Lord of the Flies Jack Merridew
by William Golding

Physical: Probably the same age as Ralph, maybe older, Jack has red hair and is described this way:

...he was thin and bony; and his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness. Out of this face stared two light blue eyes, frustrated now, and turning, or ready to turn, to anger.

Jack's eyes are always used in the novel to depict his emotions, as they are above. When the boys land on the island they are all wearing their school uniforms, but Jack and his choir are wearing cloaks and caps. Oddly enough, Jack is one of the only boys whose last name is learned.

Involvement: Jack does not believe that the Beast exists and is the leader of anarchy on the island. From the start of the novel he does not like abiding by rules of any kind. He simply wants to hunt and have a good time. Not seeming to care about being rescued, Jack and his tribe are examples of the Beast running rampant.

In the beginning of the story Jack, still conditioned by the previous society he had been apart of; could not bear to kill a pig that was caught in the brush. As the plot progresses he becomes less and less attached to any societal norms. Near the end, he feels no shame about the deaths of Simon and Piggy, nor his attempt to kill Ralph.