Lord of the Flies: Savagery or Democracy?

During the course of William Golding's controversial story, many aspects of human society were introduced: that of its primitive nature and that of its civilized nature. These two aspects were represented through the actions and words of certain characters and in the end, we were able to associate Ralph as society's civilized side and Jack as society's primitive side. These two sides will fight for supremacy and ultimately, I believe Jack's group is stronger because it provided a safe haven from the beast, had more social order, and adapted to the environment and its hazards fairly quickly.

After a military airplane was shot down and its pilot had died and parachuted onto a branch, many aspects of a rumor that had been passing about were incorrectly confirmed by Jack's group which can be supported by the quote "In front of them, only three to four yards away, was a rock like hump where no rock should be. pg. 114". There had been a rumor passing around about a mysterious "Beast" who lurked in the shadows as the children slept. The factuality of the claim was undetermined but Jack's group was prepared for the unexpected just incase the beast proved to be real. Unlike Ralph's group, who claimed there was no beast, Jack claimed there was one and stated his group would provide protection from the beast as well as a vast amount of food for those who joined his group which can be supported by the quote "We're strong-we hunt. If there is a beast, we hunt it down!". Since Ralph did not believe the beast was real, his group did not provide that needed protection from the beast and since many of the children were young, this aura of protection was very key in determining which group was going to get the popular vote. Pop culture has taught us that the candidate with the popular vote will ultimately come out on top as the stronger leader. This can be proven by Franklin D Roosevelt winning the popular vote during the 1932 Presidential Elections. He went on to be a stronger and more compatible leader than Herbert Hoover, his rival, and reformed the American economy.

In addition to Jack's group's protection and vast amount of food, his group also retains more social order than that of Ralph's group. During Ch 4, Ralph had a hard time commanding the children to build a shelter and a fire, yet Jack had no problems commanding the children to do his work which can be supported by the quote "His tone conveyed a warning, given out of the pride of ownership, and the boys ate faster while there was still time." Ralph was very wise and understanding yet Jack was very ruthless and cruel. Even though these are the traits of a bad leader, the way the children listen to Jack speaks for itself. In Ralph's group, one can only speak with the conch shell, and while this might be a good idea in theory, the rule is broken and total chaos erupts. This can be proven my the quote " Jack! Jack! You haven't got the conch. Let him speak!" However, in Jack's group, Jack is the sole leader and has the final say in everything thus limiting the amount of chaos that can ensue in his group which is supported by the quote, "We'll hunt. I am going to be the chief."

Along with social order, one must adapt quickly to the environment to survive. Unlike Ralph's group who opted for a more civilized democratic system of living which can be supported by the daily conch shell meetings , Jack's group teaches the children the beauty of hunting, which is clearly the only way to survive in a hazardous wilderness. Daily civilized meetings discussing the future will only prevail for a short while, but when all one thinks about is what they are going to eat next, the fact that Jack opts for the hunting and killing system, which can be supported by the quote "I cut the pig's throat", over the sit down and talk system, one can rest assured that Jack's group will survive longer due to their quick adaptation to the environment thus making it the stronger group.

Even though some might opt to Ralph's group because it is morally correct and gives freedom to all its citizen, one must take into consideration the environment these "kids" must live in. It is a dangerous terrain with the only means of food obtainable through hunting. Ralph's group might have had all the right ideas, but at the end of the day, it all boils down at survival which Jack's group specializes in thus making it the stronger group.