It is a tribute to Golding's art that his inclusion of evil into "The Lord of the Flies" is as insidious as evil is in real life. For, with the removal of the trappings of civilization--the primeval island and absence of adults as representative of civilization--the inconspicuous proceedings of evil subtlely enter in Chapter I as Jack Merridew, the leader of the choir, appears:
tall, thin, and bony [with] red hair beneath the black cap...[and a] face crumpled and freckled and ugly without silliness. Out of his face stared two light blue eyes, frustrated now and turning, or ready to turn to anger.
Jack is charismatic in a cruel way. Ordering the choir to stand, they are "wearily obedient." Soon, Jack asserts himself with "arrogance": "'I ought to be chief,' Thus begins the conflict between good in the character of Ralph and evil in the character of Jack in Golding's allegory. And, as long as the vestiges of society remain in the forms of order as directed by Ralph and reason as proposed by Piggy, the boys remain controlled.
However, when fear and doubt enter their minds, evil is able to begin its subtle operation to grave effects. Because of their isolation from society, their primal needs supercede the reasonable goal of being rescued. And, their fears make them susceptible to Jack's evil persuasions. Giving their fear form, the boys imagine having seen a "beast." It is only Simon who intuitively knows that this is the evil within them, so Jack declares that there is no beast, realizing he can control them by capitalizing on their fear. Against this manipulative power of Jack, the flawed Ralph, who "cannot think as well as Piggy," and Piggy, who is physically flawed, fail in their control of the boys.
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