False Claims, Brutal Behavior, and Sadistic Ambitions

Litterary Analysis
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Animal Farm by George Orwell
False Claims, Brutal Behavior, and Sadistic Ambitions
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm by George Orwell are allegorical dystopian novels. The purpose of Lord of the Flies is not to create a story about a group of boys stranded on an uninhabited island, but rather that without the confines of civilization, savagery takes over. Orwell similarly writes a political fable to address the corruption of the Russian Revolution by its leaders and the ways indifference, ignorance, and greed corrupt the revolution. Animal Farm consists of a group of animals who rebel against the humans and control the farm themselves with the hopes of being equal, free, and happy. In the end, however, the pigs become tyrants who mistreat those beneath them. Both Jack Merridew from Lord of the Flies and Napoleon from Animal Farm usurp authority while using false claims and turn to brutal behavior to accomplish their sadistic ambitions.
Jack Merridew can be described as a demagogue, for he utilizes misleading claims to seize Ralph’s chiefdom. With control still in the hands of Ralph, Jack confidently exclaims “We’re strong-we hunt! If there’s a beast, we’ll hunt it down! We’ll close in and beat and beat-” (79). Although Jack is only speaking hypothetically, the boys form a belief that they are able to rely on Jack if trouble strikes. Ralph knows that Jack’s announcement is invalid, for he is cognizant that the beast in nonexistent; however, the new confidence in Jack becomes a threat to Ralph’s supremacy. With the intentions of gaining more supporters, Jack yells “Listen all of you. Me and my hunters, we’re living along the beach by a flat rock. We hunt and feast and have fun. If you want to join my tribe come and see us” (125). Jack gives the other boys fabricated perceptions about his alleged superior tribe to win them over.   Some of the boys accept Jack’s specious claims and agree...