Lord of the flies

Blood and power are intoxicants” – Fyodor Dostoevsky. In the first five chapters of The Lord of the Flies, William Golding illustrates many various efforts towards how good and evil has been portrayed through the main characters Ralph, Jack and Piggy.

Throughout the novel Ralph exhibits many traits and actions that tell the read why he is not fit for his role. One is these is his incapability to command respect from the group. To be a successful leader one must, above all else demand respect. They must be someone followers can look up to. Leaders must inspire fear in their people. Ralph lacks the ability to strike fear into his followers because they went against what he had asked of them. Simon says this after the boys failed to listen to Ralph in helping build the shelters “You’re chief. You tell ‘em off.”(51) This shows that Ralph had not commanded respect from the group, because if they did respect Ralph, they would never go against him, and would fear him. Again Ra...