Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

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Throughout Lord of the Flies emotional feelings challenge the boys along with tasks the boys need to complete to get off the island as soon as possible. When the group breaks in two, the reader is shown emotional challenges that individuals undertake prior to this event. Golding uses the breaking of the groups to show the literal breaking point, the straw that breaks the camel's back. We see that several characters such as Piggy Ralph, and Simon want to be part of the group. These individuals face emotional difficulties. Through the emotional difficulties, the boys have difficulties with their concentration and grip on getting off the island. Trying to face an emotional challenge is like going through a maze. It is difficult for an individual to know in what direction to go next. With an emotional challenge it is hard to know how to confront that challenge, how to cope with it, and annihilate it. When the individual is in the core of facing and understanding their emotion, it is difficult to multitask and face an external challenge (such as getting off the island). This emotional maze is continuously daring the boys, and when the boys form two new groups they are taking the wrong turn in the maze, extricating themselves from their emotional challenge, but forming a new plight that they must escape.
Lacking respect for Piggy is the first wrong turn the boys take in the maze. As a result of being the odd one out, Piggy is the victim. Piggy's specs are taken from him- one of several points where Piggy is the victim. When his specs are taken from him, Piggy shouts, "My specs! Give me my specs!" Since the boys don't care about Piggy, they don't have respect for him. Having no respect for Piggy is the norm, and when everyone sees Ralph,...

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...ems to be a little apprehensive, but he is a nice little boy. Simon is called a "small vivid boy". Simon's compassion is shown in the way his actions play out. When Piggy's glasses are knocked off his face by Jack, Simon salvages them. Simon is even seen giving Piggy some of his meat. He also assists the littluns itch their fruit picking. "Found for them food they could not reach, pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless outstretched hands." Having compassion is a quality that both Jack an Ralph lack (Ralph has compassion, but it is only revealed towards the end of the novel when he cries about Piggy). To be a good leader, one has to understand the people- in this case the boys. Simon was full of compassion and understanding, an essential quality for a leader to have.

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Lord of the flies by William Golding

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