This is a an essay that aim to delve into the relationship between Jack and Ralph as well as explaining the reasoning behind Golding's representation of their friendship, or lack thereof in the latter Chapters of the book.
How does Golding present the relationship between Jack and Ralph?
In Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, Ralph and Jack are two distinct
characters whose leadership qualities contrast so much that they become
pitted against each other. Ralph and Jack come to symbolize the good and
evil in life. Ralph stands for civilization and the good in humanity, but under
Jacks command the boys become evil and savage.
The most dangerous enemy is not the evil found without, but the evil
found within each of us. The way Jack tempts the boys with the excitement of
the bloodthirsty hunt, or insane tribal dances around a fire, suggests that Jack
was actually a form of the devil himself, trying to lead the boys away from their
wholesome faithful lives. Jack is leading them away from rescue. Jack
appealed to the primitive side within most little boys, and had them forget all
that they knew about civilization and being proper. Jack had formed his own
little army of savages. Ralph on the other hand symbolized the good in men.
Ralph was honest and innocent. He cared more about being rescued than he
did about being in charge. Ralph, with Piggy at his side, tried to enforce order
among the boys, yet Ralph was so naive, even he himself once fell victim to
the mob mentality of the tribe, taking part in a heartless release of passion
which resulted in the demise of his good friend Simon. It was then that he
realized that his life on the island was no longer all fun and games. It takes
great strength to be civilized in a world without order. It message that may
have been the purpose of novel, especially because it was written not long
after world war two, in which millions of men died for the peace and
democratic order that people take for granted today.
Lord Acton once said, “Power tends to corrupt, Absolute power
corrupts absolutely.” In Jack’s case, this is all so very true. The more power
the boys let Jack have over them, the tighter his leash upon them became.
Jack began to run his little tribe like as dictator, much like Adolph Hitler, in the
sense that he tried (on multiple occasions) to impose his will upon the boys.
An example of this would be during chapter 3 when Jack and Ralph argue
about priorities and jack repeatedly says “we want meat”. The repetition
serves to show the reader the passion Jack possesses for the desire to hunt
and the forcefulness of the approach he takes to get Ralph see this from his
point of view. This forcefulness of Jack is shown physically in his body
language, specifically in the way that Ralph “flung himself own at Jack’s feet”
leaving Ralph in a more submissive stance whilst Jack stands, towering above
him. Jacks position is more dominant and powerful, in the same way that his
reign over the boys is a show of power and totalitarian rule. This causes the
reader to feel shocked at how quickly the boys are adopting a barbaric nature
as it was only 2 chapters before that Ralph and Jack were playing at the top of
a mountain.
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