Prompt Revision: Prompt #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 eliminating the influence of society from a group of boys by marooning them on an island, and then by having the villain’s character start out as an innocent boy, develop a thirst for blood, and finally transition back into the mere 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 leader within his domain on the island. This emphasizes the idea that people would be evil without society because Jack becomes this way because of the absence of civilization. Since he is a young boy, it is easier for him to forget the once obvious rules of which society holds while in the complete isolation of the island, thus allowing him to re-inhibit his natural state of an inherently evil nature.

                Golding also emphasizes the meaning of this novel by having Jack become bloodthirsty, violent, and threatening. At the beginning of the novel when Jack is still just a boy, he fears killing a pig—even if it is just for food. As the story progresses, however, he becomes obsessed with hunting whatever he can get his hands on, 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, one of the only boys who remember to uphold the rules of civilization. This is the first instance in which a character is murdered and shows how truly evil Jack has become. He later goes on to instruct his followers to kill Piggy in what is, perhaps, the most brutal scene of the book. These acts of violence were tools used by Golding to show how evil the villain 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 an 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.

                The villain's character changes from good to evil, and then from evil back to good, as well as the violence that they entailed are used to enhance the meaning of the novel, Lord of the Flies. These transitions show how Jack evolves in the absence of civilization from an evil being, to rediscovering his original form as 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.