Preview

Lord of the Flies- Who Is the Best Leader?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
554 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Lord of the Flies- Who Is the Best Leader?
Leadership

Jack v Ralph

In the novel, there is a clear, constant battle for leadership between two of the main characters, Ralph and Jack. The two characters are completely different- as you could say they are the antithesis of one another. In appearance, character, desires (as one wants control through order and civilization and one in self-entertainment). I am going to show how and why Jack Merridew is clearly a better, more appealing leader of the two.

First things first, an interesting scene is the one of the elections, at the start of the novel, as the author clearly emphasises the embarrassment and anger Jack feels as he loses the vote. Many judge this negatively, as to pointing out the selfishness and avarice of power Jack demonstrates, but turning the tables, you could also notice Jack’s confidence before the actual elections. This might suggest how Jack is completely sure he can be a better leader, which after turns out to be true towards the end of the novel.

Secondly, I would like to point out again how attractive Jack is towards the rest of the boys, as he satisfies completely their primal desires: fun, hunting, messing around. He shows this several times, one of them being: “he gave a wild whoop and leapt on the pale sand. At once the platform was full of noise and excitement, scrambling, screams and laughter.”
This particularly evidences the esteem and admiration the kids feel towards Jack. This is a reason he could be a better leader. Who wants to be a boring, civilized loser, and not a courageous, enthusiastic hunter who likes to kill everything? Which kid would not choose a trusty and confident, skilful leader, over a weak, unstable drag, who can only rely on a fat chatterbox with no benefits of any kind? Therefore this means that

I would like to refer again to Ralph’s instability and lack of confidence, as he actually admits in a way to piggy, that Jack is much superior to him, and this is the worst thing a leader can do: not

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Ralph is tactful and diplomatic when dealing with the boys. Despite knowing the Piggy would not be much of a help but rather a liability on the expedition to determine whether the island was truly an island, he does not say so. Instead, he tells Piggy gently that he is “no good on a job like this”, without directly saying that Piggy would hold them back on this expedition with his physical disadvantages. This is contrasted with Jack’s tactless remarks to Piggy with regards to the same incident. Jack says bluntly that they “don’t want you [him]” and that “three’s enough”. His rudeness caused Piggy to feel hurt and embarrassed especially since this was in front of all the boys, as seen when his “glasses flashed”, an indication of his feelings. Ralph is a better person than Jack as he knows how to handle matters with diplomacy and tact while Jack is tactless and hurts others with his bluntness. The contrast between the two boys’ handling of Piggy’s desire to join them on the expedition is especially telling of their character and as a result, who is a better person.…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Several examples of Ralph’s deteriorating leadership position include, “I say! You voted me for chief. Didn’t you hear the conch?” (Golding) As said from Ralph, this explains how he is barely respected as a leader anymore, only to the Littleuns, Piggy, and Samneric. He is trying to hold on to his position, but he has dropped in favor for many of the older bigguns follow Jack now, no longer Ralph. Ralph has lost most of the useful boys on the island as he is not an effective leader. He cannot create a reason for them to stay together, as Jack did with the beast, nor draw fear from them, which Jack has Roger do, in Jack’s tribe.…

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    At the beginning of Lord of the Flies Ralph and Jack are competing for the role of leader. They go about this in very different ways like how Ralph tries to convince them about what needs to get done and how they should be doing things. While on the other hand Jack tries to gain the affections of the group by letting them do whatever they want whenever, and giving the meaty nutrition (69). Ralph has a lot of good leadership qualities like being able to take input from teammates like Piggy, and how he focuses on the immediate problem at hand (42). Jack has good leadership qualities as well like how he is willing to let them have fun, and how he organizes the hunts (51). Thought they both have admirable leadership qualities I believe the better leader of the two is Ralph.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Despite almost all of the characters going through transitions due to the changed circumstances, Golding depicts Jack as the most explicit figure. “Jack and Ralph smiled at each other…The point tore the skin and flesh over Ralph’s ribs”. Initially, when Jack first shows up on the island, we realize that he is a leader of a choir, marching in military style. Although this foreshadows Jack’s totalitarianism and dictatorship, it still shows the typical characteristics of a typical teenage boy, wanting to take on leadership roles and smiling whenever possible. However, as Jack becomes obsessed with hunting pigs and eventually putting on the mask, he turns savage and gruesome beyond return. The fact that he uses a spear to attack Ralph immediately after Piggy’s brutal death shows Jack has completely lost his rationality and sense of human being.…

