Power In Lord Of The Flies Research Paper

721 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Importance of democracy in government

Humans are guided by those in higher power; they provide safety, leadership, and courage. But hidden underneath the glorified structure of government, lies perpetuating power struggles. William Golding illustrates the destructive power that exists in our society. Jack and Ralph, two competitive boys with two completely different ways of survival, battle to gain power throughout the book. In Lord of the Flies, Golding reveals that due to humanity’s competitiveness, need for control, and conflicting styles of government, power naturally corrupts. When given the opportunity to hold control, our competitive instincts overpower our morals. Jack and Ralph both obtain the strength and desire to be chief of the island, but there can only be one leader. This leads to chaos as they begin to establish structure on the island. Jack, claiming with arrogance that he “ought to be chief because [he’s] chapter chorister and …show more content…

Throughout Lord of the Flies, Jack and Ralph develop contrasting ideas for how to lead the boys. Ralph, representing democracy, longs for “that understandable and lawful world“ (Golding 91). Jack, however, is the opposite. He and his tribe have fully converted into savages, their violence being described as having “no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws” (Golding 153). The use of “ tearing of teeth and claws” reveals the chaos that has erupted on the island. Jack and his tribe support this anarchy, but Ralph believes they need rules in order to stay alive. Society is built around a type of government, such as democracy, monarchy, or dictatorship. When people disagree on the style of government, war breaks loose and structure is destroyed. Those with authority often lose their power as people revolt and new groups are formed. Of course, changing government styles are not a bad thing; they are a natural part of humanity. But with the changes, power is lost and society

Show More
Related

  • Jack's Hunger for Power in The Lord of the Flies

    541 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Lord of the Flies is a gruesome story about young boys stranded on an island, who underwent a transformation from polite British choir boys to savage hooligans. One of the main difficulties the boys face during their adventures upon the island, is their method of government, they either follow the path of Ralph, the democratic leader whose main focus is to escape the despairing island; or Jack a power-hungry monarchical leader who won't ever take no for an answer. The two boys are constantly bickering and arguing over who deserves the leader-position. We all understand Ralph wants to be leader so that he can ensure that the boys will return back home, but in Jack's case, it is a constant mystery to us about why he wants power over the other children. But we do get much small hints from the author, William Golding, that Jack's biggest fear among the other children on the island is public humiliation. This becomes more and more evident the farther on into the book, and his fear seems to be what persuades him to reach for a powerful position.

    Read More

  • Assertiveness In Lord Of The Flies

    467 Words  | 1 Pages

    The island boys ultimately choose Jack as “Chief” for his confidence, self-assertiveness, and charisma. His certainty convinces the stranded boys that they can conquer the “beasties” that lurk in the jungle. Jack tells Ralph, “ ‘Bollocks to the rules! We’re strong – we hunt! If there’s a beast, we’ll hunt it down! We’ll close in and beat and beat and beat!’ ” (Golding 92) Jack proves to be a self-assured and strong hunter, telling them that he will

    Read More

  • Democracy to Dictatorship in Lord of the Flies

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    Upon the arrival of the boys to the island Jack immediately found himself in the center of a power struggle. Although the conflict was brief, there was still a very obvious confrontation between Jack and Ralph. Once the boys had assembled themselves there was an election to see who was to be chief. Despite the fact that Ralph was voted leader, the desire to be in command never left Jack. Jack already had some leadership skills, being head choirboy at his old school, and he continuously challenged Ralph.  The greatest source of conflict between Jack and Ralph was the debate over the necessity of maintaining a fire. Ralph felt that it was necessary to keep it burning at all times while Jack believed that hunting pigs and getting meat was much more essential.

    Read More

  • Jack Lord Of The Flies Power Analysis

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    The desire to have power on the island creates the corruption of power within all who crave it, leading to their transformation to become evil human beings. In the novel, the boys arrive on an island without any guidance and the lack of civilization which makes it impossible for them to survive for a long time. To ensure the boy's safety and survival, the boys have to choose a chief who can keep order within the boys. Jack, the strongest character in the novel, believes that he is the most eligible to be the chief because he is the “chapter chorister and head boy”(34) of the choir boys. Jack already has power and he wants to become even powerful to point that he can control all the boys on the island. However, when voting for the chief, the

    Read More

  • Absolute Monarchy In Lord Of The Flies, By William Golding

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Lord of the Flies, Golding’s portrayal of Jack’s growing power on the island aligns with Thomas Hobbes’s assertion that humans naturally tend to act violently and contentiously, but Golding’s depiction of Jack as a leader also ridicules Hobbes’s idea of an absolute monarchy.

    Read More

  • The Power of Power: Roger

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Golding’s timeless classic, Lord of the Flies, reflects Philip Zimbardo’s observations on the power of power through the transformation and development of the character Roger and his personality. The more power available to Roger, the more savage he becomes until it reaches a point where he can violently murder a peer and put his head on a stick for all to see and feel no remorse. Power can corrupt even the greatest of men and if a man can have power and not be corrupt, he has passed the ultimate test of character.

    Read More

  • Lord of the Flies

    676 Words  | 2 Pages

    In William Golding’s novel, the Lord of the Flies, even though Ralph became chief of the stranded boys, Jack eventually rose to power through scare tactics, confidence, determination, and control. When Jack demonstrated his leadership skills, it was evident that he was superior to Ralph and would use his sense of Social Darwinism (survival of the fittest) and his oratory skills to surpass and isolate Ralph completely. Regardless of Ralph’s strengths, such as his conch, democratic maneuvers, firm motives, and kind demeanor, Jack’s mere presence ousted Ralph’s chances of taking effective leadership. By using propaganda against Ralph, gaining support from his partisan tribe members, and overpowering Ralph through his persuasive techniques and appearance, Jack clearly demonstrated how his leadership of the island was inevitable.

