Theme Of Leadership In Lord Of The Flies

The prominent theme of Lord of the Flies is the recurring conflict between savagery and the rules of civilization. Throughout the novel, the conflict is personified by the colliding morals between Ralph and Jack, who respectively represent civilization and savagery. The differing motifs and ideologies are expressed by their distinct leadership traits. While Ralph uses his authority to protect the group and establish rules that will maintain some level of civilization, Jack uses a savage and primal approach to gain power over the other boys. When Jack assumes leadership of his own tribe, he accepts nothing less than complete submission. And surprisingly, the boys not only oblige this demand, but also appear to worship him as an idol. In contrast, …show more content…
Throughout Lord of the Flies, there is a constant struggle to manage the balance required to be an effective leader. Intellectual strength, popularity, decision making, understanding of people, respect, and the ability to maintain a certain level a civilization are all crucial factors in this goal. In the examples provided by Ralph and Jack, it is apparent that leadership without ramifications will result in lack of respect. And uncontainable power will harvest corrupt leaders and primitive societies. The primary themes expressed throughout the novel are the corruption of people in powerful positions and the lack of an authoritative presence. Leadership requires balance and there are always people who either disrupt that balance or strive to maintain it. Typically, it is the strongest candidate that achieves the status of leadership. However, sometimes the strongest person is not the best option. Authors often show how humans select this stronger person to give an understanding of the different powers that people can use to manipulate …show more content…
The effects of Ralph 's democratic leadership style contradict the effects of Jack 's dictatorship, and there other recurring contradictions throughout the story enumerate Jack 's savagery as well as the Ralph 's civilization. Additionally, the corruption of power that is also prominent idea throughout the novel. Neither of the boys enumerate what is required to be a good leader, however, Ralph displays more of the necessary qualities than Jack. In Lord of the Flies the boys need a combination between the organized and empathetic intentions of Ralph, as well as the ambitions and irrefutable rules of Jack. Jack 's abilities to rally the boys proved to be effective campaign tool in the way he attempted to impeach Ralph. He used his rhetorical skills to manipulate Ralph 's words and offers to the group an argument that "He 'd never have got us meat," attempting to convince the boys that hunting is the requirement for an effective leader. Ralph proved to be a capable leader, although not respected, and his abilities were expressed when the dead paratrooper was found on the mountain. Ralph was able to assure the boys with both sensibility and caution. He worked restlessly to keep the boys primary focus on the thought of rescue and he gave them the security they