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Relationship between power and leadership
Relationship between power and leadership
Fictional character personality analysis
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With power comes greed. Not letting others share leadership responsibilities can be a major downfall of societies. In, Lord of the Flies, Jack and Ralph battle over having control of the island. This struggle changes them into savages and results in them doing things they normally would not do. Power is ego-driven, making leaders think of themselves first and driving them to do whatever it takes to maintain their position. When given power, one will take advantage of it. Authority can change one’s personality. Food is indispensable and scarce on the island. Jack’s ability to hunt pigs provides food for the other kids. When a leader can provide all the basic needs and is strong, they look desirable to everyone. Jack realizes that he …show more content…
has command over the others when they start to leave Ralph and look to him for direction. The complication is that Jack uses this power the wrong way. He manipulates the children because they are dependent upon him for their survival. Jack turned the kids away from Ralph’s sensibility and turned them into savages just like him. “‘You’re still a superpower,’ a top diplomat from one of America's most dependable Middle Eastern allies said to me in July of this year, ‘but you no longer know how to act like one.’” (Rothkopf 44). Like America’s influence in the Middle Eastern Countries, Jack is not quite sure how to exercise this power. Power is not effective if the authority is held by only one person and long-term goals are not identified.
“But challenges remain in the composition of his team; the structure of the administration; its risk-averseness and defensiveness; its tendency to be tactical and focused on the short term, rather than strategic in its approaches to problems; and the president's seeming unwillingness to devote more of himself to working with peers worldwide to shape and lead action on many big issues.” (Rothkopf 44). Just like other sovereignties, Jack focuses in on everything happening in the moment. When he starts going deranged and slaughters all the pigs, he does not have the foresight to realize that the food source for the island will soon run out if he continues. Jack is motivated by power and the esteem that comes with …show more content…
it. Instead of working together, Jack and Ralph engage in competition for control of the island.
While the two boys are combating, Piggy is killed. “‘Which is better- to be a pack of painted Indians like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is? … Which is better- to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill? … Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking?’” (Golding 180). Piggy represents morality and logic. Ralph tries to rationalize that he is not savage like Jack, but morality is lost with Piggy’s death. Jack essentially has complete control after all morality dies. Jack’s lust for power clouds his judgment. Jack kills Simon without even realizing how valuable Simon is to their society. He had knowledge about the island that none of the other boys have, but they were all too ignorant to even listen to him if they had the chance. “He wanted to explain how people were never quite what you thought they were.” (Golding 54). Simon had the capacity to get the boys off the island but Jack and Ralph both let their egos get in the way. When Simon dies, all hope for humanity is lost and the remaining boys turn savage. Jack holds the power of life and knowledge in his own
hands. Leaders take pleasure in their power and do not care for the well-being of others or finding solutions to problems. Jack has more authority over the other children on the island than Ralph does. He could get everyone to work cooperatively and find a way to get off the island, but instead, he relishes having control and does not work to get anything done except kill pigs. Jack makes it clear to the others that the priority is to hunt, not to get off the island. “Just as no conflict is insoluble, nor is it inevitable that it will be resolved at any particular moment in history.” (Powell 27). Nothing can be solved if there does not appear to be a problem to fix. The boys will not find a way off of the island unless they are searching for one. Supremacy can make a person only think of what will benefit themselves. Jack is an exemplification of how power can be used negatively. Leaders who take advantage of their power are always met with negative outcomes. Jack is unable to get the boys off the island. It isn’t until the forest is about to completely burn down and the whole island will be ruined that a navy ship appears and saves them. Power without balance is a harmful is the product of ascendancy.
The influence of power, or “power hungry”, has had a huge effect on many people who feel that they must be in charge. These people often have trouble being told no or being told that they can’t be in charge. People throughout history have done it in many ways. Our own government displays this when we elect a new president every four years. These candidates often tell the public what they want to hear and how they’ll make it a better place, when, in reality, they only mean half of it and they just want to be able to have the power of the president. In the novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, the antagonist, Jack, shows throughout the book that he craves power and feels that he deserves it more than anybody else.
