At the beginning of Chapter 3, Jack goes hunting by himself and narrowly misses out on an opportunity to kill a pig when he throws his spear off target. When he returns to the camp, Ralph begins to complain about the condition of the shelters. Ralph mentions that he has been working continually for two days building them, and the majority of the boys do not help. Ralph laments how the boys follow through with whatever is decided at the meetings for only five minutes, then leave to hunt or swim. Jack comments, "We want meat" (Golding 51). Ralph insists that the boys need to focus on finishing the shelters while Jack continues to try to explain his compulsion to hunt and kill. As Jack struggles to convey his feelings, Golding writes, "The madness came into his eyes again." The madness Golding is referring to is caused by Jack's irresistible temptation to kill. Jack's primitive instincts are beginning to take over, and he cannot restrain his excitement. He is bloodthirsty and obsessed with the thought of killing an animal. Jack is not subject to the typical laws and regulations of civilization anymore, which causes him to act upon his violent fantasies.
No comments:
Post a Comment