Character Pick of ”Lord of the Flies”

Pick a character in the story whom you would like to have as a friend OR whom you would hate to have as an enemy. Explain why you like him/her OR fear him/her saying what qualities you most admire or loathe in the person.

Refer to specific incidents of the book. (Write about 400 words)

Lord of the Flies is based on boys who are marooned on an island. There are two main characters, Jack and Ralph. Jack is the novel’s antagonist and the character in the story that I am basing this report on. For, the impression given of him from the book, is someone that everyone would hate to have as an enemy.

Jack has many barbaric characteristics that “develop” as the novel continues. But right from the beginning of the novel, Jack is seen as a very power hungry, and desires power above all things. This can be seen in chapter 1, when Jack clearly is jealous of Ralph after the latter wins the vote to become leader. He was furious and continually pushes the boundaries of his subordinate role. This scene foreshadows his later lust and love for authority and violence, as each enables him to feel powerful and exalted. Jack will do anything to get his hands on power, as was shown when he tells everyone that Ralph is a coward and that he should be removed from the office. He is selfish and egomaniacal.

At first, Jack retains the sense of moral propriety and behavior that was instilled in him by society-he was the leader of the choirboys, after all. Yet after his first encounter with a pig, which he could not bring himself to kill, he vows that the next time he will not flinch from the deed, and is soon obsessed with hunting. With his newfound obsession, Jack is also giving up his civilized behavior and is turning towards barbaric behavior. He paints his face like a barbarian, and gives himself over to bloodlust. He is barbaric and becomes very uncivilized.

Jack is also violent, as his barbaric behavior gets out of hand, and his violent behavior changes into brutality. This can be inferred when he breaks from the office and starts his own tribe. Already their ritual alone can describe the sadism in this tribe, they decapitate the sow and place its head on a sharpened stake. Later examples also show their brutality, as they kill Piggy (with a boulder), Simon (with their bare hands and teeth) and goes on continued hunts to kill Ralph.

Another frightening character trait of Jack’s is that he is very possessive, in terms of his power and the people he control. In the beginning of the novel, most people voted Ralph against him, but Jack soon knows how to have power over them, he uses the boys’ fear of the beast to manipulate their behavior, using it as an instrument of power.

Jack, too, is a very bad influence. The more savage he becomes, the group he controls soon follows him in casting off moral restraint and embracing violence. Piggy and Ralph are the only boys who do not follow Jack’s behavior, but when they join his feast, they attacked Simon and joined the others in killing him.

With all the horrible personality traits, it is not very difficult to dislike someone like Jack.