    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the novel Ralph is leader for half the time because jack soon takes over. Ralph is the better leader but he fails to perform for the group all he does is talk while Jack is out their hunting for meat. “What would a beast eat?”/”Pig.”/”We eat pig.”/”Piggy”pg.83 “I gave you food, “said Jack, and my hunters will protect you from the beast. After a successful hunt Jack finally makes his move to usurp Ralph’s leadership. Jack uses the threat of the beast as a means to manipulate the others into giving him power. Jack ends up feeding the whole group with one kill. This symbolizes leadership. He boys shortly turn to Jacks side although he is a savage. After this occurs Ralph only leads a small group containing Simon and Piggy. He lost all his power because he did not give the boys what they wanted. By Ralph being the best leader he can be he cannot win them over. Ralph tries to give himself some power by saying they need to build shelters but Jack quickly starts a chant and gets his tribe rowdy. Ralph has been the leader from the beginning but was unable to keep it. He was the most effective leader by trying to get them rescued but Jack gave them what they wanted which was…

    • 734 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph is the elected leader of the group. He continues throughout the whole book to try to keep the order in the book. He first understands that he needs to set up a structure of rules to allow for the group of boys to remain civilized. The first great leadership skill that Ralph has is that he compromises. Ralph is a compromiser. The smartest compromises makes is that he instead of having Jack be upset about not being elected leader he makes Jack be the leader of the hunters. This would allow Jack and Ralph to have a good relationship until the middle of the book where having Jack be the head hunter would cause a split in the…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To conclude, Jack spends nearly the whole book trying to get power over Ralph, and when he finally does, he uses it for evil instead of actually helping his tribe like he promised. Jack knows that he has to be leader and makes that goal happen for himself. Even if that means a little murder here and…

    • 447 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph and Jack were both capable of being a good leader. Ralph chose to use his power for the greater good and Jack abused his power. Ralph helped everyone out and tried to keep them all civil at times they were the most scared which made him a good leader. Although Ralph was a good leader, Jack wanted the power. He wasn’t responsible enough to have that power. Jack treated everyone poorly and it reflected on the other boys, soon enough they all were savage. Jack had not been responsible enough to hold the power and he abused it. It is easy for someone to abuse their power and to disrespect others but it is also easy to use power of the greater…

    • 1120 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Desperate to keep his power he goes to extreme measures to make sure none of his tribe ever leave him. This becomes a destructive society because he knows no one will ever attempt to overthrow him so he can do whatever he pleases. Jack becomes a symbol of a king or God, worshipped by the boys, “Before the party had started a great log had been dragged into the center of the lawn and Jack, painted and garlanded, sat there like an idol.” (149). The boys mistake their fear as respect. They look up to Jack despite his corrupt actions. Totalitarianism only benefits Jack, but none of the boys recognise this. With this government comes chaos and the fall to what's left of order on the island.…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lord of the Flies

    • 1696 Words
    • 7 Pages

    1. Jack shows that he is controlling and blood thirsty by wanting to be chief and bossing the choir boys around. Jack as a hunter is insecure in his desire to kill shown by the inability to kill a pig.…

    • 1696 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although Jack takes charge of awkward situations, Jack uses fear to gain power and control people weaker than him. There are many times when Jack threatens the other boys physically because he has done something…

    • 671 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jack is arrogance and demanding. Ralph and jack are having the others vote on who is going to be chief. “I ought to be chief said jack with simple arrogance because I'm chapter chorister and head boy”(22). This show that he thinks he should be leader because he leads the choirs and is head boy in the choirs. Furthermore “jack pointed suddenly his specs use them as burning glasses”(40). Jack tell the kids want to do even though ralph is right there and was voted chief. Theis show that they are trying to hold on to law and order but it is falling apart because of jack.…

    • 375 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In chapter ten, Jack begins to realize the affect his power has, “The tribe considered this; and then were shaken, as if by a flow of wind. The chief saw the effect of his words and stood abruptly” (161). Once the tribe split into two, he gained complete control of the majority and notices that he can use the boy's fear as a tool to maintain control. When Jack recognized that if he could stay in charge, he won’t ever have to face the guilt and dark truth of what he has done or face the consequences. Similarly, if he has the control to occupy his time he has less time to second guess his methods and less time to realize that he has completely lost sight of his innocence and humanity. This awakening showcases how the altered reality that the boys have grown accustomed to on the island has allowed one of their own, a formerly respectable and stable young boy, to acquire complete control and use it as a weapon of destruction and…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At first Jack has trouble killing a pig but once he accomplishes doing it he can’t stop, “the opaque, mad look came into his eyes again.” he’s an action person the consequence of this is it affects other people, an example of this would be when he left the fire to go hunt and ruined a rescue opportunity, as the book goes on we see Jack cares less about being rescued “Jack had to think for a moment before he could remember what rescue was.” because he is happy with the life he has created on the island, whereas rescue means everything to Ralph the first…

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph Vs Jack Leader

    • 709 Words
    • 1 Page

    meetings, a sense of order is brought on to the boys because the boys are not allowed to…

    • 709 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays