Prompts #4

1983. From a novel or play of literary merit, select an important character who is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character's villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

                In the novel, Lord of the Flies William Golding uses the story’s villain, Jack to emphasize the meaning of the work; without the laws of society, humans would be evil in nature. He does this by making the character start out as an innocent boy, having him develop a thirst for blood, and having him transition back into a boy when civilization returns.

                By introducing Jack to the story as an innocent choir boy, Golding emphasizes the transition that takes place in his character. For example, when the book begins and the boys all find each other on the island, Jack is all for maintaining order within the group. He even volunteers to be the leader, although Ralph beats him out for the position. As the story continues, however, Ralph becomes more involved in hunting and eventually becomes obsessed with power and control. Because of this, he goes from being a mere boy, to becoming a ruthless ruler of his portion of the island. This emphasizes the idea that people would be evil without society because Jack becomes this way due of the absence of civilization. Since he was a young boy, it was easier for him to forget the once obvious rules with which it society held while isolated on the island, thus allowing him to take up his natural state of an inherently evil nature.

                Golding also emphasizes the meaning of this novel by having Jack become bloodthirsty and violent. At the beginning of the novel when Jack is still an innocent boy, he fears killing a pig. As the story progresses, however, he becomes obsessed with violently hunting and even kills the baby pigs for sport. Even still, that is not enough for him. At a feast, he convinces the other boys to attack, and ultimately kill Simon, saying that he is the beast. This is the first instance in which one of the boys is murdered and shows how truly evil Jack has become. He then goes on to instruct his followers to kill Piggy. These acts of violence were tools used by Golding to show how evil the villain, Jack has become. In doing this it brings the reader back to the easy transition from good to evil in the absence of society.

                Golding continues to support the idea that society is what keeps people from becoming evil by having his villain return to his more innocent state upon rediscovering civilization. This occurs just after the climax of the novel, when Jack decides to burn down the entire island in hopes of killing Ralph. A naval ship discovers the fire and a naval officer finds the boys. As soon as they are found, Jack goes back to behaving like his original self—the choir boy. This transition back into what society originally made him, further emphasizes Golding’s message.

                Golding uses the villain's character changes from good to evil, and then from evil to good, and the violence that it entailed to enhance the meaning of the novel, Lord of the Flies. These transitions show how he evolves in the absence of civilization into an evil being, to rediscovering his original form of an innocent boy when reintroduced to society. This embodies the basic meaning of the work as a whole—that without society, humans would be evil in nature.