Through his use of arrogance and superiority, William Golding reveals just how destructive arrogance can be. Without Jack, the boys most likely would have survived. But, Jack was always there to challenge Ralph. He was always there to try to prove that he was better. Jack was the obstacle that the boys could not overcome. He was the one who prevented reason and logic from taking hold. He was the one who drove everyone else to insanity and savagery. He planted the seed of the desire to kill in the boys, whether he did it wittingly or unwittingly. This was a situation where rules, reason, and order was crucial. But with Jack there, order was never possible. He drove everything into chaos. He is the reason that so many boys became murderers. He is the reason why children died on that island. Jack is responsible for everything that went wrong on that island in the middle of the ocean. And it was all because he needed to be in control. All because he wanted power. All because he believed that he was better than everyone else. His arrogance was the downfall of them all.
In the last few chapters at the end of the book, we see that Jack and his tribe have become complete and utter savages. Suddenly, at the end of the book when Ralph and the hunters stumble upon the Navy sailor, they all become children once again. They regain their humanity despite the painted masks they wear. The sudden difference and change is shocking. Mere seconds before they had been hunting Ralph, and had stooped so low as to light the forest/jungle on fire. They had finally regained what they had lost. Their humanity. They may not have physically changed, but they changed both mentally and emotionally. They began to cry as they realized multiple things. They realized that they were going home and that they had become savages and had killed people. Finally, they did not argue with Ralph when he said that he was in charge. Before then, they would have disagreed and began to fight with him. Now, they saw that Ralph had been right all along.
Man vs. Nature- Ralph and his tribe are struggling to create a fire without the glasses to focus the sunlight. They are fighting against nature's unwillingness to cooperate with their needs. Jack and his tribe are fighting against the pigs (they are hunting them), who are a part of nature.
Man vs. Self- Each boy is struggling to maintain their sanity and their humanity. Those who have donned the paint of the hunters have already lost the battle and given into savagery. Man vs. Man- The two tribes are fighting against each other. Before the hunters stole the glasses, they might have existed in peace. Now, that was not possible. Eventually, the two tribes would fight against each other and Ralph would lose the members of his tribe. In Chapter 10, Jack leads an attack on Ralph's settlement. Their target was Piggy's glasses. After a short altercation in the dark, Jack and his hunters are victorious as they flee with Piggy's glasses.
William Golding includes this in LOTF to demonstrate just how vital Piggy's glasses are for survival. The tribes need them to create fire. While they may use the fire for different purposes, both tribes cannot start a fire without them. As such, a greater conflict between the two tribes is started over the glasses. In these four chapters, many important events occur. Ralph sets down that the boys must follow. He asserts his authority as chief. Jack says that rules do not matter and should not be followed. Sam and Eric believe that the beast is on top of the mountain between the rocks. Ralph, Jack, and the hunters set out to hunt the beast. First, they head to Castle Rock and, later, the mountain. Ralph, Jack, and Roger believe they found the beast on the mountain, but they run away in fear. Jack attempts to take over as chief. He calls Ralph a coward and tell anyone who did not want Ralph as chief to raise their hands (They were in an assembly). None did. Jack, ashamed and embarrased decides to run away and form his own tribe.Finally, Jack and his new tribe give the beast an offering by putting a pig's head on a stick and leaving it in a clearing. Simon sees this and how the flies revolve around the head. He begins to hear it talk to him. And so, the Lord of the Flies is born.
In Chapter 9, Simon discovers that the "beast" is really just a dead man with a parachute stuck between the rocks. The noise that they believed to be the beast was really just the parachute moving in the wind.Simon decides to go to Jack and Ralph to tell them that there was no beast. When Simon arrives, Ralph, Jack, and the hunters are dancing in circles and chanting "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!". Suddenly, the circles merge together around Simon. They believe that he is the beast. They began to attack while Simon screams in pain. Suddenly, the world goes dark as Simon closes his eyes for the last time in his life. Simon was dead.
Text-to-Self: Similar to how Simon is afraid to speak in front of a large crowd, I become nervous when I speak in front of large groups of people.
Text-to-Text: Similar to how Jack believes he is superior to everyone, especially Ralph, Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series is arrogant and believes that he is better than everyone else, especially Hermione Granger. Text-to-World: In the past, there have been people who believe, and some who still believe, that some people or races are below others. For example, the KKK believed that white people were superior to colored people. The Nazis believed that Germans were superior to all others, especially those who practiced the Jewish faith. While they may be more extreme than what Jack believes, they are still very similar. The greatest use of suspense in LOTF can be found in Chapter 7. Now, in this chapter, Ralph, Jack, and the hunters are trying to hunt the "beast". Towards the end of the Chapter, Ralph, Jack, and Roger begin to climb the mountain where the fire is. As they slowly make their way up and inch closer to the fire, a feeling of suspense begins to grow. As they finally make it to the top, they begin to walk slowly towards the space between those two rocks. Here, the suspense is as great as it will get. Suddenly, the wind blows and the "beast" looks up, and the three boys run for their lives.
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