    Read More

  • Power In Lord Of The Flies

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    On the other hand, Jack believes that he should be chief “‘because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.’’’(22). However, everyone naturally gravitates to Ralph as a leader over Jack because of his appearance and age. As the novel progresses, the littluns gravitate more to Jack. His philosophy is that hunting and having fun is more important than being safe and getting rescued. The littluns appeal more to his philosophy as novel progresses, because of this, they end up joining Jack’s side. This is the major power shift that happens. From here, Jack continues to have power over the littluns and keeps it until the end of the book. However, as the novel reaches an end, it appears that Roger would usurp Jack if they stay on the island. In conclusion, there

    Read More

  • Control In Lord Of The Flies

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    The boys are drawn away from a civilized way of living. Comments made by Ralph and Jack show the boys that Jack is resorting to savagery. Ralph and Jack both agree in the beginning while they are reasoning in a civil manner. Throughout the novel the two leaders stray from one another because of differences in motivation. Jack told the boys "We've got to decide about being rescued" (Golding 20). This statement illustrates Jack's civilized concern for the whole group. Jack seems to put the group before him. This unselfish concern soon dissolves as the internal beast prevails over the civil Jack. "I ought to be chief because I'm chapter chorister and I can sing C sharp" (Golding, 21), displays Jacks own arrogance. However, the narrator has more insight into this power struggle, "This toy of voting was almost as pleasing as the conch" (Golding 21). The narrator sees this act of voting through the boy's eyes. The narrator implies the boy's failure to understand the importance of a leader.

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies Comparison Essay

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel The Lord of the flies, William Golding illustrates the decline from innocence to savagery through a group of young boys. In the early chapters of The Lord of the Flies, the boys strive to maintain order. Throughout the book however, the organized civilization Ralph, Piggy, and Simon work diligently towards rapidly crumbles into pure, unadulterated, savagery. The book emphasized the idea that all humans have the potential for savagery, even the seemingly pure children of the book. The decline of all civilized behavior in these boys represents how easily all order can dissolve into chaos. The book’s antagonist, Jack, is the epitome of the evil present in us all. Conversely, the book’s protagonist, Ralph, and his only true ally, Piggy, both struggle to stifle their inner

    Read More

  • THE SINFUL NATURE OF MEN IN WILLIAM GOLDING'S LORD OF THE FLIES

    1264 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the story opens, the boys are stranded on the island without any type of authority and must fend for themselves. A meeting is held and the chief, Ralph, is quickly named. A reader at once can notice there is already a power struggle between Jack and Ralph but this is overlooked when Jack says rational and sensible remarks about what should be done. The stability of civilization is still apparent when Jack says, “I agree with Ralph. 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. So we’ve got to do the right things,” (Golding 42). The boys are still influenced by the restraints they learned from a controlled society. Joseph Conrad asserts that “there exists a certain ‘darkness of man’s heart’ that is suppressed by the light of civilization” (Introduction to Lord of the Flies 2). “Although Golding suggests the harmony of an ideal society, he does not indicate any faith in its creation” (Kennard 234). The more meetings that are held the more futile they become. “ ’We have lots of assemblies. Everybody enjoys speaking and being together. We decide things. But they don’t get done,’ ” (Golding 79). The boys realize that there are no punishments for what they do and disregard their priorities. “The idea that the absence of the restraints of civilization can lead to a subversion towards savagery” (Introduction to Lord of the Flies 2). The makeshift society that the boys have created is already starting to weaken.

    Read More

  • How Is Power Shown In Lord Of The Flies

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    On an uninhabited island, with the absence of sources to survive, one would find themselves facing the lack of power and control. Power is the ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. It can come in the form of a person or a particular item. In Lord of the Flies, a group of young school boys crash on an island with no adult guidance. With no rules or much of an authority to command the group, they go out of control. Very little is done to keep them orderly, and the boys become slaves of the objects they did not even recognize. These objects affect the way the boys behave and whether or not they can maintain organization for their survival. In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, three symbols of

    Read More

  • Power In Lord Of The Flies

    1334 Words  | 3 Pages

    Look around the room, look at the similarities and the differences. Observe the colors, cultures, languages, and styles. Now notice the major commonality. We're all human beings. Living, breathing, human beings, all capable of destroying ourselves and our surroundings.

    Read More

  • Chaos In Lord Of The Flies

    2056 Words  | 5 Pages

    One major conflict consists of which boy will become the leader, and incontrol of the island dilemma at hand. The environmental situation consisting of a lack of adult authority on the island causes disruption among the boys, and contrasting leadership roles to form because of a difference in opinion. We first see a glimpse of this when Jack and his increasingly savage hunters defy Ralph’s verdict to tend the fire, and decide they want to hunt instead Ralph says,“if i blow the conch and they don’t come back; then we’ve had it. We shan’t keep the fire going. We’ll be like animals.

    Read More

  • Power In Lord Of The Flies

    758 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are so many things that can make an individual powerful, money, a title but, in the William Golding novel Lord of the Flies it is so much more than that. None of the boys start off with anything that can give them an edge, except for their looks and control over others fear or lack of. While appearance can immediately give you the upper hand I am a lot more scared of those who know me best; they can easily use everything I trusted them with against me. The part that amazes me the most is that these boys didn't get the choice to trust each other, they had no choice. I think these are two of the most important things to consider when determining your thought on power and how one may get it.

    Read More

More about Power In Lord Of The Flies Research Paper

Open Document