Question

What purpose does the face paint mostly serve for Jack?

a) To protect from the sun.
b) To show authority.
c) To hide fear.
d) To communicate with others.

Answer 1

In 'Lord of the Flies', Jack uses face paint primarily to hide fear, serving as a mask that allows him to assume a new persona and descend into savagery.

Step-by-step explanation:

The face paint that Jack uses serves several purposes, but the primary one is not to protect from the sun or for communication purposes. While in some cultures, makeup, piercings, and masks are forms of body art used to represent cultural ideals of beauty, personal identity, or affiliation, within the context of the novel 'Lord of the Flies', the face paint serves a more profound psychological and sociocultural function.

Jack's application of face paint is primarily for the purpose of hiding fear and shedding his former self, which is tied to the trappings of his old life and its societal norms. In a way, the face paint becomes a mask that allows him to embody a new persona, one that is free from the constraints and expectations of society. This transformation through face paint symbolically represents his descent into savagery.

Therefore, the correct answer is c) To hide fear. The paint provides Jack with the feeling of invincibility and the anonymity required to perform acts that he would not normally consider if his true identity were fully visible.