Jack Merridew Lord Of The Flies Effective Leader Essay

The Most Effective Leader – Lord of the Flies

“Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty.” (Plato) No democracy can be successful; they will always transmute to autocracy. It may seem as though a society where everyone is treated equally and has the same amount of power to influence others would be ideal, however this type of government is not effective. A legitimately effective leader can never allow decisions to fall into the hands of others, and must retain power over others at all costs. In William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”, Jack Merridew is an evident example of a leader that is truly effective, as he possesses a variety of aspects that can be

found in a justifiably successful leader. Jack is in many ways an extremely manipulative character by nature, he gives the other boys what they want, and he has the talent of being able to use the boys’ own emotions to control them. His methods of leading make him the epitome of a natural, effective leader.
Through a variety of examples in the text, one can easily observe that Jack is undoubtedly a manipulative character, as one must be in order to be an effective leader.

“’Listen all of you. Me and my hunters, we’re living along the beach by a flat rock… If you want to join my tribe come and see us. Perhaps I’ll let you join. Perhaps not.’” (Golding Chapter 8) At first, this short speech by Jack seems to simply tell the others that he is starting his own tribe, however his method of doing so is powerful and important. He starts by addressing Ralph’s group, using the sentence “’Listen all of you’”. This immediately shows that he looks down upon them, and is being exclusive. Later in the quote, when he is telling them what to do if they want to join his tribe, he uses the word “’us’”. By being inclusive when talking about his tribe, Jack is able to create the impression that his tribe is superior and better than that of Ralph. Additionally, in that very quote, Jack talks about letting the other children join. By using the phrases “’Perhaps I’ll let you join. Perhaps not.’”, Jack establishes that he has power over the others, and shows that it is strictly his decision who will join. It seems from this as though it is a privilege to join Jack’s tribe, not just an option. By doing this, he not only shows that he has power over the group, but also that he is a powerful person overall. Later in the novel, during the feast, Jack’s manipulative nature is shown again. “‘I gave you food,’ said Jack… ‘Who will join my tribe?’” (Golding Chapter 9) Even though Ralph also provided food for the boys, getting the meat was Jack’s strength. Since he told them a reason to join his tribe, and then immediately asked them if they would, the rest of the boys were more inclined to listen to him. By stating what he did better than Ralph, Jack was able to use one of his strengths against his opposition. From these sections of evidence, it is apparent that Jack’s manipulative nature helps him

control the other boys on the island, which makes him an effective leader.
Throughout the novel, Jack consistently gives the other boys on the island what they want, keeping them regularly happy with the decisions he makes. He not only shares many common interests with them, but his emphasis on how Ralph and Piggy’s views differ from theirs gives him power, which makes him an effectual leader. For instance, while Ralph tries to make the boys work all day in hopes to get rescued, Jack allows the boys to be savage and do much of what they want to. Jack explicitly asks, “’Who’ll join my tribe and have fun?’” (Golding Chapter 9), which accentuates the fact that the boys are not having fun in Ralph’s group. This makes the boys question why Ralph is the leader in the first place if Jack is so much better. Consequently, the boys actually listen to what Jack says and do what he commands them to. In addition to letting them have fun, Jack gives the other boys something they desire, meat. By Jack giving them something that Ralph cannot provide whatsoever, Jack creates another incentive for the boys to listen to him. Furthermore, it allows him to indirectly prove that he is a worthy leader. In Chapter 10, Golding proves this when Robert talks about Jack being a “proper” chief, since he takes the boys hunting. This quote shows the appreciation of Jack’s actions form the other boys, creating a solid base of his supporters. By giving them meat and allowing the other boys to have fun while in his tribe, Jack gains power and support, making him an effective and influential leader.
Jack’s ability to use the other boys’ emotions and state of minds to control them grants him tremendous power over them, and illustrates that he is an effective leader. Evidence of this can be found scattered throughout the novel, however this skill of his becomes apparent closer to the end of the book. The first obvious instance where Jack uses this talent is during their pig dance, which results in the death of Simon. Jack had clear intentions to eliminate anyone who opposed him, which was shown through Simon’s death, Piggy’s death, and Jack’s attempt to kill Ralph at the end of the novel. During the dance, the boys were in a state of frenzy and recklessness. After noticing this, Jack used it to his advantage by further hyping up the group to the point where they did not realize that they killed Simon until he was dead. Another section where Jack harnesses the boys’ emotions is when he says “’my hunters will protect you from the beast. Who will join my tribe?’” (Golding Chapter 9) By not only bringing up the beast but also showing them a solution as well, Jack uses the other boys’ fear of the beast to gain support for him and diminish that of Ralph. In a variety of areas in the novel, Jack uses the boys’ state of minds and emotions to control them, which shows that he is an effective leader.
There are numerous areas of the book that demonstrate Jack’s methods of leading. He is able to manipulate the other boys on the island into doing what he wants them to do, he gives them the freedom to do what they desire, and he uses their emotions and state of minds to control their actions. These qualities allow Jack to be successful in controlling the actions and emotions of the other boys, which makes him an undoubtedly effective leader.