Jack Merridew Character Analysis - 1043 Words

Angel Weyant Ms. Tantingler Honors English 10 2 January 2018 Jack Merridew Reflects the Brutality of Humanity in â€Å"Lord of the Flies† William Golding’s â€Å"Lord of the Flies† is a heavily layered story with a setting and characters that symbolise human nature, how being isolated from civilization can dehumanize the state of man. The setting provides a lack of society, and the boys each represent a different aspect of mankind. One character, Jack Merridew, plays a significant part in portraying how mankind is affected without rules and norms. After he has been separated from civilization long enough, Jack becomes a brutal savage and creates a mask out of face paint. Golding utilizes Jack’s face paint to mask his descent into savagery,†¦show more content†¦Piggy insults Jack, causing him to get angry and punch Piggy. Jack is willing to resort to physically harming others. Jack is easily influenced by his followers, as their shouting drove him to harm Piggy. Not only is Jack’s brutality shaped by the setting and atmosphere, but it is also influenced through the encouragement from his hunters. Golding writes â€Å"Piggy and the parody were so funny that the hunters began to laugh. Jack felt encouraged.† Jack shows no remorse for hurting Piggy. In the real world, everyone forgets their morals, and instead, becomes influenced by others perspectives, rather than their own and it always leads to negative consequences. Jack is the first to separate from the group and eventually convinces his hunters to join him. Jack says, â€Å"‘Conch! Conch!’ shouted Jack. ‘We don’t need the conch anymore. We know who ought to say things’† Jack has decided to go against the conch, therefore, he has gone against the unity of the boys. Piggy argues, ’I got the conch’ Said Piggy indignantly. ‘You let me speak!’; ‘The conch doesnt count on top of the mountain’ Said Jack, ‘So you shut up.’ This is also foreshadowing Jack’s separation, as he clearly states that the rules of the conch are invalid only in places where he prefers. Jack also mainly targets Piggy, as he is considered weaker. Jack is so power hungry that he even goes as far as to try to replace Ralph as the leaderShow MoreRelatedJack Merridew Character Analysis1631 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Before the party had started a great log has been dragged into the center of the lawn and Jack painted and garlanded sat there like an idol† (Golding 149). Throughout Lord of the Flies, Jack Merridew, tries to play a dominant role within the leadership of the island. Nearing the end of the novel we are exposed to what steps, Jack, is willing to take in order to be number one. In William Golding’s first novel he shares the struggle these children experience of seeking reality in the midst of somethingRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1421 Words   |  6 PagesKrista Campbell Mrs. Daley Accelerated English 10 1 January 2015 Lord of the Flies Analysis Man’s natural inclination towards violence has plagued the human race since the emergence of us as a species, to our modern era. In William Golding s 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, we find ourselves among a group of young schoolboys stranded on an island, without a proper leader or social order. As we observe the morphosis from innocent children into barbaric savages, Golding shows that when man is givenRead MoreLord Of The Flies Sadism Essay1405 Words   |  6 Pagesemphasizing the impact of what amassed power can do to people. He introduces characters such as Ralph, who attempt to sustain their democratic leadership by any means, even if several hardships are found deterring. On the other hand, Jack Merridew may be considered as an inverse resemblance to Ralph, instead using the excuse of unpromising events as a reason to become gradually awry and aggressive. What Golding intends for this character mirroring is not only the volatility of a leader’s decision-making Read MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1206 Words   |  5 Pagesleave he’ll come and rescue us.† (Golding p.13 lines 26-28). This comparison of cognitive functions between the two really help to illustrate the prominent foil, yet it begins to fade as the novel progresses. A third character who was also woven into the tale early on is that of Jack Merridew. We see him at the novel’s onset as arrogant, and even a hint of ambition in his personality since he seems to desperately want the role of leader. A quality which becomes increasingly crucial as the chapters soarRead MoreTo What Extent Does a Marxist Reading of Lord of the Flies Lead to a Fuller Understanding of the Novel?1888 Words   |  8 Pagesaway from reason toward savagery. However, it could be argued that there is a hidden, implicit meaning behind the novel, one which Marxist theory could help us understand. The ‘treasure chest’ theory states that no one can know a book and its characters better than the author him/herself. This is because the reader arguably cannot take out of the ‘chest’ more than the author originally put in. This is a view, however, that even William Golding himself had come to reject eventually, stating thatRead MoreReview Of Charlotte Bronte s Jane Eyre 10879 Words   |  44 Pagessun, nor smiling sky, nor wakening nature† (369). The calm and clear weather parallels Jane’s mind after she decides to do what is best for her. When Jane arrives at Moor House, the storm represents her desperate search to find food and shelter. Characters (adjectives, quotes) Bertha Mason Insane â€Å"The honeymoon over, I learned my mistake; she was only mad, and shut up in a lunatic asylum† (352). Beautiful â€Å"My father said nothing about her money; but he told me Miss Mason was the boast of Spanish Town