Preview

Why Is There Greed To Have Power In Lord Of The Flies

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
872 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why Is There Greed To Have Power In Lord Of The Flies
LORD OF THE FLIES

The ideas of Leadership and human nature can best be related to an up and coming Hollywood star. They start out all innocent but the fame, fortune, and power catch up with them. It changes them, having people look up to you and knowing that they will follow everything they do allows you to understand the power that you have. They can end up going out of control and it will change them for the worst. The ability to have this kind of power, for Jack, turns him into being obsessive with being the leader of the tribe. When he does not win it makes him really jealous of Ralph. He makes everyone turn on Ralph to become the unofficial leader. The power drives him crazy and starts to beat on kids on the island for no apparent reason, it even escalades to killing them. It is human nature to have the desire for power, to lead other people, and control them, even though we don’t try to the greed can overpower us to do the wrong choices. The human nature of wanting power can come for several different reasons such as competition to be the leader of the tribe, having too much desire to be a leader, and when you are neglected by the others.
…show more content…
Jack thought he was a shoe-in to be leader since he had the choir to back him up. Instead, Ralph was chosen over Jack. Jack was extremely angry that he lost and believed he deserved to be the leader. It was even embarassing to him because Ralph, who beat him out for being the leader, wasn’t even interested in winning. Jack became obsessed in having power over the tribe that he was ready to go great lengths to get what he wanted. He made some boys on the island feel like outsiders in order to get the tribe on his side. This is an example why competition is a main reason why there was a greed to have

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Jack was at first a nice child, but after living on the island for so long turned into a savage. Jack took advantage of everyone being young and tried to take control over everyone by becoming somewhat a dictator. Jack would soon lead all of the children into savagery. Jack teaches the children how to jab with a spear using Robert as an example. This foul example leads the tribe into killing Simon without even noticing because their mindset is on killing and blood.…

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the novel, Ralph is aware that Jack is constantly challenging him to be the leader. At first, he is calm and reserved by letting Jack lead the hunters. In the quote “Why do you hate me?” (Golding) as said by Ralph, this is the first time that Ralph openly questions and shows distaste in how Jack is trying to obtain the leadership position. The significance is great as it starts to develop an open rivalry between the two and the boys start to take sides. Ralph also starts to lose his leadership when they go as group on a hunting expedition, and Jack is the center of attention as the leader of the hunters as well as when he gets cut by the boar and makes a big deal out of it.…

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Jack lead by surrounds himself with people who want to do harm to others on the island like when Jack's group killed Simon and Piggy (152-153). Unlike Jacks group, Ralph's group works in peace and harmony even though they sometimes slack off.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the beginning of the book they choose who would be chief and decide things. Jack thought that since he was head chorister boy he would get voted as chief. He believed he was better than Ralph because of his power…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The individuals responded to changes quite differently , Jack decided to respond to the challenge by using force/fear to get the leadership role, while Ralph employed rules, morals, and goals to escape the island all while remaining rational. Jack brought to the others protecting, food, and fun, trying to gain their loyalty, he was also set on completing the short term goal of getting food, while Ralph preserve the challenge of getting off island as his main goal and proceeded with ways of completing that with things such as the signal fire. Jack is also very carefree when in contrast to Ralph when he takes the twins “samneric” to go hunting instead of watching the signal fire essential for their escape. When Jack gains power with his hunter tribe towards the end he responded very differently to Ralph whom remained civil and rational but Jack on the other hand relied to instill fear into his boys to keep their loyalty. He beat Wilfred to display his dominance, suggested to use a “littleun” when they played a game where they re-enacting the time they killed a bore. So when put in the same situation Ralph remains civil and ration while Jack in-barks into his primal instincts and reacts on instinct rather than…

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Now that Jack has gained power Ralph is feeling helpless. Ralph has now realized how uncivilized him and the other boys are which causes him to feel powerless and unsure. Ralph is terrified of what the island is now becoming.…

    • 334 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    This is evident when Jack leaves the group to make his own tribe where they hunt and torture people. For example, Golding states “His tone conveyed a warning, given out of the pride of ownership, and the boys ate faster while there was still time” (Golding 149). In the quote it says that Jack finally got his own group which is all he wanted to the whole time. In the group Jack acts like a dictator and is very mean. As a result, the groups split up and now Jack is going to enforce his rules and ideas over the rival Ralph and his controlled and civilized society. This affects everyone on the island as a whole because they are now going to compete for power causing lots of problems and competition. Competition for space on the island, food, and for people in their group are seen between Ralph and Jack now that they split up. Jack was able to recruit many people to his group because of the food he provided which was much needed meat for lots of kids. Other than Jack becoming a true hunter and competing for power with Ralph there is another factor that became evident due to the lack of society on the…

