What Are The Similarities Between Mean Girls And Lord Of The Flies

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Although on the surface Mean Girls, Tina Fey’s 2005 film about the average experience of an average teenage girl in high school, and Lord of the Flies, William Golding’s 1956 book about a group of young boys stranded on a deserted island, could not be more seemingly different as they share the common themes of hierarchy and descent into savagery. They explore these themes using a variety of different techniques, specific to each text’s medium. Both passages explore the dynamics of hierarchy and the embedded power that comes with it through their different genders and expectations. The iconic teenage movie explores these themes through the eyes of a woman, teenage girls are sly with their intentions and plan out their attacks, their hierarchy is based on likability and influence. …show more content…

She does this specifically while Cady is watching to prove that she will forever remain on top. Whereas the characters of Lord of the Flies value brute strength and survival instinct in their leaders, as it proves their superior masculinity. Ralph, one of the leading boys in the novel, is an elected leader meaning he has an immense influence on the other boys he has power in numbers and unity. Jack runs a more despotic society, he forces his way to the top through threats and brutality, he takes higher advantage of his power and the hierarchy runs deeper through him. Because of the two leaders, there is a division between the democratic and despotic society. To secure its survival, the despotic society run by Jack tries to demolish the democratic one run by Ralph through heated threats and physical violence. Through their distinct narratives, Mean Girls and Lord of the Flies showcase how hierarchical structures, whether based on social influence and likability or brute strength and dominance, ultimately lead to power struggles and conflicts within their respective

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