Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

Martin Luther King Jr. was a man known for saying things that inspire and make people think. His quote “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy” is no different. With these wise words, King was trying to say that one must go through troubles and challenges to ultimately know their true selves. It is easy to say who you are when everything is going good, but the measure of someone depends on how they react when everything falls apart. How would someone know who they truly are if their ability to handle certain situations is not tested? Once someone goes through trials and tribulations, it is then that they know who they are as an individual.

In Lord of the Flies, Ralph and Jack contrast each other while in Hamlet you see how Fortinbras stays true to his words and goals.
In Lord of the Flies, Ralph is a character that seems to know who he is. He knows that he is more than just “The boy with the fair hair” (Golding 1), who looked like he was a leader. Ralph is a natural born leader. He was the one who mentions that they need leadership. “Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things” (Golding 22). He also wants to keep order by getting count of all of the kids. “I told you to. I told you to get a list of names!” (Golding 46). Even though he tries to keep order, his morals and ability to handle certain situations are tested. He was able to fight through those challenges without letting it change him. The first situation Ralph is put in was the chance of being rescued. Ralph starts the signal fire, but Jack let it go out because he was hunting. Instead of Ralph doing something he would regret, he was calm. “You let the fire go out… There was a ship--” (Golding 70, 71). The next time Ralph’s ability to handle tough situations

In the beginning of the book, Jack seems like best candidate to be chief. As the story unfolds, his actions start to change and you start to see his true colors. Once Ralph is chosen to be chief, Ralph, Simon and himself go explore the island. They see a pig, and although Jacks says he knows how to kill it, he does not and promises to kill it next time. “I was going to, I was choosing a place. Next time--!” (Golding 31). Jack soon starts obsessing over hunting. He paints his face and that is when he becomes a different person. “He capered toward Bill, and the mask was a thing of its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness” (Golding 64). Once Jack starts to become more and more savage, he feels that he does not need to listen to anyone. “I’m not going to play any longer. Not with you.”(Golding 127). Jack let the savage take over him and became a person with no morals or remorse. “Viciously, with full intention, he hurled his spear at Ralph.” (Golding 181). This not only led to the death of Simon, but Piggy too. Jack started off as headmaster of the choir, who uses the opportunity of no parents to showcase his true identity. The way he handles certain situations, shows the kind of person Jack