This week in English we read chapters 4 through 6 of Lord of the Flies. Much happens in these chapters that increase the intensity of the boy’s dire situation. They become more chaotic and unruly, and lose focus of their main goal: getting off the island. Jack’s hunting group abandoned the fire (it was meant to give off smoke as a recue signal) completely, and although they managed to catch a pig, they let their chance of being found slip away.
Ralph calls an assembly and points out all the rules that the boys neglected. He reestablishes what needs to be done. Also during this meeting, the concept of a ‘beastie’ was brought to light. All the boys have a fear of a ‘beastie’, but there has been no proof that it exists. In class we compared both Ralph and Jack’s speeches to the boys about the beast. When Ralph is making his speech, he does his best to dispel the fear, rationally explaining why they have no reason to be scared. He speaks with the calm authority of an adult telling a child why there’s no monster under the bed, and also identifies with them by saying that he’s sometimes scared too. Jack is more aggressive in his speech. He speaks like a bully to the children, intensifying their fear more than anything else. This proves how Jack is trying to rule by fear. He wants to show the littluns that he’s not afraid, and that he’s a better leader than Ralph.
Ralph calls an assembly and points out all the rules that the boys neglected. He reestablishes what needs to be done. Also during this meeting, the concept of a ‘beastie’ was brought to light. All the boys have a fear of a ‘beastie’, but there has been no proof that it exists. In class we compared both Ralph and Jack’s speeches to the boys about the beast. When Ralph is making his speech, he does his best to dispel the fear, rationally explaining why they have no reason to be scared. He speaks with the calm authority of an adult telling a child why there’s no monster under the bed, and also identifies with them by saying that he’s sometimes scared too. Jack is more aggressive in his speech. He speaks like a bully to the children, intensifying their fear more than anything else. This proves how Jack is trying to rule by fear. He wants to show the littluns that he’s not afraid, and that he’s a better leader than Ralph.
We also discussed how Jack’s character has changed over the course of the novel so far. In chapter four, we see Jack’s character develop into a more savage state. He looks more primitive with long hair, dirty skin, and a painted face. We get another glimpse at Jack’s insecurities as he rejoices over the sight of his face looking like a stranger. This new face gives him courage to act on his motivations: he wants to prove to the others and himself that he is strong. This motivation is what encourages him to abandon the thought of rescue, which was once a shared goal among all the boys. In this chapter we also see a development in the conflict between Jack and Ralph, as Jack still holds a grudge against Ralph for winning the position of leader over Jack. Jack’s mannerisms in this chapter become more violent, as we see that he is no longer afraid to physically hurt Piggy. He makes motions with his knife as is he wants to use it against not just pigs, but some of the boys as well. Jack’s avarice has become stronger, and his wicked selfishness and irascible nature has become more apparent.
The boys overall have regressed into a more primitive state as they are isolated on the island with no adults to guide them. The absence of a higher authority has led Jack to try to rule by fear. In relation to the boys’ situation, a book called Lucifer Effect was written about an experiment that was conducted at Stanford University.
Students were chosen to play the role of either an inmate or a prison guard, and after merely six days, the experiment was shut down because the guards became too violent and the inmates were severely depressed. The book explains the experiment’s results and what it says about human nature.
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