Jack uses the other boys' fear of the beast to bolster his own importance in the tribe:
"'Quiet!' shouted Jack. 'You, listen. The beast is sitting up there, whatever it is--' [...] 'Hunting,' said Jack. He remembered his age-old tremors in the forest. 'Yes, the beast is a hunter'" (126).
In chapter eight, "Gift for the Darkness," the hunters and Ralph have returned from their search for the beast, and they have seen its billowing shape on the mountainside. Jack uses the moment to play on their fears, pointing out Ralph's cowardice and lack of hunting ability as reasons why the other boys should choose him as chief over Ralph. For Jack, the beast is an opportunity to make himself appear stronger and braver than Ralph; he uses the polarizing topic of the beast to draw attention to himself, capitalizing on the boys' fear of the unknown and dark jungle paths.
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