In the early chapters of the novel, Ralph directs the group’s focus on the hope for rescue. He feels it is necessary to keep a fire burning in case a ship or a plane is passing by. Ralph explains that the purpose of the fire was to let the smoke being emitted from it lure the ship or plane to the island and allow the boys to be rescued, “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” (37). Ralph knows that they are going to be on the island for quite some time, and that the fire is not the only thing they had to attend to. He encourages the boys to build huts for their shelter, and he assigns the choir to watch over the fire and hunt for meat for all the boys.
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Jack, on the other hand, is convinced that the most important thing to do is hunt and obtain meat. Although it is one of his choir’s tasks, he feels that it is more important than being rescued. Early in the novel, the “beast” in Jack takes over him, and Jack no longer feels the need to complete the tasks necessary for rescue. He is not interested in keeping the fire going, so he takes the whole choir hunting, which decreases their chances of being rescued because the fire is out. Furthermore, Ralph often daydreams about his life back home; he recalls memories of a peaceful, clean, and civilized life. This is one of the reasons why he is so intent on being rescued.
It is evident from the beginning that Ralph is a natural leader. The first sign of his good leadership skills is his use of the conch to call an assembly, “He laid the conch against his lips, and took a deep breath and blew once more” (12-13). His democratic style of leadership, and the ideas and suggestions of his wise friend Piggy helps him keep order among the boys. Ralph also shows politeness as he listens to the others’ comments and opinions. He designates tasks to certain people to make it easier for everyone to survive on the island, and to make sure everyone is looked after. Ralph asks the boys to help with making the shelters; he assigns the choir to hunt and tend to the fire; and he asks Piggy to guard the “littluns.” Meanwhile, Jack is only concerned with wanting to do things his own way. He is an all-for-himself type of character. He feels that only those who hunt should get meat. For instance, when Piggy asks, “Aren’t I having none [meat]?” Jack replies, “You didn’t hunt.” (78) This demonstrates how Jack does not show compassion for others, unlike Ralph who thinks of the well-being of others.
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To sustain civilization, Ralph enforces rules for the boys. The conch becomes a symbol of power; whoever holds the conch is the only person permitted to speak,
“I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.” (31) The conch makes Ralph appear to have more power because he is the one who uses it initially. Everyone has a certain task laid upon them to help one another, however, Jack attempts to dominate the group rather than work with others. He is often violent and weakens those below his standing, like the way he hit Piggy and breaks his glasses. Jack often argues that the conch does not count on certain parts of the island, yet he takes advantage of the conch when he has the chance, such as calling his own meeting to accuse Ralph of not being a good leader, “He’s not a hunter. He’d never have got us meat. He isn’t a prefect and we don’t know anything about him. He just gives orders and expects people to obey for nothing.” (139) Jack convinces some boys to follow him, and others are forced to. However, as the boys follow every command Jack makes, they become more violent, aggressive and dangerous. They become total savages, to the extent where they hunt Ralph and intend to kill him.
To conclude, Ralph truly is a better leader than Jack. Ralph focuses on the bigger picture; being rescued, while Jack is only concerned about the little things; the lust for kill. Ralph remains fair and wants everyone to do something to help one another out, whereas Jack only cares about himself. Ralph listens to the advice of his wise friend Piggy and uses his right judgment in an attempt to maintain civilization, but Jack let things get out of control and leads the boys to savagery. The skills and qualities that Ralph possesses are what make him a better leader than Jack.
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Works Cited
William Golding, Lord of the Flies, London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1954
