'They knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood.
'' I was going to,'' said Jack. ''I was choosing a place. Next time-!'' ' -Pg 31
Out of all the key elements which William Golding used in this passage there was one that really stood out, foreshadowing. Jack was not able to kill the pig because he still had part of civilization in him. He still was an innocent young boy who has never had the ability to kill a living soul. His pride gets a hold of him and he tells the others he will kill next time. Such hatred came out of him, showing us that Jack is capable of a lot more than just killing a pig. Golding lets us know that later on in the book Jack will be a problem to some of the boys, his thirst for power will drive him into not only killing pigs, but taking the lives of others in the group as well if needed to prove himself the best. His anger also shows that he will not stop at anything to get his way. He is a born leader, but far away from civilization and laws will make him lose all control and guilt.
Excellent discussion of what this passage foreshadows. You do a great job of contextualizing the text for me. Now, take your analysis one step further. What is the effect of knowing what Jack will do? How does this change the way we, as readers, experience the book? Do you think we're meant to believe that the other characters also catch a glimpse of what is to come?
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