Skip to main content

What are Ralph and Jack's leadership techniques in the Lord of the Flies?

Ralph tries to rule with a sense of democracy, but he nags when he is ineffective.  Jack rules through totalitarian means, and relies on fear to make sure no one defies him.


Ralph is the one who directs things from the beginning, always focusing on a practical purpose.  He blows the seashell and it calls the boys together.  He then determines that they need a leader. 


“Shut up,” said Ralph absently. He lifted the conch....

Ralph tries to rule with a sense of democracy, but he nags when he is ineffective.  Jack rules through totalitarian means, and relies on fear to make sure no one defies him.


Ralph is the one who directs things from the beginning, always focusing on a practical purpose.  He blows the seashell and it calls the boys together.  He then determines that they need a leader. 



“Shut up,” said Ralph absently. He lifted the conch. “Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things.”


“A chief! A chief!”


“I ought to be chief,” said Jack with simple arrogance, “because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.” (Ch. 1) 



Notice the difference between Ralph and Jack’s approach.  Jack believes that he should be the leader.  He doesn’t think that a leader should be voted on, he just assumes that it should be him.  To him, leaders are determined based on accomplishments.  He has been leader, of the choir, and he can sing.  Thus, he should be leader now.  He doesn’t want a vote, but gives in to the masses. 


What Jack does approve of is the need for rules.  He wants to have rules, because rules allow him to impose his will on others.  He immediately associates rules with punishments for offenders. 



Jack was on his feet.


“We’ll have rules!” he cried excitedly. “Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks ’em–” (Ch. 1) 



As leader, Ralph is fairly ineffectual.  He uses the conch to call meetings to order.  During meetings, the boys use it for turn-taking.  Ralph then spends most of his time as leader complaining about the fact that the other boys aren’t doing anything.  They aren’t building shelters or tending fires as he would like. 


Jack has a different leadership style.  After the schism, he takes the hunters and most of the older boys and they focus on killing pigs.  Meat is not the only thing they want.  They also want to kill the pig, and create a pig-killing dance complete with war paint.  Jack has Wilfred tied to a tree and beaten, apparently just to prove he is in charge.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
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

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