Leadership In Lord Of The Flies

People judge leaders not by the decisions they make, but rather the results they create. In the book, Lord of the Flies, Ralph's pathetic and inexperienced leadership induced the deaths of the mulberry-colored birthmark boy, Simon, and Piggy. Ralph’s first order, reconnaissance, while strategically sound, leaves little to desire due to its poor execution. After informing everyone that “[Fatty’s] real name is Piggy” and disrespecting Piggy in the process, Ralph gives Piggy an important job, keeping track of the littluns (Golding 21); Ralph proceeds to let his emotions influence him and decides to take his two new friends, Simon and Jack, to do “real exploring” (Golding 27). First of all, Piggy now has no authority over the littluns since Chief Ralph publicly humiliated him, moreover, Ralph’s actions degrade Piggy’s already distraught mental state; consequently making Piggy

incompetent.

In addition, Ralph takes the rest of the older boys with him to explore, leaving Piggy alone with no authority nor will to count and control the littluns; which leads to a tragic mistake in the count, and eventually the mulberry-colored birthmark boy’s death. Throughout the entire book, Ralph, with no prior leadership background, and Jack, head boy and chapter chorister, vie for power. After the boys elect Ralph, over Jack, to govern them, Ralph appoints “Jack in charge of the choir”(Golding 23); furthermore, when Jack and his hunters “wander off or go hunting” instead of building shelters, Ralph takes no action (Golding 51). Ralph made a detrimental error, after the vote, he should have contained his opponent, just as Queen Mary I of England did to her sister, which in turn assured her a long and powerful reign, instead he gives jack power, additionally, when Jack acts disobedient, Ralph should take immediate action; these two disciplinary failures allow the schism to occur, which in turn digs Simon’s grave. Under pressure, Ralph crumbles emotionally, mentally, and

physically. Witness to two deaths and Jack’s savage siege and theft of Piggy’s glasses, Ralph, now thoroughly broken and inept, lets Piggy, who “can [only] see … a bit” (Golding 169), “try [to reclaim his glasses] if [he would] like” (Golding 171). Ralph, aware of Jack’s savage followers, allows a half blind Piggy to go; therefore, Ralph is responsible for Piggy’s death. Ralph’s maladroit and unseasoned leadership decisions leads to the deaths of the mulberry-colored birthmark boy, Simon, and Piggy.