Montesquieu Lord Of The Flies Literary Analysis

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The “perfect” form of government truly does not exist in this world, there is no such thing as a flawless government. If a government does not take action to improve in the various components it lacks, there will be no longer be a safe or stable nation anymore, ending with the result of complete destruction. Baron de Montesquieu believed in a government in which power is distributed equally and used differently between three separate branches of the government. In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys are left stranded on an uninhabited island without adult supervision, leading them down a road filled with chaos. Although Ralph is elected as leader of the boys, Jack longs for total power over the group. Since the boys on the island do not implement a system of checks and balances, a component of government that …show more content…

Through Jack’s transformation from a proper, orderly schoolboy to a violent savage, Montesquieu’s governing component of having an organization that prevents anyone from having too much power is violated. According to Baron de Montesquieu, it is vital to maintain the proper balance of powers among its branches and for its citizens to put the concerns of the common good above their own in order to form a successful government. Without this component of government, oppression, tyranny and abuse of power will take course, along with the freedom of people being placed at risk (“Biographical Briefing on Baron de Montesquieu”). One of the major occurrences on the island that demonstrates the necessity for a system of separation of powers