Freedom Of Jack's Savagery example essay topic

... authority, Jack began to lose his fear of being punished for improper actions and behavior. This freedom along with his malicious and arrogant personality made it possible for him to quickly degenerate into a savage. He put paint on his face to camouflage himself from the pigs. But he also discovered that the paint allowed him to hide the forbidden thoughts in his mind that his facial expressions would otherwise show: "The mask was a thing on its own behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness" (Golding 64). Through hunting, Jack lost his fear of blood and of killing living animals. He reached a point where he actually enjoyed the sensation of hunting an animal that was afraid of his spear and knife.

His hunting of the pigs brought out his natural desire for blood and violence. As Ralph became lost in his own confusion, Jack began to assert himself as chief. The boys realized that Jack was a stronger and more self-assured leader and gave in easily to the freedom of Jack's savagery. Placed in a position of power and with his followers sharing his crazed hunger for violence, Jack gained encouragement to commit the vile acts of thievery and murder. The freedom from the conditions of a regulated society, Jack gradually became more violent and the rules and proper behavior, which he was brought up on, were forgotten. The freedom that was given to him unveiled his true self under the clothing worn by civilized people to hide his darker characteristics.

Ralph was introduced as a fair and likeable boy whose self-assured manner made him feel secure even on the island without any adults. His interaction with Piggy demonstrated his pleasant nature as he did not call Piggy names with hateful intent as Jack had. His good physique allowed him to be well accepted among his peers, and this gave him enough confidence to speck out readily in the boys meetings. His handsome features and the conch were a symbol of power and order that made him stand out from the crowd of boys and led him to being the proclaimed chief: "There was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerful, there was the conch" (Golding 22).

From the quick decision he made as chief near the beginning of the book, it could be seen that Ralph was an well-organized person. But even so Ralph began repeatedly to long for and daydream of his civilized past. Gradually, Ralph became confused and began to lose clarity in his thoughts and speeches. He started to feel the lost in the boy's new environment as the boys did to, with the exception of Piggy. But the boys began to change and adapt to their freedom.

Ralph did not lose his sense of responsibility, his viewpoints, and priorities, but they began to differ from those of the savages. He was more influenced by Piggy then by Jack, who in a way could be viewed as the source of evil on the island. Even though the significance of the fire as a rescue signal was slowly dismissed, Ralph continued to stress the importance of the fire at the mountaintop. He also tried to reestablish the organization that had helped to keep the island clean and free of potential fire hazards. This difference made most of the boys less convinced of the integrity of Ralph. As his supports became fewer and Jack's insistence of being chief grew, his strength as a leader diminished.

Even though Ralph had retained much of his civilized personality, he too was not spared of the evil released by the freedom of the rules and adults. During the play fight after their unsuccessful hunt for the pig, Ralph for the first time had an opportunity to join the hunters and share their desire for violence. Without rules to limit them, they were free to make their games as real as they wanted. Ralph did not understand the hatred Jack had for him, nor did he fully comprehend why their small and simple society deteriorated.

This confusion removed his self-confidence and made him more dependent on Piggy's judgement, until Piggy began prompting him on what needed to be said and done. Towards the end of the book, Ralph was forced into becoming independence when he lost all his followers to Jack's savagery, and when the boulder pushed down the hill by Roger smashed Piggy and the conch. Ralph was forced to determine how to avoid Jack's savage hunters alone. His more responsible behavior set him apart from the other savage boys and made it more difficult for him to realize and accept the changes they underwent. The book Lord of the Flies by William Golding used changes experienced by boys on an uninhabited tropical island to show the evil nature of man. By using different characters the author was able to portray various types of people found in our society.

Their true selves were revealed in the freedom from the laws and punishment of a world with adults. Under the power and regulations of their former society, Jack's inner evil was suppressed. But when the rules no longer existed, he was free to do what he desired. Ralph had grown so used to the regularity of a civilized world, the changes they underwent were difficult for him to comprehend and accept. He became confused and less capable of thinking clearly and independently. Although Ralph had also experienced the urge for violence that had driven Jack and the hunters to momentary peaks of madness, his more sensitive personality and his sense of obligation saved him from complete savagery.

These two traits also helped to keep Piggy from becoming primitive in behavior. Piggy was made an outcast by his undesirable physique and his superior intelligence. The isolation and wisdom also helped him to retain his civilized behavior. As well, he was made painfully more aware of the great amount of injustice in the world.

From these three characters, it could be seen that under the same circumstances, different individuals would develop in different ways depending on the factors within themselves and how they interacted with each other. Their personalities and what they knew determined how they would interpret and adapt to the new environment such as the isolated tropical island. Not every boy had so much evil hidden inside himself to make him become a complete savage when released from the boundaries of his society. Some people will remember and abide by the rules they had depended on for social organization and security because of the ways they were raised. Work Cited Golding, William. Lord of the Flies.

New York: Penguin, 1954.