Lord of the Flies: Anaysis of Jack

Lord of the Flies: Anaysis of Jack

  • Submitted By: 2ejds3
  • Date Submitted: 01/21/2009 7:16 PM
  • Category: Book Reports
  • Words: 843
  • Page: 4
  • Views: 2

In society there is a constant bombardment of violence towards individuals creating a climate of fear. People are easily manipulated and coaxed down various paths which they normally would not have walked due to the hold fear and confusion has upon them. Throughout history this is clearly evident as prominent military figures or political leaders entice whole countries to follow and live in unorthodox conditions, sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse. Such examples of this principle were demonstrated by Napoleon Bonaparte, a renowned military figure viewed in many lights. Napoleon’s life and authority over people draws a parallel to a character named Jack from William Golding’s novel Lord Of The Flies. Napoleon and Jack both display many similar personality traits ultimately leading them to unfortunate outcomes.
One prominent quality demonstrated both Jack and Napoleon is their unrelenting lust for power. Jack exhibits these qualities in many circumstances throughout the novel. When the boys first gather after crashing on the island they first see Jack as "The boy who controlled them…his cap badge was golden" (Golding 26). From the beginning Jack likes controlling others and wants to be seen as an authoritative person of extreme importance. He gives out demands and expects the others to respect him such has when he says "I ought to be chief." (Golding 29). Jack does this because he wants to decide and be in control of what the group does. When the boys on the island say they want to vote on a chief, Jack "started to protest" (Golding 30). He also believes that he should be proclaimed the leader of the group without voting, because in his opinion, no-one has the right to be in control of him. This is because he is a natural leader, and has never been in a position without control. This is born out when Ralph is voted chief – "and the freckles…a blush of mortification" (Golding 30). Jack is very embarrassed when he is, for the first time in his...

Similar Essays