Arthur Golden wrote “Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are. ” Adversities are unavoidable, and when they arise; people may not know how to handle the difficulties they are faced with. While in the middle of misfortunate situations, certain individuals reveal their true character and qualities they have that would not be present in normal circumstances.In the novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, Golding suggests that people’s true characteristics and qualities are revealed when faced with adversity.
In the beginning of the novel Jack Merridew is seen as just another young and regular boy, with the characteristics of a natural leader. He itches to be chief of the boys, and does not enjoy not having complete control over everyone but is willing enough to go along with the group. Because of this, Jack relies on his status as leader of the choirboys to justify his authority. The freckles on Jack’s face disappeared under a blush of mortification. He started up, and then changed his mind and sat down while air rang. ” Golding pg.
19 By this quote, it is obvious that Jack was frustrated and embarrassed that he was not elected chief, but was not willing to make a scene or go against the majority of the group.When Jack’s first opportunity comes to kill a pig, he could not bring himself to follow through with it. “They knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood. Pg.
29 Jack still had some innocence in him, and more importantly, a fear of killing. His hesitation shows that he could not actually bring himself to kill the pig; scared of what it meant or what would happen if he did. After this hesitation, for which he is most ashamed, Jack's bloodlust grows more and more irrational.Although his way of behaving is neither disruptive nor violent so far, he does, at that time, express an unquenchable desire to hunt and kill a pig and spends hours in solitude traversing the island. Rescue? Yes, of course! All the same, I’d like to catch a pig first.
” Pg. 54 His main goal shifted from the want to be rescued, to the need to kill a pig. This want would soon become an obsession of his, and eventually pushes him to lose his humanity, and turn to savagery. As the novel progresses we begin to see Jack continuously push the boundaries of his subordinate role in the group. “‘The rules! ’ shouted Ralph.
‘You’re breaking the rules! ’ ‘Who cares? ’” pg. 99 This is where Jack’s true personality begins to show.He refuses to follow the rules and defies Ralph as a leader, because in reality, the only thing Jack wants is to be the leader. He does what he wants, and does not care if the majority of the group does not agree with his actions. Also, it becomes clearer that Jack has become obsessed with hunting, and devotes himself to the task. “You and your blood, Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might have gone home-“pg.
74 In this quote, Ralph is speaking directly to Jack because he had left the fire to go hunt and it had gone out, leaving the boy’s with nothing to signal their rescue.This is significant to Jack’s character change because the fact that he let it go out shows that he was no longer concerned with getting home, his life on the island became revolved around the killing of pigs. It proves that he has completely given himself over to bloodlust and became a compulsive hunter. His need to kill brought out his true character and qualities, which were savage and violent. As jack becomes stronger willed, he pushes more to be chief and have total power.
“Listen all of you.Me and my hunters, we’re living along the beach by a flat rock. We hunt and feast and have fun. If you want to join my tribe come and see us.
Perhaps I’ll let you join. Perhaps not. ” Pg. 154 Jack's transition puts him on a collision course with Ralph's elected authority, and when he decides to leave the tribe, he bribes the boy’s with the promises of meat, play, and freedom. This in return, awards him with the majority of the boy’s following him. They soon embrace Jack’s savage ways, which only motivates Jack to take his power even further.
He tortured and threatened the boy’s that did not join his tribe, and brainwashes the ones that were already in his tribe to be the torturers. These actions of Jack’s just prove that he is evil and savage by nature, and when he is given power it only amplifies his characteristics, making him even more vicious. By the end of the novel we can see that jack has turned into the evil person that he had always naturally been, it just took a misfortunate situation to bring it out of him. He loses the innocent young boy and becomes this immoral savage character with no empathy or remorse towards anybody.Jack had evolved to being chief of the boy’s, and used their fear of the beast and the unknown to control them, and make them complete tasks that involved the use of violence. He uses his power over the boy’s to get back at the Ralph and the certain boy’s that refused to follow him and see him as their leader.
“The chief led them, trotting steadily, exulting his achievement. He was the chief now in truth; and he made stabbing motions with his spear. From his left hand daggled Piggy’s broken glasses. ” Pg.
86 This quote is from when Jack and two other boys invade the opposing boys’ camp just as means to beat them up and take the last remanding important thing, Piggy’s specs. This was important because it was the one thing that Jack needed to complete himself as the new chief, if he was able to provide fire and take away Piggy’s seeing abilities, there was nothing stopping him anymore. His main motivation was to hurt the boy’s and force them to join his tribe. Anger and violence came over jack, and because of his power he turned the rest of the boy’s violent and savage as well.His actions influenced the group, and they then became vicious and irrational along with Jack. “Viciously, with full intention, he hurled the spear at Ralph (.
.. ) and the tribe, screaming now like the chief, began to advance. ” Pg. 201 This shows that Jack had made the boy’s unaware of their evil actions, and morphed them into being exactly like him.
By this time, the last remaining vestiges of civilization had been diminished, and because of the circumstance the boy’s were put in, Jack’s true savage character were revealed.In the novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, Golding suggests that when faced with adversities, people’s true characteristics and qualities are revealed. When faced with adversity, people may not know how to react or cope with the struggles that are put in front of them. During these adversities, individuals reveal their true selves and parts of thier personalities that would not normally be present. “Adversity is like a strong wind.
It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are. ”
