The Lord Of The Flies: The Hunts

500 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: the significance of jack in lord of the flies

A running theme in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is the hunts and their progression, as well as symbolic meaning it possesses as the hunts continue. The hunts always ultimately revert back to an evil and primitive nature. The cycle of man’s rise to power, or righteousness, and his inevitable fall from grace is an important point that Golding proves again and again. Lord of the Flies, is a story of a group of boys of different backgrounds who are marooned on an unknown island when their plane crashes. As the boys try to organize and formulate a plan to get rescued, they begin to separate and as a result of a decision a band of savage tribal hunters is formed. Eventually the boys almost entirely shake off civilized behavior.

Jack has always been an ill-natued boy even from the start of the book when he told Piggy to "Shut up, Fatty." (p.23). Dispite Jack’s unpleasent personality, his lack of courage and his conscience preventing him from killing the first pig they encountered. "They knew very well why he hadn’t; because of the enormity of the knife decending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood." (p.34)

When Jack was chosen to keep the fire going, he decides to get meat instead of tending to the fire. His pursuit for killing a pig is symbollizing a sexual desire built into human nature. While he was out pursuing the pig, the fire went out. This symbollized the fact that Jack's sexual desires led him away from hope and deeper into despair.

Jack represents a Satan like, deathly force. The blood that he wallows in is a further representation of deathliness. After his first kill, "Jack transferred the knife to his left hand and smudged blood over his forehead as he pushed down the plastered hair," he unconsciously imitates the ritual of the tribal initiation of the hunter, whose face is covered with the blood of his first kill.

Jack then successfully convinces many big'uns and little'uns to come along with him and join a tribe of savages. These savages have face-paint on, which makes them anonymous. This anonimity allows for each tribe member to do things he would not have normally done because of the fear of being judged by society. They basically had no shame left. So they went out, killed a pig, acted as if they were raping it, and cut off its head.

Show More
Related

  • Inherently Evil Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the novel, the reader becomes increasingly aware of Jack’s dominating and violent tendencies. Specific actions taken are when Jack suggests using one of the younger children as a substitute pig, ties up Wilfred, and hunts Ralph. Things begin to get out of hand when the group’s game turns into a cruel beating. Not long afterwards, Jack suggests that the group

    Read More

  • How Does Golding Present Ralph In Lord Of The Flies

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    As soon as they realise what must be done to survive on the island, jack has the desire to kill a pig for meat. This is the first sign of his savagery. Soon his urge to kill a pig turns into the desire to kill and hunt other living

    Read More

  • Inherent Evil Of Man Lord Of The Flies Analysis

    1542 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jack all along had been trying to gain control of the group of boys by appearing to be courageous and unafraid of any threats the island presented. Jack is obsessed with hunting the beast and the pigs on the island. His lust for blood is proven in the quote “Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands. The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her. The butterflies still danced, preoccupied in the center of the clearing” (Golding 154). Jack’s savageness is shown when he cuts the pig's throat. He enjoys having the pig’s blood on him because it is described as hot blood that spouted over his hands. Jack shows that he is capable of anything. He could have killed the pig in a way that was less violent and gruesome. As the story goes on Jack reveals his true evil self through the killing of the pigs and some of the other boys on the island. The conch is the only thing preventing him from becoming a blood thirsty maniac because it represents law and order. In the quote “ We’ll have rules!’ He cried excitedly. ‘Lots of rules” (Golding 33). Jack suggests that the boys have rules in order to stay as close to civilization as possible. With society’s idea of being a good civilian Jack is not able show the evil within himself. After the conch is

    Read More

  • Inherent Good And Evil In Lord Of The Flies

    1533 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is tale of a group of young boys who become stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. Intertwined in this classic novel are many themes, most that relate to the inherent evil that exists in all human beings and the malicious nature of mankind. In The Lord of the Flies, Golding shows the boys' gradual transformation from being civilized, well-mannered people to savage, ritualistic beasts.

    Read More

  • Survival Of Fittest In Lord Of The Flies

    564 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jack corrodes the group using the beast as during the meal Jack screams “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” Jack didn’t care to first scout out or pursue who the beast was and ended up killing Simon, who just came to explain his discovery of the beast. In this incident Jack caused the group to cross the boundary line to savages who lack rational thinking because of they had murdered Simon.

    Read More

  • guilty as charged

    597 Words  | 2 Pages

    In addition, Jack treated Piggy with extreme cruelty. Jack's brutal behavior toward Piggy exposed his evil side. This could be why he wanted to kill him, as they began arguing since they had first met. Jack also felt a desire for power; Piggy would never grant him this supremacy, which led to violence either physically or verbally. After Jack let the fire go out, Piggy reprimanded him leading to frustration in Jack; “This from Piggy, and the wails of agreement from some of the hunters, drove Jack to violence. The bolting look came into his blue eyes. He took a step, and able at last to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggy’s stomach ” Jack could have hit anyone else but struck Piggy, showing his deep hatred for him. All Jack needed was the opportunity to kill Piggy, and he would have taken it just like when he punched him in the stomach.

