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Jack's Leadership In Lord Of The Flies

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When a group is forced into a threatening situation, natural leaders quickly emerge with potentially devastating effects. In the case of the English school boys in the novel "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding, this is exactly what occurs. A rivalry for power arises between two emerging leaders, Jack Merridew and Ralph, considering there is a lack of adult presence on the island. The character Jack immediately displays his high self value by putting himself above others to gain control. Because of Jack's egotism he hungers for power which promotes tension ,that creates distrust and escalates to savage war on the island. Due to Jack's egotism, he elevates his leadership role among the boys to suffice his hunger for power. Upon arrival to the island Ralph holds an assembly, being their current chief, to discuss their situation. During …show more content…

Jack displays his egotistical self image and immediately positions himself above others. Jack's previous entitlement may have sufficed his hunger for power, but now that Ralph has taken control of the group, Jack's desire to remain a leader is unfulfilled. In this situation his egotism surfaces and pushes him to compete for power. After the boys have established order amongst themselves, there is conflict about choosing to prioritize the signal fire or hunting the beast. When the hunters allow the signal fire to go out in order to hunt the beast, Jack's decision to defy Ralph's orders is when disunion sparks. "Who thinks Ralph oughtn’t be chief?...Alright then… I’m going off by myself… Anyone who wants to hunt when I do can come too”(Golding 127). Since Jack is unable to obtain the power he desires, he takes the matter into his own hands by defying Ralph. This creates division and

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424 Words | 2 Pages

The first way is that because Jack didn’t accept the children for who they were, there was friction between him and the rest of the boys. In the first chapter, an attempt at civilization was made. Jack states that he himself should be elected chief, but he is ignored by the group of young castaways. Another boy from the back of the pack shouts that they should hold a vote, which, of course, everyone except Jack agrees to. The children elect Ralph as leader because of his welcoming and laid back character.

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570 Words | 3 Pages

When Ralph is in charge, he never takes true control of the group. “Ralph looked for confirmation round the ring of faces”( Golding 36). Ralphs need for confirmation is what eventually leads to him being downgraded from chief. Ralphs soft outlook creates opportunity for boys to step up and tap into their savage side. “Ralph was on his feet too, shouting for quiet but no-one heard him, all at once the crowd swayed towards the island and was gone---following Jack”(Golding 38).

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857 Words | 4 Pages

In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the two main characters, Ralph and Jack, create two very different societies. Despite the fact that Jack isn’t the initial chief, he uses the boys’ desires and fear to lure in the boys to create a society of his own. His society consist of access to basic needs, good organisation and authority. The boys on the island tend to follow Jack because he provides them with access to basic needs. “Has everyone eaten as much as they want?”

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323 Words | 2 Pages

In the beginning of the book, Jack wishes to have rules and order. However, Jack begins to change and it is first noticed when the group of boys choose a chief to lead them. Jack then begins to turn his ways as he is not chosen to lead and a boy named Ralph was. Jack, believing that hunting is the most important part of surviving the island, turns on Ralph as Ralph believes that to get off the island they were stuck on, they have to light a fire that

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692 Words | 3 Pages

Jack is able to convince a large majority of the boys to like him over Ralph. Rousseau points out, “As soon as it is possible to disobey with impunity, disobedience is legitimate; and, the strongest being always in the right, the only thing that matters is to act so as to become the strongest”(2). The instant that Jack sees his chance to become a leader over the other boys, he acts as quickly as possible, setting up his own tribe at the other end of the island. In Jack’s tribe, unlike in Ralph’s, he answers to no one, bar himself, while all the boys in turn answer to

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721 Words | 3 Pages

Lord of the Flies: War Allegory Colin Badalona M. Klincket 3rd period 10-16-14 Imagine you were dropped on an island with a bunch of boys you might have or might not have anything in common with. When they first met each other there is a competition to be the alpha male of the society but once there is an established leader when you don't agree with some of the decisions that he makes you will want to rebel and start you own society or take him out. This can lead to a power struggle which can lead to war. In the book Lord of the Flies all these lead into a miniature war with in the island “paradise”.

