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Lord of the Flies

 

            In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, we learn about a group of boys stranded on an uninhabited island. The boys struggle to create a civilization and to survive. It is one of the boy's (Jack's) egocentric points of view and actions that lead to the destruction of the boys" civilization, and of the island itself. .
             At the beginning of the book, the boys elected a boy called Ralph, to be their leader and chief. Ralph proved to be a very good leader, always trying to do things in the best interest of the boys. The only problem was the fact that Jack was desperate to be chief and that he resented the fact that Ralph was chief instead of him. "He hates you too Ralph- . . . you"re chief an" he isn't." (Golding. Lord of the Flies. p.93) Because of this fact, Jack always challenged Ralph, broke his rules, and went against him. " "The rules!" shouted Ralph. "You"re breaking the rules!" "Who cares?" answered Jack ." (Golding. Lord of the Flies. p.91) Near the end of the book, the rivalry between Ralph and Jack becomes so strong that Jack even quits Ralph's group and goes off to form his own tribe because, "I"m not going to play any longer. Not with you." (Golding. Lord of the Flies. p.127) This final act leads to the last stage of the breakdown of the boy's society: the recession of the boys into a tribe.
             "We want meat." (Golding. Lord of the Flies. p.51) Hunting the wild pigs found on the island the most important thing for Jack; it is more important than building shelters ("You wouldn't care to help with the shelters, I suppose?") (Golding. Lord of the Flies. p.51), keeping the signal fire going ("If Jack was chief he's have all hunting and no fire.") (Golding. Lord of the Flies. p.93), and even being rescued. Jack seems to become obsessed with hunting, blood, murder, and savagery. Jack's ideas come to the point where he converts the rest of the boys to savagery. Simon and Piggy were killed because of Jack's influence over the rest of the boys, and his bloodlust.


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