Character Interactions in Lord Of The Flies Essay

In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding a variety of characters deal with personality that clash while being deserted on an island. They are faced with challenges that include dealing with each other, getting food, finding shelter, dealing with others who disagree with your opinion and division between the boys. Everyone dealt with more in the time that was spent on the island than typical boys their age would have experienced in a lifetime. Although theyve been through a lot, Im sure theyve also learned a lot from this experience.

There are many different characters in the story but one of the boys that particularly stood out in my opinion was Ralph. Ralph was a 12 year old boy who was elected as the leader of the group of boys that were on the island. Ralph attempts to coordinate the boys efforts to build a miniature civilization on the island until they can be rescued. He tried his best to keep everyone calm but even when it was time for someone to crack; they all still stayed calm, even when murder was involved.

Jack, one of the older boys, is a character who was in my opinion- the exact opposite of Ralph. It is safe to say lives wouldnt have been taken away if everyone could just come to some sort of agreement. It seemed as though Jack would do anything and everything in his power to make it known that he wanted to be the leader; it was obvious he didnt want to agree with anyone. Jack became the leader of the hunters but longs for total power and becomes more and more wild, barbaric, and cruel. Ralphs personality brought everyone together, whilst Jack caused riots and hatred to be brought to everyones attention. Jack, usually manipulating the other boys, represents the instinct of savagery within human beings, as opposed to the civilizing instinct Ralph reinforces. Things got so bad, that two of the boys were murdered, one of them being Piggy.

There is always one person in a group of friends who gets picked on; in this case, Piggy was looked down upon by almost everyone, including Jack. Piggy was judged for his pudgy-like appearance and everyone underestimated his abilities. He wanted nothing more than for everyone to get along, but that just was not an option for Jack. When Piggy decides to express his opinion - while holding the conch which gives the holder permission to talk- hoping to remind the group of the importance of all the rules and rescue. Roger shoved a huge rock down the mountainside. The boulder strikes Piggy even with Ralphs brave attempt to dive and dodge it. Jack and his group had murdered Piggy and destroyed the conch. It seemed as though there was no guilt for any of this. They did whatever they wanted even though they knew Jacks group was against their behavior.

After all this, Jack demonstrates the best attitude out of all characters. In my opinion, he is the most important character because he is loyal to his friends and group members. He knows how to use his leadership skills to benefit everyone. It seems as though he is the only character who understands that their lives are at stake, and that they need to work together, or their lives will never go back to normal.