tribe, he is a cruel and evil leader.
1Context
2Story Analysis
2.2Chapter 2
2.3Chapter 3
2.4Chapter 4
2.6Chapter 6
2.7Chapter 7
2.9Chapter 9
2.10Chapter 10
2.11Chapter 11
2.12Chapter 12
3Key Characters
4Key Concepts
5Writing Techniques
6Recap: Main Quotes
6.1Characters Quotes
6.2Text Structure - Quotes
6.2.1The Sound of the Shell - Quotations6.2.2Fire on the Mountain - Quotations6.2.3Huts on the Beach - Quotations6.2.4Painted Faces & Long Hair - Quotations6.2.5Beast from the Water - Quotations6.2.6Beast From the Air - Quotations6.2.7Shadows & Tall Trees - Quotations6.2.8Gift for the Darkness - Quotations6.2.9Gift for the Darkness - Quotations 26.2.10A View to a Death - Quotations6.2.11The Shell & the Glasses - Quotations6.2.12Castle Rock - Quotations6.2.13Cry of the Hunters - Quotations
Jump to other topics
1Context
2Story Analysis
2.2Chapter 2
2.3Chapter 3
2.4Chapter 4
2.6Chapter 6
2.7Chapter 7
2.9Chapter 9
2.10Chapter 10
2.11Chapter 11
2.12Chapter 12
3Key Characters
4Key Concepts
5Writing Techniques
6Recap: Main Quotes
6.1Characters Quotes
6.2Text Structure - Quotes
6.2.1The Sound of the Shell - Quotations6.2.2Fire on the Mountain - Quotations6.2.3Huts on the Beach - Quotations6.2.4Painted Faces & Long Hair - Quotations6.2.5Beast from the Water - Quotations6.2.6Beast From the Air - Quotations6.2.7Shadows & Tall Trees - Quotations6.2.8Gift for the Darkness - Quotations6.2.9Gift for the Darkness - Quotations 26.2.10A View to a Death - Quotations6.2.11The Shell & the Glasses - Quotations6.2.12Castle Rock - Quotations6.2.13Cry of the Hunters - Quotations
Practice questions on Jack
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- 1
- 2Jack's characteristics:True / false
- 3Summary of Jack:Fill in the list
- 4Summary of Jack (1):True / false
- 5Summary of Jack (2):True / false
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