Lord of the Flies
Throughout our world history of wars one can argue which side was the protagonist. When the war of 1812 is taught in school, the people of the United States see them as the protagonist and the British as the antagonists but the British view it as the opposite. In literature many authors do not exactly show who the protagonist is in their plays novels or stories. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, many characters can be argued as the protagonist. Based on Jack’s characterization, his external conflict with all the boys and his internal regression and Golding’s usage of imagery, it seems most appropriate to assume Golding intends for us to see Jack as the protagonist.
In the lord of the flies, Jack’s external conflicts helped him to give into his need for power. He first begins to harass Piggy calling him “Fatty”. This demonstrates his need to be dominating over the other boys. He denounces the conch and takes over but “nobody minded”. He takes over power from Ralph after this. He then becomes obsessed with killing and hunting leading the boys in a chant as they kill the pig “kill the beast, cut his throat”. He proves he can control any animal through a form of torture.
Jack has regressed to a primeval life of savagery and no morality. Jack first begins to take of his clothing until he is left with a “pair of tattered shorts held by his knife-belt”. He begins to strip himself of civilization and uniform. He then paints his face red white and black as he “planned”. One half being white the other red shows he is divided inside and out. Finally he hunts after Ralph who has tried to take power from him and Golding does not identify him as Jack anymore. He is just “the savage” that hunts his own kind and has lost his morality. Golding seems to say that a savage is a man who has no right or wrong like an animal.
Jack opposes the characters in the book as he becomes more powerful and savage-like. He first opposes Piggy who is intelligent and well-grounded to
In the lord of the flies, Jack’s external conflicts helped him to give into his need for power. He first begins to harass Piggy calling him “Fatty”. This demonstrates his need to be dominating over the other boys. He denounces the conch and takes over but “nobody minded”. He takes over power from Ralph after this. He then becomes obsessed with killing and hunting leading the boys in a chant as they kill the pig “kill the beast, cut his throat”. He proves he can control any animal through a form of torture.
Jack has regressed to a primeval life of savagery and no morality. Jack first begins to take of his clothing until he is left with a “pair of tattered shorts held by his knife-belt”. He begins to strip himself of civilization and uniform. He then paints his face red white and black as he “planned”. One half being white the other red shows he is divided inside and out. Finally he hunts after Ralph who has tried to take power from him and Golding does not identify him as Jack anymore. He is just “the savage” that hunts his own kind and has lost his morality. Golding seems to say that a savage is a man who has no right or wrong like an animal.
Jack opposes the characters in the book as he becomes more powerful and savage-like. He first opposes Piggy who is intelligent and well-grounded to