Sec sch lit essay on Lord of the Flies

Compare and contrast Ralph and Jack as leaders. Who is the better leader?

Ralph is a democratic leader but Jack is a dictatorial leader. Ralph’s power lies in the conch that calls the boys to assemblies. Whoever holds the conch has the right to speak, no matter how young or insignificant that person is. This shows that Ralph values everyone as a human being who has the right to be heard. He tolerates the boys’ differences and is willing to hear them out patiently. Jack, on the other hand, controls the boys by terrorising them. He has no respect for human life and individuality. He cannot stand the power the conch gives the person who is holding it and usurps its authority as much as he can, saying that some people should keep quiet and leave the talking to others. Ralph’s leadership style is much more fragile than Jack’s because it depends on the conch and the boys can decided to not recognise the authority of the conch anytime they choose to....Read more