How does Golding convey Jack’s regression to a more savage state?

How does Golding convey Jack’s regression to a more savage state?

William Golding conveys Jack’s regression to a more savage state in

many different ways. One of the ways in which he does this is by using

the setting. The fact that wild plants and creepers are growing almost

everywhere around Jack is a typical stereotype of primitive land. Jack

did not seem to be trying to avoid them, which could suggest that he

has already started getting used to them, as a savage or primitive

being would be. Also, Jack had not planned the way that he was going

to take when travelling through the forest; instead, he just followed

faint trails and hoped they would lead him to what he wanted. By doing

this, he was already thinking like a savage.

Jack seemed to have a very close connection with the forest that he

was hunting in. With only small signs, he was able to realise that the

forest was inhabited as other creatures, creatures that he was trying

to hunt. Also, Golding describes the forest like he describes Jack,

for example when he says ‘the forest and he were very still’. This

emphasises the close connection between the two.

Another way in which the author conveys Jack’s regression to a more

savage state is by making him seem more animal like. Savages are

thought of more as animals than people, therefore the animal-like

description is very effective to show Jack returning to his savage

roots. When searching for prey, he was described as a dog in more than

one way, ‘his nose was only a few inches from the humid earth’, just

like a dog or wolf hunts, and ‘dog-like, he was uncomfortable on all

fours’.

There were also some more subtle ways in which he was indirectly

compared to animals that were savage-like. He was becoming hairier

than he was before, just like an ape. This suggests the reversal of

evolution. Also, he was almost naked, apart from his knife belt. This

much like a savage or animal, but the fact that he was not at all

embarrassed by this was even more significant. In our modern day

world, walking around naked would be thought of as a taboo and is even

illegal in a lot of places, but in the time that savages were around,

it was very common for them to walk around wearing close to nothing.

This is exactly the state of mind that Jack wants to revert to in

order to hunt like a savage. Jack was also starting to use his senses

more effectively like animals. ‘His nostrils flared’.