Following the (New) Leader

Perspective: Jack
Chapter 1: Sound of the Shell

1. Describe the setting of the island.

This island is a desolate, uninhabited, tropical paradise. There's a beautiful lagoon with an efflorescence of coral, jungle, pink granite mountain and sandy beaches. The beaches are lined with palm trees and their fronds are all over the beaches. On the beach is where the meeting platform is. There are a bunch of fallen palm trees in a grid that make a platform. This is where my choir and I first met the other survivors.

2. What major event has brought you to this island?

We were all flying away from England because of the war, when what we think happened was our plane was shot down by the Germans. We know that our pilots didn't survive, and that the scar on the island was made by the plane when it crashed.

3.Introduce yourself and explain your relationship to the other characters (of interest) who have been introduced so far.

I am Jack, the leader of all the choir boys, now the hunters. Simon is just one of the boys in the choir. He is frail, pail and he has black hair. He faints all the time and personally, I think he's faking, except for the fact that his pallor makes him look like he's seen a ghost. Ralph is one of the boys I've grown closer to in the time we've known each other. We went up the mountain and explored the island, he was nominated as chief instead of me, and he's generally a nice guy. Piggy is just the fat, easily embarrassed boy that we all make fun of.

4. Why are there no adults on this island?

As I mentioned before, the only adults on the plane were the pilots, and they died when we crashed. I know they did because everyone on the island heard the conch, and when you hear something like that, you know its calling you.

5. What powers does a person holding the conch have? How do you feel about the conch?

The person holding the conch is the person who gets to talk. No one is allowed to interrupt the person holding the conch except Ralph. When Ralph holds up the conch, there must be silence. I feel that the conch represents an enormity of order and power, and I love it.

6.What is the choir’s job? How do you feel about the boys in the choir?

My choir's job is to be the hunters. I love all the boys in the choir as if they were my brothers.

7. Why do you feel you should be elected chief?

I feel I should be elected chief because I am a natural born leader. People would respect me. Do you see how united my choir is? I could have everyone acting in communion just like my choir.

8.Why couldn't you kill the pig?
I have never killed an animal before, and I just froze. I'm a civilized person, not a butcher. I do suppose that is something I'll have to get over, seeing as I am the leader of the hunters.