In Chapter 8 Jack says “He’s like Piggy. He says things like Piggy. He isn’t a proper chief.” He says this because Jack thinks his point of view is the right one, and it can only be the right one. This is similar to dictatorships in the past when people believe their right and anyone who doesn’t agree is the enemy. Later in the book Jack tries to get more followers by promising them psychological needs. Jack states “We’ve killed a pig and we’ve got meat. You can come and eat with us if you like.” Jack is trying to take away any of Ralph’s remaining supporters, so that Ralph is forced to follow him when all he has left is Piggy, Samneric, and a few clueless littluns. Later in this book Ralph is on his own a few hours after Piggy dies, he is considering joining Jack’s tribe because he will have food and protection. In the forest he thinks about the thought of eating fruit, and then remembering the feast and that maybe they would let him back. After that he realizes that the hunters killed Piggy and Simon, so they would kill him
Jack’s authoritative figure in the beginning of Lord of the Flies is one quality that shows how he is a dynamic character. To begin with, Jack shows he is authoritative by sabotaging Ralph’s integrity and rules. For instance, on pages one-hundred and one and one-hundred and two, Jack says, “We don’t need the conch anymore. We know who ought to say things. What good did Simon do speaking, or Bill, or Walter? It’s time some people knew they’ve got to keep quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us.” Jack is trying to get rid of the idea that the conch, or freedom of speech, is needed. This is another step away from civilized behavior because a newly established order of power replaces the conch. Another way Jack shows he is authoritative is by wanting to be a leader. First, Jack forms his own group that he calls the hunters. Then, Jack intimidates the other boys to join his group by talking about the beast. Jack tells the little ‘uns that are scared that they will forget about the beast. ...
They often obey his destructive orders just to avoid being punished. Jack tells Ralph, after Roger kills Piggy, “ ‘See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I meant that! There isn’t a tribe for you anymore! The conch is gone—’ -He ran forward, stooping- ‘I’m chief!’ ” (Golding 181) Jack threatens Ralph and the boys by reminding them of the consequences of not succumbing to his authority. They are physically and emotionally tormented, forced to participate in Jack’s violent acts. As time goes by, they willingly join in on Jack’s brutal endeavors, such as hunting Ralph down in an attempt to sacrifice him to the beast. He
Jack is a low down dirty character who feasts on the imaginations of little boys to gain power amongst himself. Being only ten years old you would wonder how a little kid could become so rotten so early well Jack is living proof of that. Being in control of others brings Jacks happiness sky high its almost as if something comes over him every time he speaks to someone, it's as if in his past life he had horrible experiences with the world and has come back just to tarnish the lives of many young boys during the most tragic tragedy of their lives.I most deeply admire the fact that Jack knows what he wants which is essential in a life that we are living in today because it may interpret your future. What I dislike is that Jack knowingly arrived on this famished island with a plan even though the crash was not expected.The plan was to take existent land that was not entitled to anyone and turn the island into "Jacks World", a place where you will be taken
The desire to have power on the island creates the corruption of power within all who crave it, leading to their transformation to become evil human beings. In the novel, the boys arrive on an island without any guidance and the lack of civilization which makes it impossible for them to survive for a long time. To ensure the boy's safety and survival, the boys have to choose a chief who can keep order within the boys. Jack, the strongest character in the novel, believes that he is the most eligible to be the chief because he is the “chapter chorister and head boy”(34) of the choir boys. Jack already has power and he wants to become even powerful to point that he can control all the boys on the island. However, when voting for the chief, the
Jack fails to realize that the boys need security, stability, and order on the island Jack was a leader of the choir before the boys landed on the island. These boys, who were in the choir, still want to follow Jack; however, they have no discipline at all. The only thing that is on Jack’s mind is hunting. He doesn’t care about anything else, except capturing and kill the pigs for some food.
Momentarily after Piggy was killed, his limbs “twitched” like a “pig’s after it has been killed” (181). Comparing Piggy to an actual pig reveals how the savages are beginning to hunt and kill each other like they are pigs. Additionally, having Piggy’s name be Piggy was a foreshadow to this moment, where there was no difference between him and an actual pig prey. Likewise, the tribe “watched Ralph to see what he would do next” after the twins were tied up (179). Here, Ralph is portrayed almost as a wild animal that the savages are observing and just waiting when to pounce on him. In addition to this, after the conch was smashed, Jack “viciously” hurled his spear at Ralph “with full intention” (181). This implies that Jack is hunting Ralph, like he is the new pig. Ralph is his next prey, now that Piggy, his last prey, is dead. Lastly, through all of his frustration, Ralph accused Jack of being a “beast and a swine,” suggesting that through trying to stop and kill the beast, he has let out his inner darkness and become the beast, yet developed the qualities of a pig at the same time (179).
