Power: An Analysis of Lord of the Flies as a Political Allegory

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Power: An Analysis of Lord of the Flies as a Political Allegory

Abraham Lincoln once stated “” For centuries upon centuries, the people of this world witnesses political power take a great man and slowly corrupt him. Sometimes that man victors over this snake, molding himself into a better man; sometimes that man falls, loosing sanity all together. William Golding allegorically justifies this belief on corruption and sense of responsibility throughout his novel, Lord of the Flies. In the novel, a plane filled with British school boys crashes on a deserted island, with no adult to govern them. In the barren environment, the boys, now away from the eyes of civilization, reveal their true characters. Forced to govern themselves, two leaders step up to the plate named Ralph and Jack. Ralph, a sensible, strong young boy, embodies the spirit of democracy, while his counterpart, Jack, embraces the dynamics of totalitarianism. Aside from the evident challenge of rescue, the main conflict arises in the power struggle between the Jack and Ralph. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding utilizes the characterization of Ralph as the democratic leader and Jack as the totalitarian leader, including the struggle between both types of governments, to portray a political allegory conflict of democracy versus fascism.

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To ensure the sphere of democratic influence on the island, Golding creates the character Ralph to represent democracy and be the democratic leader. Soon after designated chief, Ralph decides to establish another meeting, and “By the time Ralph finished blowing the conch the platform was crowded. There were differences between this meeting and the one held in the morning” (32). Taking on the responsibility as leader, Ralph outlines to the boys the intensity of their situation and their necessities for survival and rescue. As Ralph strolled along the beach, “He lost himself in a maze of thoughts that were rendered ...

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