Ralph And Jack's Leadership In Lord Of The Flies

In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Ralph and Jack face the obstacles of being alone in a world with no rules or leaders. The boys’ behavior on the island is a microcosm of larger society. Golding proves that mankind is inherently evil, civilized only by society’s rules and expectations. Ralph and Jack share few of the same values, interpersonal skills and leadership styles; they serve as foils throughout the novel in an epic battle of good versus evil.
In the beginning, Ralph and Jack share similar values. For example, both of the boys value rules. Ralph establishes that whoever has the conch should be allowed to talk, and initially, Jack says, “‘We’ll have rules!’... ‘Lots of rules!’”(Golding 33). As the novel develops,

The two boys do not share many of the same leadership qualities; however, they are both brave. One example of Ralph's bravery is shown when the boys are walking through the woods to Castle Rock to look for the beast. Although this is where the boys believe the beast is and nobody has been on this part of the island, Ralph builds up the courage to say, “I’m chief. I’ll go. Don’t argue”(Golding 104). Bravery is an important quality in a strong leader, especially when the beast is introduced creating fear among the boys on the island. Jack happens to possess courage as well. Jack shows his bravery in multiple areas of the novel but particularly when the boys are hunting down the beast. By doing this, he is giving the group a sense of safety because Jack will protect

Ralph is a democratic leader. He allows everyone to have some sort of say. For instance, he and Piggy propose the idea of the conch shell, “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking”(Golding 33). The conch shell gives every boy on the island a chance to voice his opinion. In addition, Ralph looks out for the well-being of all the children on the island, including the littluns. He builds them shelters to help them establish a feeling of home and safety. In addition, Ralph does not use his power for his own prosperity but rather for the benefit of his community. In contrast, Jack’s leading style differs greatly from that of Ralph’s because Jack leads like a dictator. He does not allow his tribal members to dissent. Also, unlike Ralph, Jack has an “every man for himself” mentality; he does not care about the littluns. Furthermore, Jack uses his power to benefit himself. Jack thrives on adrenaline and power, so when he starts losing power, he breaks away from Ralph’s group to start his own tribe. At this point Jack has become a