    Read More

  • The Lack Of Society In William Golding's Lord Of The Flies

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jack and his hunting boys went off to try and kill a pig, and successfully did so. As Roger violently killed the pig, the blood poured all over Jack’s hands. Jack then “giggled and flicked them while the boys laughed at his reeking palms” (Golding 195). Jack enjoyed playing in the blood of the pig that he and the boys slayed. This shows how quickly Jack changed from a young, polite boy to a violent and sadistic savage. After Robert was used as a pig in the boys’ game of hunting, the boys thought that the game was extremely enjoyable and that they would do it again. After Robert was seriously injured, he says to the boys, “‘You want a real pig because you’ve got to kill him.’ ‘Use a littlun,’ said Jack, and everybody laughed” (Golding 165). In other words, Jack suggests that they should literally kill a littlun so that the boys can reenact what happened when they killed a pig. Before, Jack could not bring himself to even kill a pig. But after staying on the island, he was able to not only kill a pig, but he also even suggested on killing an innocent child for

    Read More

  • Mankind Essential Illness in Lord of the Flies by William Golding

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...religious allegory. He depicts a story in which the boys are stranded on an island and need to fend for themselves. However, instead of focusing on rescue and building a fire, the boys ultimately shift their priorities to hunting and killing. They turn a once beautiful and majestic island into a place of terror and evil. Additionally, they maul and kill their only hope of ever changing, Simon. Lord of the Flies is reminiscent of the television series “Lost.” Just like in Golding’s world, “Lost” is staged on a remote far away island after a plane crash. However, these people are not children. They are adults, which makes the story even more chilling. These adults eventually succumb to murderous acts and violence, further proving the point Golding sets out to make. Humans are inherently evil, and without any system to keep them in line, they will destroy the world.

    Read More

  • Lord of the Flies: Is There Hope for Man?

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the main themes in William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies is that without civilization, there is no law and order. The expression of Golding's unorthodox and complex views are embodied in the many varied characters in the novel. One of Golding's unorthodox views is that only one aspect of the modern world keeps people from reverting back to savagery and that is society. Golding shows the extreme situations of what could possibly happen in a society composed of people taken from a structured society then put into a structureless society in the blink of an eye. First there is a need for order until the people on the island realize that there are no rules to dictate their lives and take Daveers into their own hands. Golding is also a master of contrasting characterization. This can be seen in the conflicts between the characters of Jack, the savage; Simon, the savior; and Piggy, the one with all the ideas.

    Read More

  • Loss of Innocence in Lord of The Flies by William Golding

    1149 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jack begins the novel partially innocent, cruel enough to yell at the boys yet pure enough to hesitate when faced with the task of killing the pig. Jack obtains the tools necessary to kill the pig, yet claims to need help cornering the animal. Jack, not truly needing help to kill the pig but rather needing the support provided by the mob mentality, acquires the support of his choir and together the boys hunt and kill the pig, all the while chanting, “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood”...

    Read More

  • Jack Bully In Lord Of The Flies

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    The whole entire story could've had an entire different outcome if Jack didn’t have so many personality blemishes. Jack seems like he has something wrong with him as far as handling his emotions go. He is always very mean to Piggy and was the first to thirst for blood.

    Read More

  • Jack Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, Jack is a cruel human being who says many sadistic and heartless things. This is first mentioned in the novel when Jack says, “There were lashings of blood… you should have seen it!” (69). This quote is evidence of Jack’s barbaric nature because it reveals that he enjoys the blood of the wild pigs. Also, his enjoyment of the blood leaves

    Read More

  • Lord of the Flies essay

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jack fails to realize that the boys need security, stability, and order on the island Jack was a leader of the choir before the boys landed on the island. These boys, who were in the choir, still want to follow Jack; however, they have no discipline at all. The only thing that is on Jack’s mind is hunting. He doesn’t care about anything else, except capturing and kill the pigs for some food.

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies; An Attempt To Trace The Defects Of Human Nature

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the story progresses it shows how the boys change from disciplined school boys to savages. Jack is the first to show the transition. When Jack, Simon and Ralph go exploring for the first time, they come across a piglet caught in a curtain of creepers. Jack couldn't kill it "because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood (31)." From that moment on, Jack felt he needed to prove to himself to the others that he's strong, brave and isn't afraid to kill. When Jack says, "Next Time…(31)" it's foreshadowing his future of savage hunting.

    Read More

  • The Symbolism of Masks in Lord of the Flies by William Golding

    834 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...er mock Piggy, when he “made a move toward Piggy…[and] mimicked the whine and scramble by saying, ‘Jus’ you wait-yah!’” By doing this, Jack causes all of the younger hunters to laugh, giving him even more power over them all because of the new power that the mask gave him, by allowing him to be cruel and unkind.

    Read More

More about The Lord Of The Flies: The Hunts

Open Document