Conflict Between Jack And Ralph In Lord Of The Flies

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There are many prevailing themes within The Lord of the Flies, but the most apparent to me is the political struggle between Jack and Ralph. At first the tension between the two is subtle, but eventually it leads to conflict.The boys on the island are young and probably do not understand the conflicting ideologies that are being played out through their actions. It becomes apparent throughout the events of the book that Ralph tries to maintain an orderly form of social democracy, while Jack tries to undermine Ralph’s power in favor of military dictatorship.

Jack is elected as the Chief towards the beginning of the book and opts to divide labor between groups of boys, so that they may fulfill their needs for shelter and signal for rescue. Ralph has no physical authority with which to force the boys into their roles, so the labor within the group relies solely on mutual cooperation. At this point in the story Jack accepts Ralph’s position as chief, and is pleased by the decision to let Jack’s choir lead the hunting party.
With this, Jack is given his first taste of power which he will later use against Ralph in the story.

Throughout the story we see Ralph’s approach prove ineffective at accomplishing the
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Jack begins to alter his appearance and mannerisms, to project a more striking and intimidating image which reflects the more savage and bestial nature of tribal life. He also achieves the same effect through organizing elaborate feasts and tribal dances, which rile the boys up and gain support for his cause. By this point, most of the boys have abandoned Ralph’s group and begin to take up arms in favor of Jack who rallies the boys towards violent action, eventually leading the murder of several boys. The boys do not acknowledge the mistakes they have made until the end of the book when they are rescued by the naval

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