At the start of the novel, there has been an atomic explosion, and the children have been evacuated in an aircraft with a detachable passenger tube. The aircraft has been attacked and released the tube while flying over tropical seas. The tube has crash landed in the jungle of a tropical island, and the plane has flown off in flames. This is the point when the novel starts. There are four main characters in the book – Ralph, Piggy, Jack and Simon.
Simon is part of the choir, which is led by Jack, but Ralph and Piggy are not members of the choir, and are in no way related. There are no adults – "There aren’t any grown ups" (P.43)Ralph has found a "conch" (P.21), and has used it to call all the boys on the island together. This is where Jack is introduced into "Lord of the Flies""Something dark was fumbling along" (P.26). This refers to the choir walking along the beach in the distance.
This use of language shows us that the choir is dark, evil, and sinister, and immediately Golding tells us that this group will not be a "good" force on the island. The choir are a militaristic group – "marching approximately…with a hambone frill" (P.26). This shows us that their leader is in total control of the group. This leader is Jack – "The boy who controlled them…his cap badge was golden" (P.26) This shows the authority and status that Jack has over the choir. When the choir reach the platform, Jack shows off – "swaying in the fierce light…his cloak flying" (P.27). This is an attempt to impress the group, create a good impression, enough so he commands their respect as well as the choirs’, enough so that he can eventually control them as well as the choir.
Jack does not introduce himself to everyone; he first words to the group are "Where’s the man with the trumpet?" (P.27). He just gives out demands, and expects the group to answer him. This is what he is used to. Jack is a direct contrast with Ralph – "peered down at Ralph…(the conch) did not seem to satisfy him" (P.27) This shows us that he believes no-one is as good a leader as him, and that the conch, which called the group together, is below him.
This is "simple arrogance" (P.29) on the part of Jack.
Jack’s authoritative figure in the beginning of Lord of the Flies is one quality that shows how he is a dynamic character. To begin with, Jack shows he is authoritative by sabotaging Ralph’s integrity and rules. For instance, on pages one-hundred and one and one-hundred and two, Jack says, “We don’t need the conch anymore. We know who ought to say things. What good did Simon do speaking, or Bill, or Walter? It’s time some people knew they’ve got to keep quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us.” Jack is trying to get rid of the idea that the conch, or freedom of speech, is needed. This is another step away from civilized behavior because a newly established order of power replaces the conch. Another way Jack shows he is authoritative is by wanting to be a leader. First, Jack forms his own group that he calls the hunters. Then, Jack intimidates the other boys to join his group by talking about the beast. Jack tells the little ‘uns that are scared that they will forget about the beast. ...
Simon appreciates how peaceful and beautiful the island is , but as he journeys deeper he finds The Lord of the Flies (the boars head) impaled at its center, the main symbol of how the innocence of childhood has been corrupted by fear and savagery. When Ralph is first introduced, he is acting like a child, splashing in the water, and laughing. He tells Piggy that his father, a naval commander, will rescue him. Ralph repeats his belief in their rescue throughout the novel, shifting his hope that his own father will discover them. To the more realistic idea that a passing ship will be attracted by the signal fire on the island. By the end of the novel, he has lost hope in the boys' rescue altogether. Notice how he goes from being optimistic to pessimistic his childhood wishes and fantasies are lost in the savagery and harshness of the jungle.
First of all, was when the idea of having a chief was brought forth in the first meeting, the narrator stated that Jack arrogantly nominated himself. Speaking of designating chief, when the idea of voting for a chief was brought forth he protested it. This presented his true intentions of being a leader, self-fulfillment and pride. Moreover, Jack was quite inconsiderate. According to the text, when Jack wanted to continue to move to find the supposed beast, Ralph told him to wait for the younger children. He replied with, "Sucks to the littluns!" How can one be a leader of he/she does not care about the welfare of others, especially those weaker than him? Nonetheless, in seek for the thrill of power Jack actually preyed on them; for example, everyone got a piece of meat from Jack's first hunt, except for Piggy, the hunter wanted to leave the younger child in doubt. He does this to intimidate and flaunt his power. In addition, he would do anything to gain it. In the eighth chapter, Jack twisted Ralph's words about the hunters, attempting to sway them on his side, rather than the actual chief. Also, he attempted a coup and forming an alternate group. Plus, when confronted by Ralph in the eleventh chapter, he stabbed him and eventually tried to hunt him down wishing to kill him, attempting to affirm himself as the "true" leader. Moreover, when Jack was chief, he could never be questioned; people solely followed him due to fear. When
He shows early on how he has no sympathy for anyone. For example, when Simon passed out from heat exhaustion on the beach Jack showed no compassion: "Let him alone.He's always throwing a faint."(20) Simon was not a stranger, he was a boy that Jack has spent a great deal of time with and yet he displays no feelings for him at all. He demonstrates a great deal of power over his choir. He orders them around as if they were puppets that he controls by working their strings and making them dance at will.
Kristallnacht, a wave of violent anti-Jewish pogroms, took place on November 9 and 10, 1938 and is often referred to as the "Night of Broken Glass." Organized by Goebbels and Heydrich, head of the Security Service, the campaign of violence resulted in the destruction of many synagogues and thousands of Jewish businesses. Nazis in Germany torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses, killed close to 100 Jews, and sent more than 30,000 to Nazi concentration camps. Starting on November 9 and continuing into the next day, Nazi mobs vandalized and even burned down hundreds of synagogues throughout Germany and damaged, if not completely destroyed, thousands of Jewish homes, schools, businesses, hospitals and cemeteries.
