Power In Lord Of The Flies

Leadership and authority is essential for a community to grow and succeed. Civilians need a familiar figure to look up to and rely on when things do not go as planned. One must be there to ensure maximized efficiency and harmony, and when used correctly, power is the key to a successful society. However, when too much authority falls into the wrong hands power can lead to a disastrous future for the human race. George Orwell's "1984" concentrates on the life of a man named Winston Smith, as he struggles with dehumanization in the oppressive Oceania. Similarly, "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding describes the conflicts of a group of young boys when they are left to fend for themselves after their plane crashes on a deserted island. Both

As the antagonist of the novel, he constantly manipulates others to become the leader of the group. He gains most of his power through the boys' fear, “’I've called an assembly,’ said Jack, ‘because of a lot of things. First, you know now, we've seen the beast.’” (Golding, 97). Jack continually reminds the group that a beast haunts the island - a form of manipulation that leaves many boys fearful and more willing to surrender control to him. Because of this, the beast indirectly becomes his primary source of power and control. Jack’s leverage is raised when he provokes Ralph into making careless choices, against his tendency of rational thinking—a manipulation that weakens Ralph’s reputation in the tribe. Even though Ralph knows that it is unwise to search for the beast after dark, he recognizes that in a community that favours strength over intelligence, he cannot risk seeming like a coward. Unfortunately, because he agrees to hunt at night, the lack of light causes the boys to mistake the dead parachutist for the beast. This was Jack’s goal all along because going in the dark costs Ralph the opportunity to confirm to the boys that the beast does not exist. If they had gone exploring at daytime as Ralph originally proposed, everyone would have seen the beast was only a dead parachutist. Convinced they saw the beast, the boys conclude that Jack was right all along, which in turn, guides them to follow him blindly. They rely on him for information about the beast and eventually start believing everything he says. The belief that the beast exists makes the boys more compliant and easier to control because they wish for protection from Jack. He convinces the boys the beast has evil powers, making it a common enemy to be feared. By the end of the novel, Jack has forced himself into a position of power