Power Struggle In William Golding's Lord Of The Flies

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Lord of the Flies is read throughout the country and is a classic in British Literature. Its dense plot and dynamic characters draw readers in and keep them on the edge of their seat. The children left stranded on an island must learn how to establish laws and a system of authority as they try to survive. A power struggle ensues, and the savagery of nature soon begins to take over. Lord of the Flies is a great portrayal of why laws and morals are needed for civilization to thrive, and the consequences if these morals become forgotten.
The story begins with Ralph, a twelve year old boy, walking with Piggy along a deserted island, not sure of where they are. Ralph soon finds a conch and begins to blow it, hoping the other boys come to the beach. Ralph calls an assembly where he is voted the leader of the group and Jack, another boy about Ralph’s age, …show more content…
Ralph believes that shelters need to be built and that there should be boys watching the fire at all times, making sure it stays alight. Jack becomes obsessed with hunting the pigs on the island, and believes that the pigs need to be hunted so that the boys will have meat to eat. Neither boy can agree on what to do, and no actions are taken. Later, at a regular assembly, the younger boys at the camp believe that there is a beast hidden in the woods, and are scared it comes after them. Jack and Ralph dismiss such claims. After the assembly ends, Ralph sees a ship far on the horizon and races to the mountain so that he can increase the size of the fire in hopes that the ship sees it. When he gets to the mountain he sees that the fire has been extinguished, and the boat moves out of his sight. In the meantime, Jack finally killed a pig and came back to the beach to celebrate. He is met with great anger from Ralph, who acknowledges that Jack was in charge of keeping the fire alight. This is the beginning of a hatred that grows between Ralph and
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