Lord Of The Flies Character Analysis
American author John C. Maxwell once said “a leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” In contrast to the Coral Island, William Golding’s Lord of the Flies portrays the darker side of humanity and expresses the importance of leadership. The story takes place during World War II, and is about a group of boys that is stranded on a deserted island due to a plane crash. The oldest of the boys is only 12, and they survive on the island without any adults. However, as time drags on, opinions differentiate among the boys and wars break out, ruining the island life that was once peaceful. Compared to Jack, Ralph is more suitable for being the leader on the island due to his emphasis on civilization and his logical approach
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After they return with the dead pig, Jack claims excitedly that “[he] cut the pig’s throat” (Golding 69). This statement is true but unconvincing since Jack lacks the sense of responsibility needed for a chief. The fact that Jack contributes a lot for the tribe is undeniable, but so is his escape from his responsibilities. During the assembly, Ralph assigns the hunters to the fire, and they are to keep the fire burning to send smoke signals. However, all of them run off to hunt and disobey the chief’s orders. As a result, a ship passes by the island but cannot find the exact location because of the lack of smoke. This is the evidence that Jack should not be a leader: he fails to see priorities clearly, which in this case is getting rescued. In addition to this, others still believe that Jack is a better leader because of his supposed bravery. He looks like the bravest of the group, being the only one that suggests hunting down the beast. After the little boy talk about the beast, Jack snatchs the conch and promises that “if there’s a beast, [they]’ll hunt it down” (Golding 91). Although he suggests a likely solution for the spreading fear, he gets scared himself and runs off at the sight of the “beast”. His actions can’t back up his words, which makes him incapable of being a successful leader for the
After they return with the dead pig, Jack claims excitedly that “[he] cut the pig’s throat” (Golding 69). This statement is true but unconvincing since Jack lacks the sense of responsibility needed for a chief. The fact that Jack contributes a lot for the tribe is undeniable, but so is his escape from his responsibilities. During the assembly, Ralph assigns the hunters to the fire, and they are to keep the fire burning to send smoke signals. However, all of them run off to hunt and disobey the chief’s orders. As a result, a ship passes by the island but cannot find the exact location because of the lack of smoke. This is the evidence that Jack should not be a leader: he fails to see priorities clearly, which in this case is getting rescued. In addition to this, others still believe that Jack is a better leader because of his supposed bravery. He looks like the bravest of the group, being the only one that suggests hunting down the beast. After the little boy talk about the beast, Jack snatchs the conch and promises that “if there’s a beast, [they]’ll hunt it down” (Golding 91). Although he suggests a likely solution for the spreading fear, he gets scared himself and runs off at the sight of the “beast”. His actions can’t back up his words, which makes him incapable of being a successful leader for the