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3288 Words | 14 Pages

Jack is always butting heads with Ralph for authority, even if he has no intention of leading the group of boys. Most of the brouhahas between Jack and Ralph are essentially over the title of chief. While Ralph argues for the title in order to set an example for the other boys, Jack only wants it because of the power it embodies. When Ralph chooses to disregard Jack's title, Jack ruthlessly expresses his displeasure: “‘I’m chief!’ Viciously, with full intention, he hurled his spear at Ralph.

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434 Words | 2 Pages

Although Jack expresses strong desire to become chief, the boys elect Ralph as a leader, suggesting an air of charisma that made him worthy of his position. He believes a leader has to “think, be wise… grab at a decision”, someone who can look after others and keep the group in

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870 Words | 4 Pages

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is a novel that revolves around the concept of civilization versus savagery. The boys argue about points that eventually split the boys amongst themselves. These disputes come up multiple times over the course of the novel. One of which being the fight over the leader of the boys. Some believed the leader should be Jack while others believed it should be Ralph.

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843 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the novel, Jack consistently demonstrates a disregard for rules and a desire for dominance and power. When he leads the boys in hunting and violence, he taps into their savage and primal instincts - including Ralph’s. As Jack proclaims, "The conch doesn't count at this end of the island" (Golding, 150) it becomes evident that he prioritizes dominance and power over order, authority, and the established rules on the island. In the midst of their destructive rivalry, Jack’s failures teach Ralph important lessons. Witnessing Jack’s inability to maintain the signal fire makes Ralph recognize the value of collaboration, communication, and planning for survival.

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574 Words | 3 Pages

In chapters 6 and 7, there are more signs of Jack and everyone else disobeying Ralph, implying the further strain of Jack and Ralph’s relationship.    In Chapter 8, Ralph angered Jack simply by calling him and his hunters cowardly and ineffective. In response, he unsuccessfully tries to impeach Ralph then permanently runs away into the forest, with many others joining him. A small provocation from Ralph causing Jack to form his own separate group shows how volatile the tension in their relationship now is. It can also be seen that Jack now fully rejects Ralph’s leadership in favour of his own.

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501 Words | 3 Pages

Ralph called the meeting to discuss discipline. Jack doesn’t care about that. Jack has bloodlust. What Jack meant when he said this was that he is basically the only man on the island. He is pretty much saying that he is superior to everyone else on the island.

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458 Words | 2 Pages

Firstly, Jack is responsible for the initial split in the boys' society. At the beginning of the novel, Ralph is elected as the leader of the group, and Jack is appointed as the leader of the hunters. However, Jack quickly becomes jealous of Ralph's authority and begins to undermine him at every opportunity. Jack consistently tries to gain power for himself, eventually leading a group of boys away from Ralph's leadership and forming his own tribe. This split creates an "us vs. them" mentality, causing conflict and violence between the two groups.

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1096 Words | 5 Pages

Although Jack already has a tribe, he is still not satisfied and wants to destroy the civilization Ralph has created. Jack reveals he is a master of disguise and will gain the trust of Ralph’s tribe by having a feast before transforming them into savages. Now that the boys on the island are hunting Ralph, Samneric warn Ralph about Jack’s upcoming danger: “’ They’re going to hunt you tomorrow… I dunno. And Ralph, Jack, the chief, says it’ll be dangerous-“’ (Golding 188). Jack instills a profound amount of fear in the boys that they refer to him as chief, even though they know Ralph is better suitable as chief.

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583 Words | 3 Pages

In the quote above, Ralph is attempting to hide when the boys pass by him. Jack however notices him and Ralph realizes this may be the end. Jack, along with his tribe and their spears and painted faces run down Ralph through the forest even setting it on fire. In the end Ralph ends up being saved by luck, running into an officer. If it were not for the officer, Jack’s evilness would have got the best of him, and Ralph would not have survived.

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