A Comparsion of Coral Island and Lord of the Flies

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The Coral Island and Lord of The Flies have a matching basic story but diverse things within the stories. The Coral Island, by R.M. Ballantyne, was the basic plot of the story Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. The island is the same in both books; likewise, the main characters; Jack and Ralph are the same people in both stories. Ballantyne’s story is about three British gentlemen whereas Golding’s is about boys that turn cruel and against each other. There are dissimilarities between the characters in the way that they act. Also there are similar actions shown in both accounts. Jack and Ralph portray different types of people in these books, but likewise had things in common. Jack and Ralph in the Coral Island are displayed as gentlemen throughout the story, but in the Lord of The Flies they are depicted as the exact opposite of gentlemen; instead they are quick descending into unutterable barbarity. By this the human nature changed the boys dramatically. Jack and Ralph have differences in both books with the ways the boys’ actions turn on the island; furthermore there are similarities between them.
In Coral Island, Jack is represented as the oldest and the frontrunner of the boys. The younger boys look up to him for guidance, and he takes the role of a daring but caring older sibling. He leads the boys by working as a team to create fires, build shelters, construct weapons, and harvest fruit. He is a true leader and remains loyal the entire story. Jack exclaimed, “…You and I are to be messmates, and I think we shall be good friends, for I like the look o’ you... Jack was right. He and I and Peterkin afterwards became the best and stanchest friends that ever tossed together on the stormy waves” (Ballantyne). Jack displays ge...

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...ties between the characters in the way that they act. Also there are similar actions shown in both accounts. Jack and Ralph portray different types of people in these books, but likewise had things in common. Jack and Ralph in the Coral Island are displayed as gentlemen throughout the story, but in the Lord of The Flies they are depicted as the exact opposite of gentlemen; instead they are quick descending into unutterable barbarity. By this the human nature changed the boys dramatically. The boys change shows the true character of them when it comes down to survival. Jack and Ralph have differences in both books with the ways the boys’ actions turn on the island; furthermore there are similarities between them.

Work Cited
Ballantyne, R.M. Coral Island. (London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1857)
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin Group, 2006. Print.

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