Leadership In Lord Of The Flies

Categories: Allegory

Essay, Pages 5 (1153 words)

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The lord of the Flies by William Golding focuses on two natural instincts that all humans have intertwined inside of them. Golding's first instinct is that humans strive to live with peace and order by having rules, regulations and by valuing the good of the group over individual needs. This natural instinct is competed by the urges to relieve ones immediate desire with acts of violence to obtain what one needs making this natural instinct individually based. These two instincts are hardwired into human nature.

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Golding uses the protagonist Ralph to represent the human need for peace and order while the antagonist Jack represents the savagery in humans. Ralph is elected to be the leader of the children in the beginning but throughout the first three chapters the reader begins to get the sense that Jack, the antagonist will supplant Ralph as the leader. The shift from Ralph being leader to Jack taking over is representing the shift from civilization to savagery that the community of the kids are experiencing.

The first chapter starts to present the idea that Jack will take over when Jack and Ralph's election got heated because both of them are natural born leaders. Through the second chapter Jacks leadership is displayed when he takes control and steals Piggy's glasses to construct a signal fire, giving the reader a foreshadow that Jack will take over as leader. In the third chapter Jack and Ralph have a disagreement on how to lead the group, making Jack's urge to take over increase.

In the beginning of the novel, Jack would have been the logical choice of being leader since he has experienced leading a group before.

'"I ought to be chief" said Jack with simple arrogance, "because I'm chapter chorister and head boy"' (Golding 29) Jacks credentials to be the leader of the island are superior to Ralphs since Jack was the leader of the choir before the crash. "Jack started to protest but the clamour changed from the general wish for a chief to an election by acclaim Ralph himself. None of the boys could have found good reason for this; what intelligence had been shown was traceable to piggy while the most obvious leader was Jack"(Golding 30).

This quotation took place in the beginning of the election, its acknowledging how Jack was the most suitable candidate to be the leader although Ralph wins the election. This builds the feeling that Jack will surpass Ralph as the leader throughout the novel. The first chapter presents the boys in a civilized manner and has Jack pleased with his role but as the book goes on Jacks natural instincts kick in. Jack's leadership skills are shown continually in the second chapter increasing the clearness of his take over.

At the beginning of chapter two the boys are being civilized, making rules, and attempting to find a way home. "I agree with Ralph. We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages"(Golding 55) Jack is on Ralphs side for being civilized, but when he states 'we're not savages' Golding foreshadows what is to come. "His voice rose a shriek of terror as Jack snatched the glasses off his face" (Golding 53) Jack being a naturally forceful leader snatches piggy's glasses to create the signal fire to get the boys home.

This act by Jack portrays not only his leadership ability's but also his aggression and willingness to get things done. "Ralph-I'll split up the choir-my hunters, that is- into groups, and we'll be responsible for keeping the fire going" (55) Jacks idea is embraced positively by the group showing them his leadership skills. With the group now aware of Jacks leadership and the sense of society slowly starting to slip from the grasps of the children, it becomes evident Golding is setting up for Jacks take over.

'"I got the conch," said piggy, in a hurt voice. "I got the right to speak. " They looked at him with eyes that lacked interest' (Golding 57) The conch was a tool the boys used to keep order, but as chapter two comes to an end the power of the conch is decreasing. With the decreasing power of the conch the shift from civilization to savagery is becoming obvious. Jacks urges for hunting and killing grow intensely in chapter three. "I thought I might kill" (Golding 65) Jacks sense of society and order is being replaced by the need to kill and hunt.

"for a minute became less a hunter than a furtive thing, ape-like among the tangle of trees"(Golding 62) As Jack is becoming an animal Ralph is failing to set up shelters but due to lack of help from the other boys whom are more interested in playing. This is where the reader can start to see a transition from the children's orderly civilization and the start of a new era of savagery with Jack as the leader. '"We need shelters. " Suddenly Jack shouted in rage. '(Golding 65). "Rescue? Yes, of course!

All the same, I'd like to catch a pig first" Ralph and Jack have a heated argument about what's important and it becomes blatant Jacks natural instincts to kill and get meat our over powering his urges for a civilization and peace. Jack is slowly becoming a savage by chapter three and since Ralphs idea for civilization is failing the scene is set for Jacks take over. Throughout the first three chapters in the novel The Lord of Flies by William Golding makes it clear that Jack will supplant Ralph as leader of the island.

Ralph was elected chief in the first chapter after a heated election leaving Jack bitter for a moment until Ralph gave him the power to lead the hunters. Ralphs natural instincts are to create a civilization with peace and order. In the first Chapter the boys are into these ideologies, but as chapter two passes the reader gains a sense that Jack and the natural urges of savagery will overcome Ralph. It is in chapter two where Jack puts his leadership skills on display by making the signal fire with piggy's glasses and by leading the group that will watch over the fire.

Ralph and Jack get into a heated argument in chapter three because of the change of views held by Jack. Jack is becoming more of an animal worried about killing and getting meat then a civilized human. The longer Jack is away from civilization the more Jacks instincts are telling him to use violence to achieve his immediate desires. By chapter three Ralphs plans on creating an organized society are beginning to fail due to lack of help and with Jack turning to savagery over civilization it is only a matter of time before the rest of the group begins to follow Jack supplanting Ralph as leader.