(*) Jack is a natural leader. He has a domineering, almost authoritarian approach to his leadership. In their first appearance in the book, the choir was a “sweaty march” (p.16) in “two parallel lines” (p.16). He was considered as “the most obvious leader” (p.17) but his “wearily obedient” (p.17) choir may suggest they followed him out of fear rather than respect for his headship. Jack claims he “ought to be chief” (p.19) just because he was a leader in the past.
The first two boys to meet each other were Ralph and another boy who although he protested, reluctantly accepted the nickname “Piggy”. The boys romped around, having fun swimming and running around until they chanced upon a conch. Piggy suggested to Ralph that he blow the conch to call the others. Ralph figured out how to blow the conch and proceeded to call the others. Slowly but surely, all the remaining survivors started trickling in to the cove where Ralph and Piggy had found the conch. Ralph proposed that they vote for a chief, and the all the boys except for the choir, voted for Ralph. Ralph’s first matter of business is to go on a hunt to make sure that this really is an island. He takes Jack and another boy, Simon and goes to the highest point on the island to scout out their newfound home. The trio confirms their theory that this is an island and they are indeed the sole inhabitants.
We are informed Jack “shared his burden,” and there was an “invisible light of friendship,” between the two boys. Jack changes considerably throughout this novel. At first he tells us, “I agree with Ralph we’ve got to have rules and obey them,” This shows us that at the beginning of the novel, just like Ralph, he wants to uphold a civilised society. We are also notified, “Most powerfully there was the conch.” As the conch represents democracy, we can see that at the beginning of the novel the boys sustain a powerful democratic society.
In The Things They Carried, an engaging novel of war, author Tim O’Brien shares the unique warfare experience of the Alpha Company, an assembly of American military men that set off to fight for their country in the gruesome Vietnam War. Within the novel, the author O’Brien uses the character Tim O’Brien to narrate and remark on his own experience as well as the experiences of his fellow soldiers in the Alpha Company. Throughout the story, O’Brien gives the reader a raw perspective of the Alpha Company’s military life in Vietnam. He sheds light on both the tangible and intangible things a soldier must bear as he trudges along the battlefield in hope for freedom from war and bloodshed. As the narrator, O’Brien displayed a broad imagination, retentive memory, and detailed descriptions of his past as well as present situations. 5. The author successfully uses rhetoric devices such as imagery, personification, and repetition of O’Brien to provoke deep thought and allow the reader to see and understand the burden of the war through the eyes of Tim O’Brien and his soldiers.
The novel, “The Things They Carried”, is about the experiences of Tim O’Brian and his fellow platoon members during their time fighting in the Vietnam War. They face much adversity that can only be encountered in the horrors of fighting a war. The men experience death of friends, civilians, enemies and at points loss of their rationale. In turn, the soldiers use a spectrum of methods to cope with the hardships of war, dark humor, daydreaming, and violent actions all allow an escape from the horrors of Vietnam that they experience most days.
When Ralph blows the conch, Jack is introduced to the reader for the first time. He is represented as an audacious and selfish boy who likes to order others around when he says "I ought to be chief, because I'm chapter chorister and head boy"(Goldberg p.22). It also confirms his hunger for power and wanting control over everything. His choleric and petulant personality can be seen when he says "Shut up, Fatty."(p.23), also revealing that he is rude and inconsiderate of others. Despite his obnoxious personality, his conscious of civilization keeps him from killing the first pig they see. He even recommends that the boys should have rules to keep things in order.
In the book, the boys; Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Simon, Rogger, Sam and Eric, and the choir boys face many problems. One of the first problems
Jack already from the start of the book is seen as a “beast” and a leader. He enters the book as the leader of his choir. Jack has a hot temper and wants control. Even though he agrees to a vote for chief and lost against Ralph, he didn’t give up and parted ways with the original tribe.This is his first act to achieve power for himself so that he can become king. The
From the time that the boys land on the island, both a power struggle and the first signs of the boys' inherent evil, Piggy's mockery, occur. After blowing the conch and summoning all the boys to come for an assembly, an election is held. "I ought to be chief , said Jack with simple arrogance, because I'm chapter chorister and head boy"(Golding 22). After Ralph is elected Chief, Jack envies his position and constantly struggles for power with Ralph throughout the rest of the novel, convincing the rest of the boys to join his tribe rather than to stay with Ralph. Also, soon after the boys arrive at the island, Piggy, a physically weak and vulnerable character, is mocked and jeered at by the other boys. After trying to recount all of the liluns' names, Piggy is told to "Shut up, Fatty," by Jack Merridew. Ralph remarks by saying, "He's not Fatty. His real name's Piggy." All of the boys on the island, except for Piggy, laugh and make themselves more comfortable at Piggy's expense. "A storm of laughter arose and even the tiniest child joined in. For a moment the boys were a closed circuit of sympathy with Piggy outside."(Golding 21). The boys instinctively become more comfortable with one another after Piggy's mockery and create a bond, leaving Piggy on the outside.
Although there are not many characters in The Lord of the Flies, there are many different personalities and differences between them. The first character in the book is Ralph. Ralph is twelve years old with blond hair, and is the most charismatic of the group. He is described as being built "like a boxer," is somewhat charismatic and is chosen for chief, who makes it his job to lay down rules and try to organize a society. Throughout the novel he is always in conflict with Jack, who wants to be chief himself. Ralph and Piggy agree with each other’s ideas, but Ralph doesn’t realize how important Piggy really is to him until the very end of the novel. Although Ralph never reaches the understanding about the Beast that Simon does, he knows right from wrong.