The Decay of Society in Lord of the Flies

Things do no begin to break up because of Ralph’s ineffective leadership. Rather, it is because of man’s inherent desire for power, his actions toward self benefit and tendencies toward savagery that are the true causes to the downfall of the island’s society.
The conflict between Ralph and Jack throughout the first five chapters is one of the main causes for the growing disorder of the group. In the beginning, Ralph is elected leader over Jack. Jack is obviously upset but is appeased by being appointed leader of the hunting party. Both Jack and Ralph have a clear vision regarding the needs of the group. Ralph wants order. He believes that they should band together to construct a shelter and tend to the signal fire whereas Jack’s main priority for the group is hunting. When Jack and his par...