Student Name
Kitamorn 4
10/3/13
Lord of the Flies Essay Assignment
The Good and Evil in Human Nature
The leaders of the island in Lord of the Flies by William Golding are Jack and Ralph. Both
of the leaders rule with unwavering authority but have extremely different styles of leading.
Ralph led the island with a focus on rescue and order but Jack robbed Ralph of his followers and
led with force and control. The two leaders in Lord of the Flies represent the good and evil in
human nature.
With leadership in his hands, Ralph decides that rescue and order are of utmost
importance and sets out to establish both. To do so, he called the island to an assembly. “’We’ll
have rules!’ he cried excitedly. ‘Lots of rules!’”(33). Even in the very first assemblies, Ralph
conveys his own understanding that remaining civil and orderly will help them be rescued. And
through their rules and standards, they manage to keep a signal fire going. A while after the
boys’ society forms, Jack takes the people tending the fire to help him hunt, and the fire dies.
“’There was a ship. Out there. You said you’d keep the fire going and you let it out!’”(70). Ralph
exhibited the most important trait of a leader: giving punishment. Although the boys had a
successful hunt and were astonishingly happy, Ralph remained fastened to their mistake and
shamed the boys for allowing the fire to be extinguished. Soon the newly found society ran into
even more problems and Ralph called for another assembly to address the pressing issues.
“Someone called out. ‘Too many things.’ There came a mutter of agreement. Ralph overrode
