What Does Jack Symbolize In Lord Of The Flies

The author of Lord of the Flies wrote each character to symbolize a trait of society. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the character Jack embodies mankind’s inevitable descent into savagery. This can be shown through his appearance, his personality, and his actions. Throughout the book, the way Jack looks symbolizes how humans would resort to violence in dire situations.
In the beginning of the book, Jack was described as a relatively normal child and nothing seems off or threatening about him; this symbolizes humankind before savagery. “His sandy hair, considerably longer than it had been when they dropped in, was lighter now; and his bare back was a mass of dark freckles and peeling sunburn…. They(Jack’s eyes) were bright blue”(67). In this part of the book, the boys have only been on
In the beginning of the novel, Jack is too scared to kill the pig. “ Jack’s face was white under the freckles. He noticed that he still held the knife aloft and brought his arm down replacing the blade in the sheath. Then they all three laughed ashamedly and began to climb back to the track”(31) At this point in the book, Jack is not used to killing and he still has the mindset of an innocent child. Later, Jack has no second thoughts about killing. “‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!’”(152). Jack lead an extremely violent dance that resembles wild animals after a kill. At this point, Jack does not think or act like a regular individual in society anymore. Jack represents humankind’s possible decline into viciousness. In the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the character Jack embodies the potential of society quickly turning savage. Jack’s appearance reflected his humanity. His personality became more intolerable, rude, and cruel. Lastly, Jack’s actions made him seem like a wild animal. Jack illustrates a scary view of our inborn