Lord of the Flies - Was Ralph the best choice for leader?

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Zoë Twigg                English

Lord of the Flies

Was Ralph the best choice for leader?

I think that in ‘Lord of the Flies’ Ralph was the best choice for leader, because of his good leadership qualities, and because on the island, there were no realistic alternatives. The other boys on the island that may have been considered for leader were Jack, Roger, Piggy and Simon. Although these characters have many qualities, there are also negative aspects to their personalities that would make them an unsuitable option for chief. The boys on the island, by the end of the book, appeared to be divided into two halves: the good and the bad. On the ‘bad’ side were Jack, who eventually became leader of his own tribe, and Roger. Although both had control over the boys, neither was a suitable leader for a democratic society. On the ‘good’ side were Ralph, Piggy and Simon, as they believed in democracy, and were more aware of the feelings of the other boys.

In my opinion there are many points that constitute a commendable leader. Any worthy leader should think maturely, have confidence, organisation, concern for others, trustworthiness, the ability to prioritise, common sense, logic, to be clear headed and, in general, a good person.  A good chief, when leading discussions, would also need the ability to evaluate a situation, form an unbiased opinion, and come up with a sensible solution. In this situation a good leader would also need negotiation skills, in order to put forward their opinion, and the willingness to compromise if others disagree. However, on the island, the leader was expected to lead a group of young boys, who were not all willing to work or follow commands. Therefore, the leader on the island would have also needed patience, the ability to persuade and motivate the boys, presence, and charisma. At the time when the book was written a good leader would have been expected to be a typical ‘British’ boy. These qualities were shared out among the group, although Ralph possessed most of them.

Of all the characters in the novel I think Ralph was the best choice for leader. On the island, Ralph was chosen for leader almost by accident. The boys respected him because he had the conch, however, it was Piggy who instructed him to blow it. To Ralph, the conch was just ‘a worthy plaything’. ‘There was a stillness about Ralph’ so, in a sense, the boys voted for control and order. Throughout the book, Ralph stands for democracy, ‘We’ll have to have hands up like at school.’ Ralph is fair, by giving Jack the choir when he is voted for leader, ‘The choir belongs to you of course’, and cares about the boys, ‘We can’t leave the littluns alone with Piggy.’ He is practical and logical, ‘we’ll eat first. Then go.’ He is brave and, as chief, feels responsible for the boys, ‘I’m chief. I’ll go’. Ralph is most concerned with rescue, ‘we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make fire’, and also wants to build shelters, ‘We need shelters’. He is aware of the necessities for survival on the island. He has sufficient control over the other boys, however, not the dictatorship that Jack or Roger would possess. However, at times in the novel, Ralph has no real authority over the others, ‘Ralph was on his feet too, shouting for quiet, but no-one heard him.’ Ralph is mature, and thinks like an adult, ‘No-one had the wit – not himself not Jack, nor Piggy – to bring a stone and wedge the thing’. He also has an understanding of human nature, ‘He had learnt as a practical business that fundamental statements like this had to be said at least twice’. Ralph is able to encourage the other boys and keep them happy, ‘while we’re waiting we can have a good time on this island’, which is a good characteristic for a leader. Another good leadership aspect is that, whilst taking responsibility for his faults, he does not show weakness over them. When he let down Piggy by telling the boys what he was called, he covers himself by saying, ‘better Piggy than Fatty’. This was an excellent example of diplomacy and people skills. The other boys trust him, and they look up to him as an adult. One of the littluns says, ‘I was frightened and started to call out for Ralph,’ and Piggy trusts him over Jack, ‘He shrank to the other side of Ralph.’ These points make Ralph a good choice for leader. The reader is told, near the beginning of the novel, that Ralph had a ‘face that proclaimed no devil’. He is honest and reliable, ‘Course I’m frightened. Who wouldn’t be?’ and the boys respect him for this. He has mature and practical ideas, ‘we’ll eat first. Then go.’ One of Ralph’s negative characteristics was that he lacked concentration, and throughout the book this affected his role as leader, ‘He lost himself in a maze of thoughts.’ There were few negative aspects to his personality, where leadership is concerned and, although he is not ideal, he is the best choice for leader on the island.

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In my opinion, Jack would have made a poor leader, although he also had many leadership qualities. His qualities were that he was head boy, ‘I’m chapter chorister and head boy’, is already the leader of the choir and has excellent control over them, ‘Choir! Stand still!’ Also, he is determined, and this would be a good characteristic for a leader on the island.

However, there are many negative aspects to Jack’s personality. He is unpleasant to all the other boys, and bullies Piggy, ‘Shut up, Fatty’. He is childish, arrogant, and foolish, ‘I ought to be chief,’ said Jack ...

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