lord of the flies

Jack vs. Ralph Sam Hoffman In the novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, one of the main characters, Jack, is the small red-haired choir leader, and an opportunist. When he sees any chance to do something that might help him achieve his goals, he does it, no matter whom it hurt. He only kills sows and piglets, even though eventually that will lead to all of the islands pigs dying. He kills them …

…However, Ralph, being the honest, good person he is, doesn’t recognize what Jack can become until it is too late, and neither can Jack. In the end, Jack is the one who pays the price: As he is going to board the ship home, he shrinks with the guilt of Piggy and Simon’s deaths, which he will remember for the rest of his life, from savage Jack to “a small, red-haired boy.” (pg. 234)