Logical Reasoning In Lord Of The Flies

American soldier Ambrose Bierce once said, "Logic: The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding." Logical reasoning is crucial for maintaining order and making good choices. This is displayed in William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, in which a group of British schoolboys is stranded on a deserted island and must learn to fend for themselves to ensure survival. Ralph uses logos to make sensible decisions that benefit all the boys while they are stranded on the island; he displays the importance of making logical decisions under challenging circumstances.

Ralph's use of logos convinces the boys that they have a favorable chance of being rescued and presents

For instance, at the first meeting after Ralph is appointed chief, he discusses that at some point, a ship is bound to sail in their direction, meaning that the boys will be rescued eventually (Golding 37). Ralph focuses on the reality of their circumstances to address the boys, rather than letting his own emotion and fear get in the way of his capabilities as leader. He displays the cognizance and pragmatic mindset required to seamlessly make decisions, even under pressing conditions. Furthermore, when Jack pressures the other boys to leave Ralph's tribe and join his own, Ralph retaliates with, "I'm chief... And what about the fire? And I've got the conch-" (Golding 150). Ralph's sensibly persuades the boys, instead of retaliating with force or emotions. His calm and collective persona when reasoning with Jack is an example of how confident leaders should act. Moreover, when Ralph is faced with the dilemma of how to deal with Jack's new tribe, he considers going back to them because he reasons that they are all boys, not savages, and that being rescued is a serious matter (Golding 170). Despite Jack and the other boys' recent inhumane nature, Ralph still considers joining forces with them because he is still responsible for them, and his focus is still on getting everyone rescued. This reasoning is crucial for leaders to be successful;

For instance, throughout the novel, Ralph presses the importance of the signal fire, which Jack eventually ends up using as a weapon to hunt Ralph down (Golding 198). This could be interpreted as Ralph's logic backfiring on himself, therefore landing himself into trouble among the boys. His idea for being rescued turns into a life-threatening situation for himself. However, the fire that Jack set is how the naval ship comes to the boys' rescue (Golding 200). Without Ralph stressing the importance of fires throughout the novel, Jack would not have been able to execute this fire that led to the boys' rescue. Ralph's constant attention to the fire throughout the novel does, eventually, lead to the boys' rescue. Therefore, all the boys benefit from this