Lord of the Flies Essay “Heroes don't exist. And if they did, [we] wouldn't be one of them.” This quote has quite a few controversial comments underneath it. Though it may or not be true, the fact is that we, as human beings, are wired to take care of our own selfish desires before looking outward. As Lord of the Flies progresses, the audience can see that in Jack as well as many of the other boys. William Golding starts to create the image of Jack as a villain, and this can be seen by his tendency towards savagery, his willingness to hurt others, and his love of power.
Firstly, Jack’s villainy is seen through his tendency towards savagery. "I went on. I thought, by myself”—The madness came into his eyes again. “I thought I might kill" (Golding …show more content…
"I ought to be chief," said Jack with simple arrogance, "because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp" (Golding 22). Jack believes from the very beginning that he has the right qualities for a leader, though he is mistaken. His desire for leadership and power begins to overrun his idea of civilization, and his ideals start to crumble. His only thought is that he wants others to follow him in his killing spree. Jack believes that strength overrides intelligence in a good leader "And you shut up! Who are you, anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do. You can't hunt, you can't sing—" (Golding 91). His belief that physical qualities override mental ones in leadership emphasizes the fact that he believes brute force is most important when it comes to being a good leader. He compares Ralph and Piggy in that they both use rational thought and common sense to make decisions, while his only instinct is to kill whatever is in his way. Jack makes decisions in a selfish way, choosing only what will have positive outcomes for himself. He is not a good leader in this way, because he only cares that he has followers, and has no care for the followers
Firstly, Jack’s villainy is seen through his tendency towards savagery. "I went on. I thought, by myself”—The madness came into his eyes again. “I thought I might kill" (Golding …show more content…
"I ought to be chief," said Jack with simple arrogance, "because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp" (Golding 22). Jack believes from the very beginning that he has the right qualities for a leader, though he is mistaken. His desire for leadership and power begins to overrun his idea of civilization, and his ideals start to crumble. His only thought is that he wants others to follow him in his killing spree. Jack believes that strength overrides intelligence in a good leader "And you shut up! Who are you, anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do. You can't hunt, you can't sing—" (Golding 91). His belief that physical qualities override mental ones in leadership emphasizes the fact that he believes brute force is most important when it comes to being a good leader. He compares Ralph and Piggy in that they both use rational thought and common sense to make decisions, while his only instinct is to kill whatever is in his way. Jack makes decisions in a selfish way, choosing only what will have positive outcomes for himself. He is not a good leader in this way, because he only cares that he has followers, and has no care for the followers