Lord of the Flies

Who is the better leader, Jack or Ralph? Leadership is something that stands out in people. A leader understands people and treats them all fairly with respect. He understands their needs. A good leader uses common sense as he looks toward the future. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, we find out who has better leadership qualities, Jack or Ralph.

Jack does not treat the boys with respect. The way that Ralph treats them shows his knowledge of human nature. Ralph makes a better leader because he understands that he is not superior over any of the boys. While Jack thinks that the boys are lower than him, Ralph treats the boys equally. He understands that that the boys, particularly Piggy, have to be given respect. Piggy is the weakest of the group and is treated unfairly much of the time. When Jack hits Piggy and breaks his glasses Ralph calls it "a dirty trick". This shows Jack's disregard for other people, while at the same shows that Ralph is compassionate and has the ability to empathize with others. Another example would be when Jack gets meat from hunting and he gives everyone some except for Piggy. When Piggy asks for some Jack says "you did not hunt". Even though Ralph and many of the littluns did not hunt, the harsh treatment is directed at Piggy. A good leader, like Ralph, respects and takes care of all his followers.

Ralph shows that he understands the boys better than Jack. He knows the littluns are afraid and they need shelter to feel more secure. He knows the boys need some sort of order on the island in order for them to survive. He starts a simple form of government and sets a few rules. Ralph enforces the role of his leadership as he gives the boys a sense of stability of an authority figure. He keeps the boys in pretty good order at the meeting by making a rule that they can only speak if they have the conch. Even though the rules do not last very long, the fact he tries to help the group makes him a better leader.

Ralph's wisdom and ability to look toward the future is also an advantage over Jack. He has common sense and is able to recognize what is best for the group as a whole. Throughout the entire book Ralph's main focus is to get rescued. He becomes very frustrated not only because the boys do not keep the fire burning, but because the boys start to follow Jack. The only thing that is on Jack's mind is hunting and playing; he does not care about everything else, except capturing and killing the pigs for food. The group of hunters does not like to listen to Ralph. Jack only satisfies their short term wants and needs, such as food and play. Ralph's main priority, which is getting off the island, is a wiser choice for the boys than to follow Jack. Unfortunately, the boys take the easier choice, which is to hunt and play games rather than keep the fire burning.

I believe that Ralph is by far the better leader on the island. He understands