How is leadership portrayed by William Golding in “Lord of the Flies”?
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How is leadership portrayed by William Golding in “Lord of the Flies”?
Successful leadership is seen in two pivotal characters in “Lord of the
Flies”- Ralph and Jack. However, these qualities evolve throughout the course
of the novel as the boys develop as leaders and characters. The path to the
thrilling and climatic conclusion of “Lord of the Flies” is a twisting one that
unwinds alongside each boy’s relationship with power and control.
From the initial chapter, both boys are established as possible leaders.
At the beginning, Golding demonstrates Ralph’s quiet authority to the reader
in lines such as “stillness about Ralph”. The use of the noun “stillness” implies
a silent quality within Ralph, a quality that continues to entice the boys and
command their attention. This nameless quality is what convinced the group to
elect Ralph as their chosen leader, despite not being the most obvious choice.
This is shown by Golding as “what intelligence had been shown was traceable
to Piggy, while the most obvious leader was Jack”. Ralph’s calm nature is
intriguing as, despite his stillness, his election is considered entirely natural.
Although Ralph never attempts to convince the boys of his potential
proficiency as chief, he is elected almost unanimously. A theme throughout
“Lord of the Flies” is civilisation and its relationship with democracy By writing
Ralph to represent these concepts, Golding demonstrates to the reader
(through this immediate vote) that the boys automatically support democracy
due to the strong bond they retain with civilisation and the home they were
reared in. Illustrating the boys’ mindset at this stage contrasts greatly with the
novel’s inclusion when Jack’s reign of terror succeeds, and so Golding
highlights the recession of man through this change as the boys stray from
civilised society.
Meanwhile, Jack is similarly shown to be an experienced leader. When
the reader is first introduced to the choir boys, Jack is referred to as “the boys
who controlled them”. The verb insinuates that Jack has power over these
boys and alerts the reader that he is their leader. The choir boys are implied to
be from a prestigious public school. Such institutions would have taught strict
obedience at the time Golding wrote the novel, and would have been prepared
to inflict harsh punishments. This quality is evident to the reader in how Jack
demands total obedience, utilising fear in his position of power. The group
instantly recognise Jack as a leader from how he exerts his power over the
choir, persuading them to view Jack as a potential chief, and eventually
compelling them to abandon Ralph for Jack’s leadership.
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