Jack has changed in himself by becoming less prim and proper. He has started to swear, become more dirty and tatty, ‘streaked with brown earth’ and he is wearing only, ‘tattered shorts’, these factors all show how jack is loosing his inhibitions and that from the start of the book he has changed greatly.
The settings of the wood and jungle are quite similar, although the way Golding presents them greatly changed the perception of Jack and Simon. Simon, in the jungle is presented in an attractive way by descriptions like, ‘the scent of ripeness’ and, ‘flower and fruit grow together on the same tree’. When Simon walks past the candle buds, the quote, ‘the candle buds stirred. Their green sepals drew back a little and the white tips of the flowers rose delicately to meet the open air’, is used. This clearly shows an unusual ability Simon has, and resembles a Jesus figure, the descriptions, in contrast to the wood Jack is in, seem surreal, and tranquil. Jack in the wood is set with, ‘a sharpened stick about five feet long’, reflecting a threatening, tense atmosphere.
Simon is with the littuns and he is shown to be generous and caring, as he, ‘found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled of the choicest’. This is an example of the effort Simon took to be caring for others. This is also shown by Simon’s willingness to help with the building of the huts, when all the others ran away, leaving the responsibility to Ralph. This shows he is considerate to others. Jack, however is extremely unwilling to help with the huts, and is annoyed when Ralph gives Simon gratitude for helping, as when Simon is not by the huts Jack tries to make up excuses like, ‘got fed up’, and, ‘he’s buzzed off’, trying to make Simon in the wrong. Jack is obsessed about catching a pig and seems to want to catch one for the enjoyment, rather than the food it would give. Jacks obsession is shown after Ralph has been expressing how upset he is that no one helps with the hut, when he bluntly comments, ‘we need meat’ and when Ralph mentions rescue, Jack says, ‘I’d like to catch a pig first’ and is not prepared to keep the fire going for rescue purposes. These are examples of how desperate Jack wants to catch the pig, and how he cannot resist his wants. Simon, by helping the littluns and by helping to build the huts is helping the people survive on the island, whereas Jack is concerned with death, and prioritises having a pig, over the vital need for shelter.
Simon is quiet, but it is evident that he has much wisdom, and says well thought through comments. An example of this is when Jack and Ralph are speaking, and Simon abruptly joins in their conversation by saying, ‘as if it was not a good island’. This is meant in a way to try and make Jack and Ralph consider the point. Then he goes on to say, ‘as if the beastie, the beastie or the snake- thing was real’. Simon unlike Ralph and Jack, does not find the beastie a threat, and does not seem scared or frightened about it.
Jack and Ralph both like having the role as leader, and have a want for power over the lives of the group. Jack says to Ralph, ‘‘you’re chief. You tell ‘em off’, in a harsh tone, showing he is jealous about Ralph being leader. Simon, unlike Jack and Ralph shows no desire to be leader. This reinforces the idea that Simon could be compared to Jesus figure.
