Jack And Ralph's Power In Lord Of The Flies

601 Words2 Pages

Once achieved, power has the ability to either improve or corrupt its holder. Ralph, the more noble of the two leaders on the island, is bettered by his position as chief; whereas Jack, the usurper, abuses his power for personal gain. Fear influences human behavior because it holds people back from doing things that they have the potential to do, and it makes people hesitate. Desire for acceptance affects human behavior because people forget to be themselves and sometimes abandon their mortals in order to be accepted. Ralph’s one firm stand throughout the novel is his insistence that they keep the signal fire going. But as order and rules go by the wayside, so does the order within Ralph’s own head. He can remember that he wants a signal fire, …show more content…

Then again, Jack is a lot like Ralph. Like Ralph, Jack is charismatic and inclined to leadership. Unlike Ralph, he gets off on power and abuses his position above others. If Ralph is made better through his role as chief, Jack is corrupted by it, becoming worse and worse as he gains more control over the others. Like Ralph, Jack is brave: the two of them together climb the mountain to face the beast, one of many odd moments between the two. Yet while Ralph clings to the rules and order of his upbringing, Jack revels in the fact that there are no grownups! He gets to swear, play war games, hunt things, and paint his face, without risking being sent to his room for playing rough and accidentally killing the neighbors. Piggy is more of the social outcast, but in this chapter, he tells the boys not to give up just yet. Fear and desire for acceptance influence human behavior because it causes both sides to push for what they want their desire to be. For example, Jack wants to fight against Ralph and cause a commotion so that the other boys would make a fool out of him and vote for Jack rather than Ralph. He desires to be a leader. On the other hand, Ralph was accepted by vote of the boys, he was accepted by vote of their

Show More
Related

  • Guns n' Roses' Song "Welcome to the Jungle" is Reflective of the Character Jack in "The Lord of the Flies"

    510 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Ralph blows the conch, Jack is introduced to the reader for the first time. He is represented as an audacious and selfish boy who likes to order others around when he says "I ought to be chief, because I'm chapter chorister and head boy"(Goldberg p.22). It also confirms his hunger for power and wanting control over everything. His choleric and petulant personality can be seen when he says "Shut up, Fatty."(p.23), also revealing that he is rude and inconsiderate of others. Despite his obnoxious personality, his conscious of civilization keeps him from killing the first pig they see. He even recommends that the boys should have rules to keep things in order.

    Read More

  • Dictatorship Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Chapter 8 Jack says “He’s like Piggy. He says things like Piggy. He isn’t a proper chief.” He says this because Jack thinks his point of view is the right one, and it can only be the right one. This is similar to dictatorships in the past when people believe their right and anyone who doesn’t agree is the enemy. Later in the book Jack tries to get more followers by promising them psychological needs. Jack states “We’ve killed a pig and we’ve got meat. You can come and eat with us if you like.” Jack is trying to take away any of Ralph’s remaining supporters, so that Ralph is forced to follow him when all he has left is Piggy, Samneric, and a few clueless littluns. Later in this book Ralph is on his own a few hours after Piggy dies, he is considering joining Jack’s tribe because he will have food and protection. In the forest he thinks about the thought of eating fruit, and then remembering the feast and that maybe they would let him back. After that he realizes that the hunters killed Piggy and Simon, so they would kill him

    Read More

  • 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

  • Lord Of The Flies - Analyzing

    818 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, as the plot progresses, Ralph faces both internal and external conflicts; from those conflicts he greatly matures. Ralph always has the strong belief that all the children will be saved from the island sooner or later; he is so sure that he even insists that they should have fire at all times to signal. However, when the boys abandon the fire which is symbolic of Ralph’s hope of getting saved, Ralph faces an internal conflict that makes him fear about their future; perhaps they will not be rescued at all. By insisting that the children should keep the fire going, he creates an external conflict with Jack whose values are different. Jack is enjoying life as a leader of the savages, and he fears that fire will possibly end his authoritarian rule over the savages. Both conflicts are resolved when Ralph finally meets the naval officer.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Outcast In Lord Of The Flies

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    Piggy believed in laws and rule while Jack believed in hunting and killing. This makes Piggy more outcasted because he doesn’t agree with Jack so all the boys that do follow Jack automatically don’t like Piggy. Piggy got most of the boys to agree with him on one topic. Fire. Jack and Piggy were arguing over where the fire should go and what was best for the boys, Piggy won this battle, but only this one.

