In Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, Ralph and Jack are two distinct characters whose leadership qualities contrast …show more content…
One specific symbol is the stick sharpened at both ends (Double Headed Spear). Accordingly the stick reveals that they will go to any measure to ensure that they get what they want. Jack announced, "Sharpen a stick at both ends."(169). He tells everyone that the spear will be used to hold up the "gift"(170) for the beast. Later they try to use this spear to kill Ralph. Nevertheless, this shows that first they just want food so they could survive and be rescued. They later got so carried way with power, and despite their upbringing, they resorted to killing their own just to get their own way. Furthermore this symbolizes that nothing is going to slip out of their grip and that they will kill anything that they don't particularly like at that