The impulsivity in Jack’s commands, usually fire back on him and he is immediately self conscious about not being taken seriously and acts off of those actions with no remorse. While on the island, Jack, who has had trouble with asserting his dominance in a confident way, lacks stability in himself when he fails to succeed trivial tasks. “He licked his lips and turned his head at an angle, so that his gaze avoided the embarrassment of linking with another’s eye”(Golding 127). Jack, has challenged Ralph’s authority as a leader by assembling a vote to see whom believes who should be leader of the tribe. Neither the Biguns or Littluns reflected approval towards Jack’s tyrannical party, which immediately confounds Jack’s expectations as leader.
The political system that they had on the island was corrupt. It wasn't the system but the individuals who were responsible for corruption in society. At first they had a leader, Ralph. He made rules, held meetings and tried to keep things in order. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored and questioned. Jack was too concerned with hunting, to worry about the other things that can keep them alive, like the signal fire that would get them rescued, Madness came into his eyes. "I thought I might kill." "But you haven't yet (51)." Soon, Jack decides he's had enough of Ralph, "I'm not going to be part of Ralph's lot. I'm going by myself. Anyone who wants to hunt when I do can come (127)." He lures the other boys away and makes a tribe. Ralph's community deteriorates. Jack is responsible for the corruption of their society.
At the beginning, clearly Ralph feels that Jack is an ally, a companion; not a rival for leadership, "Ralph found himself alone on a limb with Jack and they grinned at each other ... that strange invisible light of friendship". The chosen leader of the group, Ralph tried to lead the stranded boys into some kind of order. The authority of Jack and the sensibility of Piggy easily sway him. When Ralph first meets Piggy, he sees him as a lower person who should be ridiculed. He starts off by asking for his name and he is told that people used to make fun of
While his situation allowed his personality to blossom into something horrible, the desire for blood and power already flowed through his veins. An example from the beginning, before the corruption of the boys, was when Jack first arrived at the meeting with his choir following behind. They were wearing their cloaks in the heat and Jack only let them rest after Simon had fainted. Jack’s controlling nature can be observed from the very beginning of the book. At this time, decorum still covered his bloodlust, but it was quickly triggered after he hadn’t been able to kill a pig. The text reads that “Next time there would be no mercy”(p.31) He was not only embarrassed of his weakness and wanted to uphold his status, but he was also losing the civility that an organized society ensured. The island was the key that unlocked Jack’s hidden, savage
Ralph first takes on the position as leader at the beginning of the story, when the rest of the boys vote him in as chief. He carries this position until Jack and his fellow hunters break away from the group. Ralph makes it his job to set out the rules to organize a society. Ralph always thinks of what is best for everyone and how they will all benefit from his decisions. Rules and standards are set when Ralph is the chief. He orders the group to build the basic necessities of civilization, shelters, and most importantly to keep the fire going, in hope that they will be rescued and return to humanity. "But I tell you that smoke is more important than the pig, however often you kill one" (Golding 75). Jack, on the other hand, takes on the idea of every man for himself. He does not care about making homes, only about hunting. When Jack is the leader, evil takes over and all good is destroyed. Under Jack's power both Simon and Piggy are killed.
Absolute power, every fine dictator has it, all hopefuls aspire for it. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Jack, the leader of the hunters, rapidly becomes a power-hungry, barbaric, and manipulative dictator. Different from Ralph, the mature leader of the group, Jack has an inclination to abuse his power and position. For a boy no older than 12 he leads the rebellion and evil of the boys’ mob without an inkling of remorse. Golding depicts him in this way because he symbolizes a dictator in Lord of the Flies.
Power is like a two-edged knife; on one side, it is a tool when used suitably. If it is not, it becomes the cause of irreversible damage. The English Oxford Living Dictionaries defines power as “the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.” Bryant H. McGill describes power as something “all a person has, so they will protect it even unto their own destruction, for without power they have nothing.” This quote describes how in Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the island society the boys create crumbles when Jack takes the power and uses it for his benefit. Golding shows the reader how the island society starts to fall when the boys start using the face paint and start descending into savagery,