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Jack's Leadership In Lord Of The Flies

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When a group is forced into a threatening situation, natural leaders quickly emerge with potentially devastating effects. In the case of the English school boys in the novel "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding, this is exactly what occurs. A rivalry for power arises between two emerging leaders, Jack Merridew and Ralph, considering there is a lack of adult presence on the island. The character Jack immediately displays his high self value by putting himself above others to gain control. Because of Jack's egotism he hungers for power which promotes tension ,that creates distrust and escalates to savage war on the island. Due to Jack's egotism, he elevates his leadership role among the boys to suffice his hunger for power. Upon arrival to the island Ralph holds an assembly, being their current chief, to discuss their situation. During …show more content…

Jack displays his egotistical self image and immediately positions himself above others. Jack's previous entitlement may have sufficed his hunger for power, but now that Ralph has taken control of the group, Jack's desire to remain a leader is unfulfilled. In this situation his egotism surfaces and pushes him to compete for power. After the boys have established order amongst themselves, there is conflict about choosing to prioritize the signal fire or hunting the beast. When the hunters allow the signal fire to go out in order to hunt the beast, Jack's decision to defy Ralph's orders is when disunion sparks. "Who thinks Ralph oughtn’t be chief?...Alright then… I’m going off by myself… Anyone who wants to hunt when I do can come too”(Golding 127). Since Jack is unable to obtain the power he desires, he takes the matter into his own hands by defying Ralph. This creates division and

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