Lord of the Flies
Even with the mass of boys on the island, a single one's corruption results in the destruction of several, if not all, of the boys' innocences. Jack's desire for power first comes in the form of him leading the choir; then his thirst for brutality is introduced through the pig hunt, especially when he and the boys chant, "'Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!,'" and although neither may be perfectly apparent in the beginning, it is easy to see his peak of corruption when he breaks away from the group and begins his tribe of savages. One might say this break from Ralph and Piggy and the symbolic part from society marks the beginning of Jack's - and, subsequently, the island's - downfall. Afterwards, his indulgence in power and brutality strips the boys from what is left of their civility and innocence and results in the final chase for Ralph, which symbolizes the complete destruction of civilization and marks Jack's lowest point in the novel.
Quotes
"The hunters' thoughts were crowded with memories […] of the knowledge […] that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink."
This thought probably occupied Jack's mind more than any of the other boys, due to his infatuation with the kill and the power. By comparing the kill to a "long satisfying drink," the author connects this brutal act with something any civilized person would enjoy. It shows how Jack enjoyed it like any other person would enjoy something normally pleasing.
This thought probably occupied Jack's mind more than any of the other boys, due to his infatuation with the kill and the power. By comparing the kill to a "long satisfying drink," the author connects this brutal act with something any civilized person would enjoy. It shows how Jack enjoyed it like any other person would enjoy something normally pleasing.
William Golding
The British novelist, poet, and playwright lived from 1911 to 1993 won both the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Booker Prize for literature for his novel Rites of Passage. He is best known for his novel Lord of the Flies.