How Does Golding Present The Authority In Lord Of The Flies

In the novel Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding a group of boys becomes stranded on an island after a plane crash. With no adults with them, they have to learn how to survive on the island through themselves. Things get out of hand however when there becomes a greater greed for power rather than civilization.Conflict results and power changes through the duration of them being on the island. Throughout the novel we can interpret that, Golding sees power gained, used, and justified when the mentality of the boys shift while the power from Ralph to Jack shifts as well.
Authority is a major theme in this novel as it is portrayed in many different ways. Just like any other form of government or society, there has to be a leader, some

Since the start, the boys had feared him and he was very controlling telling them what to do. "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."(Golding 16). Jack already demonstrates arrogance as he says he can sing better than all the other ones, so he should be the leader. In the story, Jack gains leadership which isn’t used for good purposes but it develops through the novel. “Jack called them back to the center. "This'll be a real hunt! Who'll come?" Ralph moved impatiently. "These spears are made of wood. Don't be silly." Jack sneered at him. "Frightened?" "'Course I'm frightened. Who wouldn't be?" He turned to the twins, yearning but hopeless. "I suppose you aren't pulling our legs?" The reply was too emphatic for anyone to doubt them.”(Golding 77). Here, power is beginning to shift. Jack likes to hunt and do fun activities, so with him doing things young boys would do, the others become more and more attracted to him, despite his bad

Later in the period of the novel, the boys discover a “beast” that causes problems amongst them. “Jack cleared his throat again. "I'm not going to be a part of Ralph's lot--" He looked along the right-hand logs, numbering the hunters that had been a choir. "I'm going off by myself. He can catch his own pigs. Anyone who wants to hunt when I do can come too."(Golding 96). Jack is now showing his difference in being a leader, he is more of a hunter who wants to go about finding and killing the beast in a different way than Ralph. He now separates from Ralph’s group and make his own tribe that soon will overpower Ralph’s.“I bet if I blew the conch this minute, they’d come running.Then we’d be, you know, very solemn.” (Golding 38). Ralph is about civilization, he wants to be rescued and des things so the boys can get off the island. He uses the conch to gather the boys, explain to them about togetherness, and hosts meetings to discuss what’s