Humans are renowned for their brutality and cruelty. This is evident from childhood, when individuals derive pleasure from smashing and killing insects in their own backyard, to adulthood, when they enlist in the military at 18 to undergo training in killing. While these occurrences are commonplace, they are seldom depicted in writing to accurately portray their intensity. In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, characters like Jack Merridew and events such as the slaughtering of pigs serve to perpetuate the notion of fear and reveal the more merciless aspect of human nature. Despite Jack assuming leadership in challenging circumstances, he employs fear to gain dominance and exert control over those weaker than him.
There are multiple instances where Jack physically threatens other boys as a result of his own regretful or embarrassing actions. One of these instances occurs when Jack, Ralph, and Simon are exploring the mountain and discover a pig trapped in the creepers. Immediately, Jack brandishes his knife with the intention to kill the pig, but hesitates and cannot follow through. When Ralph attempts to inquire about this, Jack aggressively grabs his knife and forcefully stabs it into a tree trunk, daring Ralph and Simon to challenge him. This behavior indicates that Jack resorts to intimidating the boys in order to conceal his embarrassment (31).
Moreover, he places the boys in a situation where opposing him would not be a wise choice. Throughout the novel, Jack consistently degrades and exploits the smaller boys, commonly known as the littluns. At one point, Jack becomes enraged and takes his anger out on a specific littlun named Wilfred. He directs the other boys to “tie Wilfred up” and “beat Wilfred,” which clearly demonstrates his capability for extreme brutality (159). Additionally, this action aligns with the thematic concept that “the way a society treats its most vulnerable citizens can serve as a reflection of its true nature.” As the tribe becomes increasingly savage and merciless, they now inflict harm upon the defenseless littluns who possess no means to defend themselves.
Jack demonstrates his power and control over the boys by putting them in terrible and challenging situations, which perpetuates the concept of fear. The pig kills, apart from providing food, showcase Jack’s brutal tactics to assert dominance. Moreover, the boys’ near-violation of the pigs reveals their capacity for brutality and highlights the harsh treatment endured by the most vulnerable beings.
In the pig slaughter scene, the boys or hunters relentlessly pursue the sow with an intense desire to kill her (134). This emphasizes their extreme brutality and lack of mercy. Despite the sow having a litter of piglets to care for, the hunters do not pause to consider the illogicality of their actions. By killing the sow, they are sacrificing potential future food as the piglets are likely to perish without their mother (134).
The connection can be made to how we treat our most vulnerable citizens by observing the vulnerability of the sow and piglets post-pregnancy. It is evident that their motive for hunting has shifted from acquiring sustenance to deriving pleasure. Following the killing of the sow, Jack’s hands are described as “reeking palms” coated in blood, and he proceeds to smear it on Maurice’s cheeks. This action exemplifies their capability to commit any deed without disgust or fear. This not only signifies their capacity for brutality but also emphasizes the complete loss of their innocence (135).
Throughout the entire novel, the hunters violate and kill the sow in a cruel and shameless manner, demonstrating how the act of killing perpetuates fear. Similarly, Jack uses intimidation and fear to assert his power and control, mirroring the brutality of the hunters’ killings and the loss of innocence. Both instances effectively perpetuate fear as they exemplify the erosion of civilization and logic, leading to brutal actions and the loss of innocence in individuals.