    Read More

  • Lord of the Flies essay

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ralph shows that he has a better understanding of the boys than Jack. He knows that the boys need some sort of order on the island in order for them to survive. He starts a simple form of government and sets a few rules for them. Even though they don’t last very long, the fact that he tried to help the group is what makes him a better leader. Ralph’s wisdom and ability to look toward the future also has an advantage over Jack. He has a sense to keep his focus on getting off the island. When the fire goes out, Ralph gets upset because the chance to be rescued was gone as well. Ralph enforces his role of leadership as he gives the boys a sense of stability of an authority figure. He keeps the boys in pretty good order at the meeting by making a rule that they can only speak if they have the conch. Ralph knows that the littleuns are afraid and they need shelter to feel more secure. They work together for a while, but as the time goes on the smaller boys want to go play. They slowly lose all their help until Simon and Ralph are the only ones left to work on them. Ralph knows that this is a necessity and keeps bringing it up at the meetings. Jack, on the other hand, is doing nothing but causing chaos.

    Read More

  • Jack And Ralph In Lord Of The Flies Essay

    686 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ralph’s attitude toward piggy is somewhat rude because of the way he laughs sarcastically to piggy's idea.For example when Ralph asks Piggy “are you going to swim” and piggly replies “no, i wasn't allowed to because of my asthma.” and Ralph says “well that sucks for you.” I myself thought that was really rude because it’s not his fault that Piggy has asthma. Also when he tend to call Piggy fat, which is all the time.

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies

    1578 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ralph was introduced as a fair and likeable boy. His interaction with Piggy demonstrated his kind nature as he did not call him names with hateful intentions as Jack had. His good looks allowed him to be well accepted among his peers, and this gave him enough confidence. His handsome features and the conch as a symbol of power and order made him stand out from the crowd of boys and led to his being proclaimed Chief: "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 powerful, there was the conch" (p. 24). From the quick decisions he made as Chief near the beginning of the novel, it could be seen that Ralph was well-organized. Gradually, Ralph became confused and began to lose realness in his thoughts and speeches: "Ralph was puzzled by the shutter that flickered in his brain. There was something he wanted to say; then the shutter had come down." (p. 156) He started to feel lost as the boys, with the exception of Piggy, began to change and adapt to their freedom.. He was more influenced by Piggy than by Jack.

    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

  • The Lord Of The Flies: A Literary Analysis

    585 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jack had a bit of a war-mongering stripe in him. His need for conflict and competition is evident throughout the book, such as butting heads with Ralph and bullying Piggy. Even worse, he was the “Leader of the choir boys…who followed him everywhere.” (Golding 16). He had a following before he reached the island, whereas Ralph had to build his own faction. As a final advantage, Jack was also one of the older boys on the island, so anyone younger would automatically look to him for advice and help, along with Ralph. However, being that many of the other boys owed their loyalties to Jack due to their collective participation in choir, some of the stragglers might seek to go to the larger “side” that developed in the latter half of the book. Solomon Asch’s explained this in his work on conformity, which states that if a large number of individuals are moving in a direction, more should follow. Luckily for Ralph and Piggy, it was not unanimous, or the likelihood of them gaining followers would be almost nil. Piggy had predispositions that were better earlier on in the story, but soon faded into obscurity. Piggy was representative of the educated man of society; the one society produces so that the individual can be successfully adapted to society. While his keen ideas were useful at the beginning of their endeavors, his physical shortcomings ultimately doomed him.

