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   luannw Teacher
   High School - 11th Grade

   eNotes Editor

   From chapter 9, Jack asks the boys who will join his tribe: "I gave you food," said Jack, "and my hunters will protect you from the beast...".  The importance of this quote is that Jack is telling the boys what they want to hear.  He goes on to add, "Who'll join my tribe and have fun?"  Jack is the politician and by using those tactics of persuasion and appeal to what the boys want, he is successful in his attempt to take over as a dictatorial leader.  He promises the boys food, protection, and fun.  To the young boys on this island, these three things are what they want, or at least, what they think they want.  The quote shows a great deal about Jack's personality and how he came to be the dictator.

   Another important quote is from chapter 11, when Piggy is trying to appeal to logic and reason when he says: "Which is better - to be a pack of painted Indians like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is?"  The answer to that question, put to Jack and his tribe, is that they'd rather be savage because that was their base desire.  Golding is pointing out, in this book, that mankind is basically savage.  This quote takes place right before Roger drops the boulder onto Piggy, smashing and killing him.  That action was the answer to the question, proving Golding's point.  The killing of Piggy was the end of all sense and reason on the island.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/flies/chapter-11-summary-analysis

   http://www.enotes.com/flies/chapter-9-summary-analysis

   http://www.enotes.com/flies/themes

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   Posted by luannw on Monday May 4, 2009 at 4:13 AM