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Desperate to keep his power he goes to extreme measures to make sure none of his tribe ever leave him. This becomes a destructive society because he knows no one will ever attempt to overthrow him so he can do whatever he pleases. Jack becomes a symbol of a king or God, worshipped by the boys, “Before the party had started a great log had been dragged into the center of the lawn and Jack, painted and garlanded, sat there like an idol.” (149). The boys mistake their fear as respect. They look up to Jack despite his corrupt actions. Totalitarianism only benefits Jack, but none of the boys recognise this. With this government comes chaos and the fall to what's left of order on the island.…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the novel Ralph is leader for half the time because jack soon takes over. Ralph is the better leader but he fails to perform for the group all he does is talk while Jack is out their hunting for meat. “What would a beast eat?”/”Pig.”/”We eat pig.”/”Piggy”pg.83 “I gave you food, “said Jack, and my hunters will protect you from the beast. After a successful hunt Jack finally makes his move to usurp Ralph’s leadership. Jack uses the threat of the beast as a means to manipulate the others into giving him power. Jack ends up feeding the whole group with one kill. This symbolizes leadership. He boys shortly turn to Jacks side although he is a savage. After this occurs Ralph only leads a small group containing Simon and Piggy. He lost all his power because he did not give the boys what they wanted. By Ralph being the best leader he can be he cannot win them over. Ralph tries to give himself some power by saying they need to build shelters but Jack quickly starts a chant and gets his tribe rowdy. Ralph has been the leader from the beginning but was unable to keep it. He was the most effective leader by trying to get them rescued but Jack gave them what they wanted which was…

    • 734 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During chapters 9-12, Ralph and Jack reach their utter desperation point which results in them trying to kill each other to again their pride and power back. Towards the end of the book Jack became extremely dangerous and aggressive due to the lack of civilization. "Jack made a rush and stabbed Ralph's chest with his spear," (Pg 177). Throughout the fight for pride and power at the end of the book, Jack is determined to prove his strength and bravery by trying to kill Ralph. I believe he does this for two reasons; because of his utter hate and disregard for Ralph and how he treated him like a child and how he needed to prove that Ralph was weak to the other boys on the island. The lack of rules, orders and regulations caused Jack to think there were no laws to…

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph takes on the role as the adult on the island as there is none. He constantly thinks of survival, having fire, and building shelter because he is concerned about everyone's safety, “Been working for days now. And look!” (50). He’s been working on the shelters with the other boys, but then soon tire and leave him with Simon to finish the shelter. He tries to make sure a fire is always burning, constantly thinking ahead for warmth, cooking food and the possibility of rescue. Jack is a problem, he is becoming more and more barbaric, never thinking things through or supporting others, selfish and unworthy for chief, “He isn’t a proper chief” (126). Ralph would like for everyone on the island to be in one tribe so they can all help each other using all of their strengths, some are better at building shelter, others are better at hunting. Jack does not agree and resists that idea, stealing their food and making their lives even more difficult. Jack is making Ralph’s life unbearable, but Ralph perseveres to be a leader on the…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel, Jack was angry when the group didn’t vote Ralph out from being chief. Which caused him to run off into the forest and create a new group. But it wasn’t a good group, he was torturing Ralph and his group, then he was taking from them and leaving them with nothing. He kept bribing people from Ralph’s group to come to his group . He was angry at Ralph and Piggy and was trying to make them pay. His anger cause major problems and he also just wanted attention. The result of his anger caused two people to get…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Power In Lord Of The Flies

    • 1223 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Swoosh! Pop! Crackle! The sounds of fire lighting up and burning. All that power for a substantial leader to possess. The novel Lord of the Flies is a powerful one, written by William Golding. Some of the main characters are Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Simon and Samneric. The theme power, is shown in many ways in the novel. One of the many ways power is shown in this novel is how the boys use Piggy's glasses to start a fire showing how powerful Piggy’s glasses really are. Some of the other ones are the power of hunting or being able to hunt something and the power of common sense or being able to make sense of the problem at hand and being able to do the right thing about it. Power is a major theme and a major role in the key to success in this…

    • 1223 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The duality of the human soul in the guise of good and evil is the main preoccupation in the adventure novel 'Lord of the Flies'. Throughout the novel, the conflict is dramatized by the contradicting views between Ralph and Jack, who represent civilisation and savagery. The differing views are expressed by each boy's strong attitudes towards authority. Ralph uses leadership to establish rules and to enforce the British moral codes that the boys were raised up to use. However, Jack demands the complete obedience of the other boys. His lust for power drives him into savagery and installs fear into the other boys who are too scared to reason against him.…

    • 1299 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    When Jack longs to lead the group he asks the boys “Who’ll join my tribe and have fun? (150). Jack only seeks immediate satisfaction instead of carefully pondering the consequences. He fails to realize that Ralph would be a better leader, and instead only craves to fulfill his lust for power and fun. Jack never considers the greater good of the tribe or shows concern for survival needs; he focuses on hunting and frolicking as opposed to strategizing for the future. These actions make evident Jack’s shift to the id as they are all for self-gratifying…

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics