Skip to main content

How can I formulate a thesis statement and three topic questions for a critical analysis of leadership roles in Lord of the Flies?

The characters in Lord of the Flies illustrate that a good leader puts the needs of the group ahead of his personal desires and respects his followers. One could develop this thesis by asking: 1. What negative qualities of good leadership does Jack display? 2. Why is Piggy not a good leader despite his intelligence? 3. What makes Ralph a good leader? 

To discuss the things that make Jack a poor leader, you can refer to his constant desire for acclaim, the way he puts his own desires above the needs of the group, and his disrespect for his followers. He gets angry when he's not in charge--which causes him to storm away after the boys fail to vote against Ralph in chapter 8. He lets the signal fire go out in order to kill the pig. At one point, in chapter 6, he tries to stifle the free speech rights of the other boys. And, of course, he uses theft and violence against the others.


Piggy is highly intelligent, which you can prove from the beginning in chapter 1 and from Ralph's statement in chapter 5 that "Piggy could think....Piggy...had brains." But Piggy lacks respect for the other boys. Although they mock him because of how different he is, he shows plenty of disdain for them, too. You can find many quotes to show how he speaks judgmentally to the others and acts superior to them.


Finally, in showing Ralph as the example of good leadership, give examples of how he puts others' needs before his own and how he respects others. In chapter 1, but he is willing to put off having fun in order to build the shelters. He also takes his role as chief seriously, coming up with rules for division of labor, fire safety, and sanitation. He keeps the signal fire in mind all the time. When someone has to be the one to go see "the beast," he volunteers to go first, despite his fear. He respects the other boys--he lets Jack take charge of the choir boys and hunting. He is willing to listen to the other boys during meetings. He also stands up for Piggy against Jack. 


Taken together, the examples of these three boys show that a good leader respects his followers and subjugates his own desires for the good of the group.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more