Leadership In Lord Of The Flies Essay

LEADERSHIP IN LORD OF THE FLIES BY WILLIAM GOLDING

"Keep calm and carry on." This is a famous quote from Winston Churchill, during his prime time as a politician during the Second World War. Churchill is one of the worlds greatest leaders in that he showed incredible leadership skills throughout his time of ruling. He refused to give in, even at the hardest times, and he helped retain people’s spirits during the war. He was determined, responsible, intelligent, and pleasant, all qualities of a exceptional leader. It is essential that we have quality leaders ruling us to ensure the safety and comfort of all of those under their power. Ideas of leadership are represented in William Golding's Lord of the Flies mainly through Jack and Ralph. Piggy

and Simon also present a few ideas of leadership throughout the novel.

Ralph, the chief of the island, conveys ideas of leadership throughout the book.

He is voted the chief at the first meeting on the island. “... what intelligence had been shown was traceable of Piggy while the most obvious leader was Jack. But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch.” (p. 18-19). He’s an obvious leader, not only due to his appearance, but he has the characteristics of a wonderful leader, too. He possesses the ability to show immense initiative, responsibility, courage and determination. Ralph's authority and power over the others is secure from the start when he shows terrific initiative when he decides to build huts instead of joining in with the other boys amusing themselves and avoiding work. “‘Been working for days now. And look!’ Two shelters were in position, but shaky ... ‘...They're off bathing, or eating, or playing!’” (p. 54-55). The biguns, including Ralph, went hunting for the beast, but when they came to the rocks where they thought it was hiding, no one wanted to continue - they were too frightened. Something inside Ralph gave him the courage to step up and be the one to search for the beast. This shows that power can form greater people. Having people depend on you gives you courage to undertake anything. “Something deep inside Ralph spoke for him. ‘I'm chief. I'll go. Don’t argue.’” (p. 114). Ralph is the first

to step up in a situation to benefit the safety of everybody. He is a marvellous leader since he knows what must be done in order to be rescued, and he achieves it. “‘You hunters! You can laugh! But I tell you smoke is more important than the pig, however often you kill one. Do all of you see?’ he spread his arms wide and turned to the whole triangle. ‘We've got to make smoke up there - or die.’” (p. 86-87). Here, you can recognise that Ralph is trying to maintain order and civilisation. He shows initiative by setting goals and telling the boys what to perform to boost their chances of undergoing rescue. Without Ralph and his skills, the boys most probably would not have survived.

Jack is charismatic and inclined to leadership, like Ralph. “... the most obvious leader was Jack.” (p. 19). But Jack thinks he deserves to be chief. “‘I ought to be chief,’ said Jack with simple arrogance, ‘because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.’” (p. 18). He has been used to being the leader all of his life, and he wants to continue this. He uses 'I can sing C sharp' to gain followers, as if it's unbelievable, which means he thinks he should be chief for no good reason at all. Unlike Ralph, Jack abuses his position above others, and gets off on power. “Jack spoke. ‘Give me a drink.’ Henry brought him a shell and he drank, watching Piggy and Ralph over the jagged rim. Power lay in the brown swell of his forearms: authority sat on his shoulder and chatters in his ear like an ape.” (p. 165). Ralph uses his power to build signal fires and attempt to have the littluns cared for; Jack uses it to have people fetch him drinks. “‘You're no good on job like this.’, ‘All the same —‘, ‘We don't want you,’ said Jack, flatly. ‘Three's enough.’” (p. 21). While Ralph and Jack both assert authority over Piggy, At least Ralph tries to explain his reasoning (the mark of a good leader), whereas Jack brings personal insult to the matter (the mark of a bad leader). These two quotes demonstrate how Jack uses his power only for his own good, not the good for others. Although he and his tribe turned into a menagerie of savages, Jack started out as a civilised, English school boy. He supported Ralph's choices and accepted his orders his orders, just like everybody else. “‘We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything.’” (p. 42). This quote shows how Jack used to be a civilised, schoolboy. That was, until, Jack himself became the one to introduce savage. It also shows that Jack is extremely jingoistic. “the English are best at everything” proves exactly how jingoistic he is. “[Jack] began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling.” (p. 66). This quote shows just how quickly Jack went from a lovely, civilised, school boy to a savage psychopath. He turned into an animal, more like a man-eating tiger than an Englishman. 

