Jack Merridew Flashcards
initially, jack is presented… (ch.1)
through his authority over the choir boys and superiority
finish the quote: ‘the boy who…
…controlled them’
‘the boy who controlled them’
- first description of jack - presented immediately as a leader
- dictator figure
- power hungry
finish the quote: ‘he shouted an order and they…
….halted, gasping, sweating, swaying’
‘he shouted an order and they halted, gasping, sweating, swaying’
- ‘shouted’ and ‘order’ - hints at militaristic behaviour Jack is exhibiting at first impression
- non-finite verbs show the choir fears him
- denotes jack as a tyrannical leader
start the quote: …daring them to contradict’
‘he looked around fiercely…
‘he looked around fiercely, daring them to contradict’
- wants people to fear him (tyrannical)
- domineering and controlling
- likes to be superior and in power - an egomaniac
- hints of violence
initially, jack is presented… (ch.1,3 and 4)
through appearance
finish the quote: ‘his cap badge…
…was golden’
‘his cap badge was golden’
- presented as superior in the hierarchy
- higher class than other boys
- ‘gold’ - high rank - powerful before he even set foot on the island
start the quote: …and ugly without silliness’
‘his face was crumpled and freckled…
‘his face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness’
- jack described as the contrast of ralph
- instead of being handsome with fair hair, he’s ugly with a crumpled face and freckles
- used to reflect his ugly nature
finish the quote: ‘except for a pair of tattered shorts held up…
…by his knife belt he was naked’
‘except for a pair of tattered shorts held up by his knife belt he was naked’
- the clean, formal appearance of jack and his uniform as head of the choir has been replaced with a disturbingly savage, almost animalistic appearance
- belt isn’t part of uniform anymore, but a tool to help him with his violent, destructive hunting
- losing his old public-schoolboy identity
finish the quote: ‘ he looked in astonishment…
….no longer at himself, but at an awesome stranger’
‘he looked in astonishment, no longer at himself, but at an awesome stranger’
-‘dazzle paint’ ‘like in the war’
- losing his identity further and further
- no longer restricted by humanity - feel at liberty of doing whatever he wants without taking responsibility
initially, jack is presented.. (ch.1+2)
through his ambition for power
finish the quote: ‘“I ought to be chief” said jack with simple arrogance….
“because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp”’
“I ought to be chief”, said jack with simple arrogance, “because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp”
- presented as an egomaniac
- seeks power, not leadership like ralph
- doesn’t care about group’s opinions
- brings up useless skills to impress others and prove he’s superior and better than the others
finish the quote: ‘jack’s face…
…disappeared under a blush of mortification’
‘jack’s face disappeared under a blush of mortification’
- jealous at ralph’s authority
- embarrassed he didn’t get elected as chief
finish the quote: ‘if there was a snake..
…we’d hunt it and kill it’
‘if there was a snake, we’d hunt it and kill it’
- manipulates the boys’ fear and uses it to his advantage to increase his power and the need for him
- uses the fear of the beast to control them
- like Hitler with communism
- political allegory
over the course of the novel, jack is presented…
…as a bully/mean