Essay On Lord Of The Flies Power

Have you ever been in a position where you can tell someone to do something, anything, and they will do it? Have you ever been in a position like this long enough to be tempted to use that power for something more than your job entails? William Golding frames the theme of his book, Lord of the Flies, after these questions, or rather the point of these questions. Power. Power gives way to advancement and togetherness, but it is also used and abused for one man or a group of people to get what they want, whatever they want, with little concern for others. There are two ways you can use power, in the pursuit of helpfulness and the wellbeing of others and yourself or to benefit from the misfortune of others and to advance yourself and only yourself. Ralph is an example of someone who uses power for the good of all, he tries to secure rescue by keeping a signal fire and attempts to set up shelter so they can weather the elements. Jack is the …show more content…
Ralph is the prime example of what a leader should be like; he uses power to help those under him, seeks no more power as he has enough, and strives to make the best of what they have until they receive help. Jack is the opposite if this in that he tries to be a leader for the wrong reasons; he wants power so he can be powerful, sets no meaningful goals to achieve, and his actions are only for his benefit, most of the time at the expense of others. Fire is the source of power which drives these two into conflict and makes them act in the way that they do. As soon as the ability to make fire transitions from Ralph and his group to Jack and his, any negotiations are off. Jack has what he wants and does not see anything else that he can take from the others and discards