Piggy would have made an excellent leader, but as he is the outcast of the group, no one ever listens to him. “[Piggy] wiped his glasses and adjusted them on his button nose. The frame had made a deep, pink V on the bridge.” (p. 5). Piggy's actions in this part of the book resemble the actions of an elderly man. Stereotypically elderly men are exceedingly wise and filled with knowledge. Piggy, too, is full of wisdom and knowledge, and superb ideas, and is the most adult-like figure on the island. When he dies, there actually are no adults, and it's a symbol of any civilisation on the island vanished. Piggy may have intellectual superiority, but physical inferiority he doesn’t. “‘That’s right. Can’t catch my breath. I was the only boy in our school what had asthma.’’” (p. 3). This shows Piggy's physical weakness. He could only tell Ralph how to operate the conch, seeing as his asthma doesn't allow him to apply that much breath at one time. It is also a wonderful description of Piggy's personality; he likes being unique, and is proud of his differences and individuality. Piggy, being the outcast of the group, would do anything to be considered an equal, rather than an inferior. “Piggy was […] so full of pride in his contribution to the good of society […] that he helped to fetch wood.” (p. 142). Multitude of his actions are stimulated by his desire to be acknowledged by the other of the boys. Piggy insists on rules and order, when Jack and his tribe are becoming savages, or whenever people are breaking the rules, and protects the conch in such matters. “‘I got the conch, I got the right to speak.’” (p. 44). The most likely reason for this is by cause with the conch, everybody has a fair chance; Piggy isn't discriminated for being overweight and un-athletic. He defends the conch, which is the key symbol of order, and when Piggy dies, the conch is shattered, and order on the island dies with him. Piggy sticks with Ralph all the way through, he never joins Jack's tribe, and he helps Ralph. Whenever Ralph becomes caught up in the heat of the moment, Piggy is able to ground him in reason. “‘Ralph – remember what we came for. The fire. My specs.”’ (p. 197). He keeps him on track, and when Piggy dies, Ralph has no idea what to do, as in such a situation, Piggy would be the one to guide him. He no longer has Piggy's wise words to follow.

Simon may be a walking mess, but he is anything other than weak. Simon would make a fantastic leader (although he is timid) as a result of him being an extremely compassionate boy. His actions bring out his instinctive kindness, like when he recovers Piggy's glasses after Jack hits him, gives Piggy his fair share of meat, and out of generosity helps the littluns pick fruit off the trees, “found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands.” (p. 57). He was, in fact, the only bigun who cared for the littluns. Simon's wise, mature and insightful personality makes him almost prophetic. He has the ability to prophesize, and he was very much of a Christ-like figure. He is the only boy on the island who truly understands the beast, “Simon, walking in front of Ralph, felt a flicker of incredulity—a beast with claws that scratched, that sat on a mountain-top, that left no tracks and yet was not fast enough to catch Samneric. However Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human, at once heroic and sick.” (p. 112). Later in the novel, Simon speaks to the Lord of the Flies (or the pig's head), “‘Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt or kill! … You knew, didn't you? I'm [the beast] part of you? Close, close, close. I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are what they are?’” (p. 158). Simon realises that there is no beast, but the beast is inside them all! The menacing, brooding, side of human-kind in each of the boys was coming out. Simon had the potential to save the boys from themselves, and their fear. Simon had all the answers.

Ideas of leadership are represented in William Golding's Lord of the Flies mainly through Jack and Ralph.

Piggy and Simon also present a few ideas of leadership throughout the novel. Each of these characters show noticeably different leadership skills, Ralph shows qualities of an excellent leader, whereas Jack shows the characteristics of a terrible leader, and Simon showing quite similar skills to Piggy. Golding left us with a question. What are the boys truly? Do they leave the island as savage psychopaths or civilised English school

boys?