Environments can often shape identity transformations and expose the greater evil of one’s dual nature. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, this possibility is explored through the development of the antagonist, Jack. Throughout the book, it is evident that each boy is tested in his own way, yet it is Jack who first subjects to the primitive nature of his surroundings and leads to the group’s decay. In order to portray this drastic relationship and metamorphosis from boy to barbarian, Jack is initially revealed by his innocent internal qualities, conveyed through the gradual transition between his true self and alter ego, and finally found to embrace the savage that had always been harbored within himself. Initially, having just been
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In the first instance in which all the boys on the island are drawn together by the sound of the conch, Jack is presented as the intimidating leader of a choir. Yet immediately after the election of Ralph as chief, it is evident that many cracks lie beneath this facade. Following the elections, Jack demonstrates humiliation, his face disappearing “under a blush of mortification” (Golding 23). While it originally appears as though Jack is not one to become easily humbled, Jack displays his childlike qualities as he appears to sulk in his loss. Despite his domineering personality, Jack did not protest the results of the election, choosing instead to harbor this resentment within himself. This further proves Jack’s pure mind as he seeks approval from the others rather than power over them. Another example that displays Jack’s naivety is evident in his first attempts to hunt and kill a pig. After finding a small pig that was conveniently caught in a trap of “creepers,” Jack raises his knife, but is unable to bring it down to kill the pig. The other boys, also experiencing this primary stage of innocence, “knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and …show more content…
However, even with his new image as a fierce, bloodthirsty hunter, there are still glimpses of the once gullible child who only desired acceptance. While experimenting with different methods to hunt pigs, Jack eventually finds that with a mask, he is able to use camouflage to his advantage. After using the mask, Jack also begins to realize that “the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness” (64). Utilizing the mask to shield his internal naivety, Jack is able to kill pigs with little remorse. In this passage, the mask also symbolizes the overthrow of Jack’s innocence by a satanic subconscious. Covering his youthful face, the mask marks the budding transformation of a young boy into a savage. Despite this seemingly drastic shift in identity, it is still clear that Jack suppresses purity within him. After attempting to turn the group against Ralph and losing the election once again, Jack displays the humiliation and embarrassment that was witnessed at the start of the book. Expecting a definite win, Jack did not foresee the silence that followed, “breathless and heavy and full of shame. Slowly the red drained from Jack’s cheeks, then came back with a painful rush…The humiliating tears were running from the corner of each eye” (127). Just as with the earlier elections, Jack responds to the loss in a way that is similar to
In the first instance in which all the boys on the island are drawn together by the sound of the conch, Jack is presented as the intimidating leader of a choir. Yet immediately after the election of Ralph as chief, it is evident that many cracks lie beneath this facade. Following the elections, Jack demonstrates humiliation, his face disappearing “under a blush of mortification” (Golding 23). While it originally appears as though Jack is not one to become easily humbled, Jack displays his childlike qualities as he appears to sulk in his loss. Despite his domineering personality, Jack did not protest the results of the election, choosing instead to harbor this resentment within himself. This further proves Jack’s pure mind as he seeks approval from the others rather than power over them. Another example that displays Jack’s naivety is evident in his first attempts to hunt and kill a pig. After finding a small pig that was conveniently caught in a trap of “creepers,” Jack raises his knife, but is unable to bring it down to kill the pig. The other boys, also experiencing this primary stage of innocence, “knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and …show more content…
However, even with his new image as a fierce, bloodthirsty hunter, there are still glimpses of the once gullible child who only desired acceptance. While experimenting with different methods to hunt pigs, Jack eventually finds that with a mask, he is able to use camouflage to his advantage. After using the mask, Jack also begins to realize that “the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness” (64). Utilizing the mask to shield his internal naivety, Jack is able to kill pigs with little remorse. In this passage, the mask also symbolizes the overthrow of Jack’s innocence by a satanic subconscious. Covering his youthful face, the mask marks the budding transformation of a young boy into a savage. Despite this seemingly drastic shift in identity, it is still clear that Jack suppresses purity within him. After attempting to turn the group against Ralph and losing the election once again, Jack displays the humiliation and embarrassment that was witnessed at the start of the book. Expecting a definite win, Jack did not foresee the silence that followed, “breathless and heavy and full of shame. Slowly the red drained from Jack’s cheeks, then came back with a painful rush…The humiliating tears were running from the corner of each eye” (127). Just as with the earlier elections, Jack responds to the loss in a way that is similar to