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Essay On Power-Hungry Dictatorship In Lord Of The Flies

1987 Words8 Pages

Brandon DeSena
Mr.Huvane
British Literature
24 February 2023
Power-Hungry Dictatorship: The Fall of Civilization
Adolf Hitler had a huge sweet tooth for candy and desserts. He also had a sweet tooth for manipulating an entire country and building the terrifying image of what a power-hungry dictator can become. Adolf Hitler was the German dictator during WWII who killed over six million Jews and attempted to conquer all of Europe. He was part of the Nazi party with a powerful and dangerous ideology. Hitler became dictator by manipulating much of Germany, including children, with propaganda to shed him in a better light. Hitler's actions as one of the most powerful and violent dictators in the world continue to influence society and literature …show more content…

Taking advantage of and manipulating the youth is a dangerous trait for a leader to have. Jack attempts to take a leadership role throughout the entire novel. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the character of Jack Merridew is upset by the rules around the island and feeds the idea of a beast on the island, “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 - !” (91). Jack’s statements express how he is willing to keep the idea of the beast alive, which makes him sound like a strong leader. After this statement, the boys all get excited and laugh because Jack’s words make the boys, especially the littleuns, have confidence and believe in Jack’s ability to protect them. Just like Hitler, Jack uses the skill of manipulating the boys with lies by using the beast as his propaganda. Golding projects the point through Jack’s character warning how power-hungry leaders can use the weak minds of children to manipulate them into believing their lies and favor their …show more content…

When the fire on the island burns out, Jack makes the excuse that obtaining food is more important than keeping a fire going. Jack, however, uses the beast as a scapegoat in William Goldings Lord of the Flies when he says, “He came–disguised. He may come again even though we gave him the head of our full kill to eat. So watch; and be careful,” (160). The person Jack describes as being disguised is Simon, who Jack and the other boys murder claiming he is the beast. Jack uses the beast as the ultimate scapegoat for everything wrong with the island. Jack justifies the killing of an innocent kid because of a beast that is not physically real but only exists in their minds. The boys on the island believe the beast is the real villain on the island because Jack feeds lies into their minds, just as Adolf Hitler did with the Jews to all of Germany. Power-hungry dictators effectively use the scapegoat tactic because they erase the blame and place it on someone other than

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