    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 Allegory Analysis

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is evident when Jack wants to put people in punishment if somebody breaks the rules (32). His desire to punish people shows his love of power and dominance. It also reveals that Jack could have been like one of the ambitious leaders in the past history. Another sign of becoming a savage in the society is showing an act of disrespectful to another neighbour, including Piggy. This reveals when Jack mocks Piggy by telling him, “Shut up, Fatty” (17). It also happens when Piggy condemns Jack for “[letting] the fire out”, although Jack makes a promise to “keep the smoke going” (75). However, he became so violent, so angry that he “smacked Piggy’s head” (75). Some of the uncivilized members of the society use their selfish desires, which is not aiming for the common good. For instance, Jack tells Ralph that he successfully “cut the pig’s throat” (73). He said, “There was lashing of blood…you should have seen it!” (73). This suggests that Jack is more concern about hunting rather than getting rescued. Jack, as a savage, uses his ambitious power to put people in punishment, his rude attitude to hurt people, and his way to care more about himself than others. This character greatly exemplifies a savage in the society, but another important symbol that makes a novel an allegory is the

    Read More

  • Ralph Lord Of The Flies Essay

    1545 Words  | 4 Pages

    At the beginning, clearly Ralph feels that Jack is an ally, a companion; not a rival for leadership, "Ralph found himself alone on a limb with Jack and they grinned at each other ... that strange invisible light of friendship". The chosen leader of the group, Ralph tried to lead the stranded boys into some kind of order. The authority of Jack and the sensibility of Piggy easily sway him. When Ralph first meets Piggy, he sees him as a lower person who should be ridiculed. He starts off by asking for his name and he is told that people used to make fun of

    Read More

  • Contrasting Ralph and Jack in Lord of the Flies

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    Contrasting Ralph and Jack in Lord of the Flies & nbsp;& nbsp; & nbsp; Ralph and Jack are both powerful and meaningful characters in William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies.  Ralph is an excellent leader; responsible, and stands for all that is good.  Jack is a destructive hunter, selfish, and represents evil.  These two main characters can be compared by the actions they take as leaders, their personalities, and what they symbolize in the story. & nbsp;                    Ralph first takes on the position as leader at the beginning of the story, when the rest of the boys vote him in as chief.&nbs Rules and standards are set when Ralph is the chief.  He orders the group to build the basic necessities of civilization, shelters, and most importantly to keep the fire going, in hope that they will be rescued and return to humanity. " But I tell you that smoke is more important than the pig, however often you kill one" (Golding 75).  Jack, on the other hand, takes on the idea of every man for himself. He does not care about making homes, only about hunting.  When Jack is the leader, evil takes over and all good is destroyed.  Under Jack's power both Simon and Piggy are killed.  & nbsp;                    Not only do the two character's decisions clash so do their personalities.  Ralph is caring and considerate, being kinder to Piggy, making friends with him and constantly confid Ralph represents law, order, organized society and moral integrity. Throughout the novel he is constantly making common-sense rules for the boys to follow. Unlike Ralph, Jack is unkind, caring about no one

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies Social Allegory Analysis

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    The group of boys must choose a leader and when Jacks name gets brought up as an option, Golding writes, “With dreary obedience the choir raised their hands” (23). Jack acts mightier than the other boys in the choir and he scares them into voting for him at the election, just as a dictator would do to his people. At an assembly meeting, where the boys discuss the beast and if they should hunt it, Piggy and Jack get into a fight over the conch and Jack says, “Conch! Conch! We don’t need the conch anymore. We know who ought to say things” (101-102). When Jack says this, it shows he has no respect for other people’s opinions and he only cares about his own. Dictators usually have the characteristic of selfishness which Jack shows in this quote. When Ralph, Piggy, and Samneric go to Castel Rock to try and talk some sense into Jack and his tribe, Samneric get captured and tied up against their will. Later, Jack came up to the twins and said, “You got to join the tribe” (182). Jack doesn’t give Samneric an option on whether they would rather stay with Jack’s tribe or go and join Ralph again. This shows that Jack bullies people and gives out orders without consulting what they would like to do, much like a dictator. In this novel, Jack creates a dictatorship for his tribe and it untimely leads to chaos and savagery proving that

    Read More

More about Jack And Ralph's Power In Lord Of The Flies

Open Document