Lord Of The Flies Comparison Essay

Lord of the Flies Comparison Essay

Leaders are frequently a symbol of the individuals that they are in charge of. When the leaders are successful in doing their duty, those who follow them are successful. On the other hand, if the chiefs fail, those who follow them are also affected by their actions. These features of the chiefs are noticed effortlessly in William Golding's Lord of the Flies, through the personalities of Jack and Ralph. The book is about a group of boys marooned on an island with no adults. In this situation all the boys vote for a leader. Jack and Ralph were the candidates but Ralph emerged as the leader of the tribe. Jack became head hunter and second to Ralph. Ralph is the wise, reasonable leader of the boys, and Jack is the ruthless, violence motivated leader of the group. They are unsuccessful in taking care of others with respect. They pay no attention to their accountability to recognize the needs of the other boys. As leaders, they disregard many vital tasks including, their duty to maintain order. In all these cases, a general outcome is sensed around the group. When leaders ignore their responsibilities, their actions undermine the group's ability to function.

When Ralph does not act as a leader should, it becomes impossible for him maintain control of the group. Ralph does not succeed in the building of the shelters for the tribe and the dependability of a leader. The group of boys has been stuck on the island for only a little while when Ralph tried to arrange the building of the huts for cover. Ralph proves unsuccessful at this and the group just stopped doing their jobs. An aggravated Ralph says, "When the meeting was over they'd work for five minutes, then wander off or go hunting" (51). This quote evidently shows Ralph's lack of power over the tribe. As a chief, Ralph's duty is to keep order; nonetheless, he fails to direct the tribe long enough for them to complete their basic living requirements. Ralph also fails to discipline the group their punishment was poor quality shelters to live in. Ralph did not show signs of leadership by calling the boys back to him but allows them to run off to swim and play, while he and Simon construct the huts. This caused the boys to feel less of a need to act like a civilized order. This causes a changeover from a controlled democratic state to entire chaos. Many boys start to agree to a low standard of living and begin to perform savagely to each other. Henry, a little boy, was constructing sand castles on the beach when Roger, a larger boy, began tossing rocks near him:

"Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round

the squatting child was the protection of parents and school

and policemen and the law. Roger's arm was conditioned

by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in

ruins." (62)

Henry is being overcome by the bigger sense of rebellion, signified through Roger. When Ralph failed to sustain order over the group, the boys began to act like savages. This is an apparent example of the boys' shift from civilization to savagery. As a leader, jack fails to contain an ordered and controlled system, and as an alternative, values fast outcomes. His improper prioritizing is observed numerous times in the book. On the subject of Ralph's leadership, Jack says:

"He's not a hunter. He'd never have got us meat. He