At the end of the previous chapter, Jack led his group in murdering Simon, their most vicious act yet, signifying that any sense of order is gone. Some of the boys try to question this, and effectively, question Jack's leadership: "How could we—kill—it?"
Jack tells them the beast "disguised itself" and that "We'd better keep on the right side of him, anyhow. You can't tell what he might do."
Immediately after these words, he realizes that he's scared the group of boys, and a scared group will not work in his favor. He draws them back to his side by doing what he does best: offering food. Jack has built his entire leadership role on being able to provide meat for the group, and it has worked well for him thus far. He therefore manipulates the boys by making them remember his strength as a leader (providing meat) to replace their fear of the beast. It works, and the group immediately begins to question how they will cook this anticipated meat. This pleases Jack, as he has effectively steered their thoughts in a direction that suits him best.
In chapter 10, Jack positions himself as the alpha male of the group, telling the other boys to "improve the cave and defend the gate," while he goes hunting to "bring back meat." By positioning himself as the one responsible for bringing back the meat, Jack signals to the other boys that he is the most important member of the group, and at the same time implies that they are dependent on him for food.
When the tribe become frightened or anxious about the beast or about how to start a fire, Jack uses the promise of meat to mollify them. Twice he says, in response to their worries, "Tomorrow we'll hunt and get meat." The implication is that the meat is the most important concern, and the immediate answer to their most pressing issues. The boys also become conditioned in this way to see Jack as the one who can solve their problems and mollify their fears and anxieties.
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