Choleric Character Changes from Civilized to Completely Chaotic Is the change in character from civilized to chaotic what is expected to happen to a group of young boys stranded on an island by themselves? In William Golding’s allegorical novel Lord of the Flies, a plane full of English schoolboys crashes on a deserted Pacific island, and readers follow them on their journey from civilization to complete and utter savagery. While being stranded impacts the personalities of all of the boys on the island, Golding alludes to the fact it is Jack, one of the oldest boys, who evolves in the greatest way. Jack immensely transforms throughout the novel, proving to be a dynamic character, and three events that strongly emphasize his change are when
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During this time, Jack’s personality evolves in such an extreme manner that he is now willing to permit his tribe to murder two of the other boys. However, not only are his actions impacted by being on the island, but his physical appearance is transforming as well. For example, the narrator, after Simon’s murder, through direct characterization and imagery describes Jack as “naked to the waist, his face blocked out in white and red” (Golding 160). This newfound appearance that Jack possesses displays how his identity is altered by severe physical changes while on the island. When the plane crash occurs, he is dressed head-to-toe in a black cloak and cap, both with silver embellishments, and now he is not wearing any clothing above his midriff and his face is covered in war-paint. This paint is a symbol for the savagery that the boys are achieving because it acts as masks that hide their true, civilized identities. Along with his apparent physical change, as time continues to pass in the novel, Jack becomes willing to do things that lay outside of his original morals. An example of this is idea is the fact that after living on the island for some time, Jack allows his tribe to murder Simon and Piggy, two boys that are important to the well-being of the island. For instance, after he and his tribe murder Simon, Jack tries to say that the murder is accidental, that he and his tribe thought Simon was the beast at the time. However, Golding, with his use of sensory details, mentions how Jack’s tribe “leapt onto the beast” and “screamed, struck, bit, tore” (Golding 153). While they may consider the situation an accident, Jack and his tribe tortured Simon with these vicious acts, and that is something they would never even consider doing if still living in England. Also, the fact that Jack is
During this time, Jack’s personality evolves in such an extreme manner that he is now willing to permit his tribe to murder two of the other boys. However, not only are his actions impacted by being on the island, but his physical appearance is transforming as well. For example, the narrator, after Simon’s murder, through direct characterization and imagery describes Jack as “naked to the waist, his face blocked out in white and red” (Golding 160). This newfound appearance that Jack possesses displays how his identity is altered by severe physical changes while on the island. When the plane crash occurs, he is dressed head-to-toe in a black cloak and cap, both with silver embellishments, and now he is not wearing any clothing above his midriff and his face is covered in war-paint. This paint is a symbol for the savagery that the boys are achieving because it acts as masks that hide their true, civilized identities. Along with his apparent physical change, as time continues to pass in the novel, Jack becomes willing to do things that lay outside of his original morals. An example of this is idea is the fact that after living on the island for some time, Jack allows his tribe to murder Simon and Piggy, two boys that are important to the well-being of the island. For instance, after he and his tribe murder Simon, Jack tries to say that the murder is accidental, that he and his tribe thought Simon was the beast at the time. However, Golding, with his use of sensory details, mentions how Jack’s tribe “leapt onto the beast” and “screamed, struck, bit, tore” (Golding 153). While they may consider the situation an accident, Jack and his tribe tortured Simon with these vicious acts, and that is something they would never even consider doing if still living in England. Also, the fact that Jack is