Lord of the Flies: Response 1
8:16 PMQuote prompt: "Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society."
Excerpt:
They were in the beginnings of the thick forest, plonking with weary
feet on a track, when they heard the noises—squeakings—and the hard
strike of hoofs on a path. As they pushed forward the squeaking increased
till it became a frenzy. They found a piglet caught in a curtain of creepers,
feet on a track, when they heard the noises—squeakings—and the hard
strike of hoofs on a path. As they pushed forward the squeaking increased
till it became a frenzy. They found a piglet caught in a curtain of creepers,
throwing itself at the elastic traces in all the madness of extreme terror. Its
voice was thin, needle-sharp and insistent; The three boys rushed forward
and Jack drew his knife again with a flourish. He raised his arm in the
air. There came a pause, a hiatus, the pig continued to scream and the
creepers to jerk, and the blade continued to flash at the end of a bony
arm. The pause was only long enough for them to understand what an
enormity the downward stroke would be. Then the piglet tore loose from
the creepers and scurried into the undergrowth. They were left looking
at each other and the place of terror. Jack’s face was white under the
freckles. He noticed that he still held the knife aloft and brought his
arm down replacing the blade in the sheath. Then they all three laughed
ashamedly and began to climb back to the track.
“I was choosing a place,” said Jack. “I was just waiting for a moment
to decide where to stab him.”
“You should stick a pig,” said Ralph fiercely. “They always talk about
sticking a pig.”
“You cut a pig’s throat to let the blood out,” said Jack, “otherwise you
can’t eat the meat.”
“Why didn’t you—?”
They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the
knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable
blood.
“I was going to,” said Jack. He was ahead of them, and they could not
voice was thin, needle-sharp and insistent; The three boys rushed forward
and Jack drew his knife again with a flourish. He raised his arm in the
air. There came a pause, a hiatus, the pig continued to scream and the
creepers to jerk, and the blade continued to flash at the end of a bony
arm. The pause was only long enough for them to understand what an
enormity the downward stroke would be. Then the piglet tore loose from
the creepers and scurried into the undergrowth. They were left looking
at each other and the place of terror. Jack’s face was white under the
freckles. He noticed that he still held the knife aloft and brought his
arm down replacing the blade in the sheath. Then they all three laughed
ashamedly and began to climb back to the track.
“I was choosing a place,” said Jack. “I was just waiting for a moment
to decide where to stab him.”
“You should stick a pig,” said Ralph fiercely. “They always talk about
sticking a pig.”
“You cut a pig’s throat to let the blood out,” said Jack, “otherwise you
can’t eat the meat.”
“Why didn’t you—?”
They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the
knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable
blood.
“I was going to,” said Jack. He was ahead of them, and they could not
see his face. “I was choosing a place. Next time—!
He snatched his knife out of the sheath and slammed it into a tree
trunk. Next time there would be no mercy. He looked round fiercely,
daring them to contradict. Then they broke out into the sunlight and for
a while they were busy finding and devouring food as they moved down
the scar toward the platform and the meeting. (Golding 31)
He snatched his knife out of the sheath and slammed it into a tree
trunk. Next time there would be no mercy. He looked round fiercely,
daring them to contradict. Then they broke out into the sunlight and for
a while they were busy finding and devouring food as they moved down
the scar toward the platform and the meeting. (Golding 31)
In this passage, Jack fails to kill the pig with his knife, and he vows to do it successfully next time. When Jack hesitates, his followers seem sort of baffled that he would have mercy for the pig. Jack is in the leader position and he can't afford to lose that. Therefore, when he sees this kind of disapproval, he starts to stumble over his words and even begins to contradict himself by saying that he hesitated because he was trying to choose a place to stab, when clearly, he knew exactly where to stab: "You cut a pig's throat to let the blood out, . . . otherwise you can't eat the meat" (31). The book even explains to the readers that everyone already knew why he didn't do it even though he knew how. He didn't because of the "enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood" (31). This is representing the human and sympathetic side of Jack, who isn't yet instinctual enough to cut into "living flesh". He isn't mentally prepared to take a life because once a life is gone, there's no going back. There is great responsibility in bringing the knife he is holding down on a living, breathing creature. Before crashing on this island, Jack was likely taught, in some way or another, the severity of taking life. However at the same time, not killing the pig is an emotional feeling. It's sympathy and in a way morality. It would be flawed to call it the reasonable and logical choice. Food is a component of life, but they already have food, albeit not meat. Therefore, Jack's "need" to kill and hunt is Id in nature. Though he displays the semblance of self control in this passage, his very obsession with hunting for no entirely logical reason is already beginning to show.
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