Power And Authority In Lord Of The Flies Research Paper

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Authority is an important and significant aspect of life. It what entitles a person to seize power and control over something and use it in order to direct others in the way that they desire to. This aspect of life is what people often take advantage of and use against the will of others, despite the outcome and consequences. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding portrayed the role of power and authority in society. Golding depicted a society in which power and authority had the ability to dominate the importance of equality and fairness among people. When the boys’ plane crashed they became stranded on an island, they civilized it and determined who would be able to fulfill the position of authority and leadership. This part of the book played …show more content…

However, he lacked the abilities and qualities that allowed him to become a strong and efficient leader. Alongside Jack, Ralph also desired to become the leader and rule the others. Despite the personalities and characteristics of each of the boys, power struggles between the two often emerged, resulting in a period of conflict. The different beliefs and perspectives of Jack and Ralph often led to competition between them. This negatively impacted the society and civilization of the island that the boys had formed. However, the conflict that emerged among the boys was able to benefit the civilization and society on the island, as it expressed their ambition and desire to guide the others. Although Jack and Ralph faced issues, they were able to determine their strengths and weaknesses in order to fulfill the role of a …show more content…

He was the one who was depicted as the “fair haired” boy with the charming and charismatic personality. These features often made it more likely for him to be leader, as his characteristics, talents, and abilities appealed to everyone on the island. Ralph expressed his desire to be leader by claiming “Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things” (Golding 22). Despite his ambition to become leader, he often experienced conflict and power struggles with Jack throughout the novel, as they both perceived things in different ways and had separate views and opinions on matters. The power struggles that the boys faced throughout the book allowed Golding to express a society and civilization in which the ideas of power and authority dominated equality. The boys on the island were desperate to determine a leader for their group. However, throughout the process, they degraded the importance of equality and fairness. This aspect of the novel played an important role in reflecting a society in which the people favor the aspects and effects of authority and power, despite the outcome and consequences that result from

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