Explore the different types of leadership Golding and Garland present in Lord of the Flies and The Beach.

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Nicole Ryan

Explore the different types of leadership

Golding and Garland present in

Lord of the Flies and The Beach.

In Lord of the Flies and The Beach many leadership qualities are shown. These qualities are shown in different ways for example one leader is elected by democracy, another is self-appointed and lastly there is the destructive leader. Lord of the Flies was written in 1954. A time when commercialisation was not an issue and media hype only had subtle effects of society. The Beach was written in 1996, American globalisation has begun and the media played a massive part in society. I will look at how the different time may affect the way in which a leader reacts.

The most obvious resemblance between the novels is the setting and the isolation of the islands yet there is a differentiation in that the boys in Lord of the Flies are stranded and are forced to try and survive where they don’t really want to be. The Characters in The Beach have chosen to be isolated in such surroundings and don’t want to leave. For them it is not a matter of survival. In both novels the leadership and order of their close-knit communities is similar, the way both societies morals decline and the introduction of violent behaviour is the start of their destruction. Although they bare resemblance they are very different. I will look at how the leaders affect this.

Firstly I will look at what makes a good leader, I will then look at each character in turn and establish the different types of leadership Golding and Garland present in Lord of the Flies and The Beach. What makes a good leader? It has been said that some are born with the right qualities and some develop them. Whether nature or nurture a good leader should always consider everyone and treat people as equals.

 

In the first chapter of Lord of the Flies a group of English boys discover an uninhabited tropical island, after their plane crashed, which killed all the adults on board.  The first character the reader meets is Ralph, who Golding describes as the tall boy with "fair hair," and then Piggy, said by Golding to be a short and "very fat" child, hence the name. Ralph’s leadership qualities are shown straight away as he manages to stay perfectly calm but almost excited with the prospect of being free of adults and on his own in this strange island. As Piggy is franticly trying to reassure himself that not everyone died in the crash, Ralph tried to be “not too obviously uninterested” as Golding describes it. Staying calm in tough situations is a good skill as it means bad ideas wont be made in panic.  

Ralph unlike Sal was elected leader through a vote. Sal being the founder of the beach along with Bugs meant that they appointed themselves as leaders. Even though the entire choir voted for Jack, Ralph is the most popular. Being liked is an advantageous attribute to have as a leader. It means Ralph can give constructive feedback and reward and recognise others easier than if he wasn’t liked and these are important factors in being a good leader.

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Golding gives the character of Ralph the most positive attitude. He has the ability to lift spirits even in the tough situations. “This is our island. It’s a good island. Until the grown-ups come to fetch us we’ll have fun.” This is a very good skill to have as a leader.

Ralph always thinks of good clear ideas: "There’s another thing. We can help them to find us. If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire." The fire ...

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