Authority of Leadership in Lord of the Flies by William...

â€Å"‘The rules!’ shouted Ralph. ‘You’re breaking the rules!’ ‘Who cares?’ Ralph summoned his wits: ‘Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got!’† (91). In Lord of the Flies, Ralph says this to Jack at one of their assemblies, after having berated the boys for neglecting the shelter building and the signal fires. Ralph’s leadership is built on these rules, and Jack’s breaking of them causes an ideological conflict between them which eventually leads to Ralph’s loss of power among the group. He tries to create a just and orderly society to fulfill their needs and allow them to be rescued, but the boys eventually find Jack’s churlish lethargy and excess to be more desirable. Desirable, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, can be†¦show more content†¦Piggy urges Ralph to use what power he has left by calling a meeting: â€Å"’What’s grown-ups goin g to say?’ cried Piggy again†¦The sound of mock hunting, hysterical laughter, and real terror came from the beach. ‘Blow the conch, Ralph...You got to be tough now. Make ‘em do what you want.’ Ralph answered in the cautious voice of one who rehearses a theorem. ‘If I blow the conch and they don’t come back; then we’ve had it. We shan’t keep the fire going. We’ll be like animals. We’ll never be rescued.’† In this situation, Piggy is still worried about the punishment of his previous life. He is the closest thing to an adult on the island, and Ralph is the only one who advocates listening to him, illustrating Ralph’s connection to the rules of traditional civilization, which the other boys despise and want to escape through the island. After showing blatant disregard to their â€Å"chief’s† rules, they decide to escape the constraints of Ralph’s assemblies and embr ace their inner savagery with Jack. Piggy urges Ralph to blow the conch, the symbol of his power throughout the book, but Ralph understands that his form of leadership is becoming the less desirable option to the boys: if he calls an assembly and the other boys do not respond, its power, and his civilization, will have completely disintegrated. Ralph constantly emphasizes their responsibilities on the island—specifically, tending to the signal fire.Show MoreRelatedWilliam Golding s Lord Of The Flies1389 Words   |  6 PagesA response to Lord Of The Flies Imagine an airplane crash. The heat of flames scorch passengers’ backs in addition to the wind burning their faces. Lucky, this crash was over water and near an island so most passengers survive, with an exception of the airplane staff and the pilot. Even though alive, many are in fits of fear and panic, and others are in shock. After hurried deliberation, a lone member of the group is elected leader in hopes that they will calm the panic, and make the hard, but necessaryRead MoreLord of the Flies by William Golding1585 Words   |  7 Pages Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a fictional novel highlighting natural characteristics of man kind. The Book was created during the post World War II period. Before creating this novel, William had experience in the navy where he learned of the nature of mankind. The introduction of the book portrays a plane crash where a large group of boys are stranded on an island. Here they grow in character and human instincts such as leadership, brutality, and survival are displayedRead MoreLord of The Flies Essay1673 Words   |  7 PagesLord of the Flies was published in 1954 by William Golding. Today Lord of the Flies is a well known literary criticism. Many schools require their students to read Lord of the Flies because of the literary criticisms in the book. In this paper three themes or literary criticisms are talked about: good vs. evil, symbolism of characters, and maturity of characters. Another topic in Goldings Lord of the Flies is the battle of good vs. evil. Everything seems to start out just fine on the island; theRead MoreSymbolic Characters Of Lord Of The Flies By William Golding898 Words   |  4 Pagesand Piggy can all be seen as symbolic characters in William Golding s novel Lord of the Flies. The specific items they had can also be seen as symbols. For example, Piggy’s glasses, Ralph’s conch and Jack’s spear all have a deeper meaning. Golding uses symbolism to display his belief of the nature of mankind. He believes that the change from good to evil, from civilization to savage, is inevitable if there isn’t any type of authority or leadership over people. Piggy, an asthmatic, overweight boyRead MoreMankind: Naturally Good or Evil? Essay example699 Words   |  3 Pageswhether or not you stay that way. In regards to this, William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, is a story is told about many guilty boys, however, the boys are very young. In so, many wonder if the boys are naturally evil or good and they do not know what to do without adults. As Simon said in Lord of The Flies, â€Å"Maybe, he said hesitantly, maybe there is a beast. [...] What I mean is, maybe its only us.† (Golding 89). In Lord of the Flies, the boys are afraid of an imaginary figure calledRead MoreEssay on Symbolism in Lord of the Flies, by William Golding912 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism in Lord of the Flies, by William Golding In his classic novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses many elements of symbolism to help the readers gain a greater understanding of his message. Symbolism can be anything, a person, place, or thing, used to portray something beyond its self. It is used to represent or foreshadow the conclusion of the story. As one reads this novel, he or she will begin to recognize the way basic civilization is slowly stripped away from the boys as conflictRead MoreLord of the Flies1669 Words   |  7 PagesLord Of The Flies Summary [pic] |Lord Of The Flies Summary - The Island | |Lord of the Flies is set during World War 2 on a tropical island in the Coral Sea. A group of boys survive a plane crash and are| |left stranded on a deserted island with no adults. At first the boys cling to the principles and laws they were taught during | |their upbringing. They call a meeting where they establish rules,Read MoreLord of the Flies a Microcosm to Our Society1306 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Golding s novel Lord of the Flies significantly symbolizes characters, objects and the setting to represent our world as a whole. Golding uses those symbols to make the island similar to society and to show the difference between living in a civilised society and savagery. The novel takes place on an island during World War II, this is significant since the isolation forms a sort of civilization and community, a sort of microcosm to the real world and to human civilization. Lord of the FliesRead More The Prevalence of Humanity1662 Words   |  7 Pagessociety [can be traced] back to the defects of human nature ... The shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable.† This idea, quoted from author William Golding, of a corrupt individual corrupting an otherwise idyllic society is exemplified many times over the course of human history: Joseph Stalin corrupts Karl Marxs idea of communism into a totalitarian government that eventually results in the deathRead MoreEssay about Lord of the Flies by William Golding1325 Words   |  6 Pagesnever thought possible.   Lord of the Flies focuses on a group of boys who are alone on an island without authority. The novel reveals what can become of humanity without the presence of authority.   In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the protagonist Ralph symbolizes leadership, civilization,   as well as the loss of innocence.   Ralph is the closest resemblance to authority that the boys have on the island.   His appearance plays an important role in him signifying authority, â€Å"You could see now that