Before the Monster Apocalypse, Jack lived a lonely life. His foster family didn’t care for him—evident in the fact they left him behind. Because he was constantly bouncing between new foster homes, he was never able to build lasting friendships. This changed when the world ended, as he slowly built a strong friend group that not only relies on one another for survival, but genuinely enjoys being around one another every day. These relationships are vital to his survival and have ironically—given the broader apocalyptic circumstances—improved his life. However, they have also given Jack new problems to wrestle with, such as the possibility of loss. Throughout the novel Jack struggles with the tension that comes from having people he cares about and living in a world of constant threat and danger.

Jack fears that if he doesn’t protect them, his friends are going to die. There are numerous times when Jack tries to prevent his friends from taking on a dangerous role or even leaving the tree house at all. When he and Quint first hear the Shrieking and decide to investigate, Jack wants to go alone because “[he] can’t keep risking his friends all willy-nilly!” (85).