Jack's Power In Lord Of The Flies

JACK (???)
The classic novel, Lord of the flies, by William Golding, follows a group of boys stranded on an island with a lack of any adult supervision. Throughout the story, the boys progressively change as the island takes its toll. They transform from innocent children to primitive savages. Jack was one of these boys, originally the head of the choir who takes the role of the “hunter” on the island. Golding thus uses Jack’s violent and aggressive mannerisms to show how fear distorts reality and enables the abuse of power.
From the very beginning, Jack shows an underlying characteristic of anger and rash decisions, as well as his need for control. For example ,Jack exploited the littluns fear by never completely denying the existence of the
In chapter ten, Jack begins to realize the affect his power has, “The tribe considered this; and then were shaken, as if by a flow of wind. The chief saw the effect of his words and stood abruptly” (161). Once the tribe split into two, he gained complete control of the majority and notices that he can use the boy's fear as a tool to maintain control. When Jack recognized that if he could stay in charge, he won’t ever have to face the guilt and dark truth of what he has done or face the consequences. Similarly, if he has the control to occupy his time he has less time to second guess his methods and less time to realize that he has completely lost sight of his innocence and humanity. This awakening showcases how the altered reality that the boys have grown accustomed to on the island has allowed one of their own, a formerly respectable and stable young boy, to acquire complete control and use it as a weapon of destruction and
In the beginning, jack tries to gain power the “right” way, however, he quickly realizes that the boys initially favor Ralph, so he reverts to other means for gaining control. Towards the middle of Lord of the Flies, Jack is beginning to gather more of a following because he is promising protection and safety, however, he is beginning to realize the power of fear amongst the boys. Nearing the end, he has completely abused his power by using the beast as an instrument of control and to keep the boys obedient. He can be seen as a true window into what occurred on the island, his transformation and changes in values show how the boys lost not only their innocence but also their childhood. Their loss of identity and civilized manners allowed for jack to swoop in and abuse their fears for control and power. Jack hid behind the masks and power to protect who he truly was and put forward a new personality to remove himself from his former life and obligations to rules and