3. .
Power is everywhere. Since
we are infants there is some
type of higher authority. This
authority has the right and
obligation to look after us
and see what is best for us.
4. Everyday we see an example of power.
Parents: Since the day all of us we were born, a higher authority
automatically came above us. To protect us, to help us in all
aspects of our life, and have the ultimate say and overall control
in major decisions in our life.
Teachers: In this very room Mr.Coghlan is the one in power for
the entire class. Like all teachers, teachers have the ultimate
power how to direct the class, command obedience, and control
what we are learning.
Principals: The higher power to a teacher is a principal. For
example Mrs.Modeste controls on big school decisions. Just like
all other principals they have the authority to demand high
respect from students, make unquestionable decisions, and
enforce discipline amongst students. Just by hearing her voice
you know she has the power to make people stop what they are
doing and listen right away.
5. .
When young boys are placed on an island our
first thoughts would not be the corruption of
power, or which children would receive
power. However certain characters show
automatically their want and show how strong
their attraction to power is. Even when young
minds are placed on a deserted island
immediately they seek ways of how they can
control certain aspects; and certain kids
already presume the right to demanding
attention, while there is other characters who
just see who has the power and abides by it.
6. .
―The suffusion drained away from Jack’s face.
Ralph waved again for silence.‖
―Jack’s in charge of the choir. They can be –
what do you want them be?
―Hunters.‖
Jack and Ralph smiled at each other with shy
liking. The rest began to talk eagerly. (Chapter
1).
.
7. Already at the beginning of the book Golding
shows us as readers how Jack and Ralph have
desire for power. They seem to enjoy to be in
charge of others and enjoy having the ability
to demand others what to do. Even as early as
that part in the book Golding demonstrates
how certain characters in the Lord the Flies
quickly received a sense of power and
entitlement. After everyone goes silent and
listens to Ralph just by the wave of his hand it
shows his peers look up to him and are eager
to here what he has to say.
8. .
―I was chief and you were
going to do what I said.‖
Ralph(Chapter 4)
9. . Once again Golding shows how power is
everywhere. That we cannot avoid and there will
be people above and knowing their superiority.
Exactly how Ralph shows the readers here. He
reminds Piggy of his high status he has amongst
the group of boys. There are continuous
examples of how Golding shows Ralph is aware
of his power and takes advantage of this by
making Piggy deliberately feel inferior to him.
Similar to our own world, growing up I’m sure
we know that one kid who might have been
higher then their peers and would constantly let
their peers know that they were better then them.
Although Ralph thinks bossing around Piggy is
for all of their benefit so they could be rescued it
ends up resulting in Ralph thinking too highly of
himself and abusing his power.
10. Some people need or want a higher power
above them and have absolute no desire to
have any sort of power. Some people have
an actual craving and motivation to actually
hold some type of power. While others
would like power whether it’s a large or small
amount but because for whatever reason they
get rejected of such and due to peers they
have no chance to grasp some sort of power
in any way. Golding displays this through his
characters multiple times throughout the
novel.
11. .
―I ought to be chief,‖ said Jack with simple
arrogance, ―because I’m chorister and head boy. I can
sing C sharp.‖ (Chapter 1)
―Power lay in the brown shell of his forearm:
authority sat on his shoulder and chattered in his ear
like an ape.‖ (Chapter 8, speaking about Jack)
―Who’ll join my tribe and have fun?‖ (Chapter 8)
―Hands up,‖ said Jack strongly, ―whoever wants
Ralph not to be chief?‖ ―The silence continued
breathless and heavy full of shame. Slowly the red
drained from Jack’s cheeks , then came back with a
painful rush. He licked his lips and turned his head at
an angle so that his gaze avoided the embarrassment
of linking another’s eye.‖ (Chapter 8)
12. .
Later we will see in the novel Golding always chooses Jack as
his character that wants power. He will try at any chance he gets
to receive power. By constantly wanting to kill the pig—he
knows by killing the pig he will receive glory. Throughout the
book Golding exemplifies Jack as the character who is always
trying to battle with Ralph to become the higher ―alpha male‖ in
the island. Golding highlights that you cannot force things like
Jack is constantly trying to do. Golding tries to send the message
through Jack that the person trying to have the most power
usually meets a tragic downfall because power does not lead to
success despite how ―shiny‖ it may appear. As Jack continuously
tries to force things to make himself have power. Golding shows
it ends up getting the best of Jack or people in general when they
try to make themselves more powerful than they really can be.
13. .
Other people are the opposite and actually want to be
dictated by a higher power and have less power.
When Jack offers for people to join his tribe the
children without HESITATION quickly join. Golding
shows that people who enjoy being cared after and
being somewhat powerless by these younger kids
because they are looking forward to having someone
new look after them and being led by someone new.
―Who will join my tribe.‖ –Jack (Chapter 8)
―I will.‖ (Chapter 8)
―Me.‖ (Chapter 8)
―I will.‖ (Chapter 8)
14. .
On the other hand some of the characters Golding
displays in Lord of the Flies are practically
powerless. Piggy is disregarded and shunned from
getting any respect from his higher power. Golding
displays how people of higher power abuse that right
by taking it out on people that appear to be weaker
then them but that is just ignorance. Clearly Piggy is
more intelligent then Ralph but since Piggy is less
intimidating and not as commanding as Ralph, Ralph
seems to have the perception that he is better then
Piggy and can completely overrule him at any time.
15. .
“Oh shut up.‖ (Ralph, Chapter 3)
―I got the conch,‖ said Piggy in a hurt voice ―I got a right
to speak.‖ They looked at him with lack of inetrest and
cocked ears at the drum roll of the fire.‖ (Chapter 3).
―The conch doesn’t count at the top of the mountain,‖ said
Jack. ―So shut up.‖ (Chapter 2)
Basically Golding is trying to show that people that feel
superior and seem to think they have more power than
others they completely forget the feelings of others and for
their own pleasure make other sfeel weak and bully them,
like what Jack and Ralph did to Piggy constantly.
16. .
An obvious character who feels it is a need and must to have power in his life
is Macbeth. In Macbeth he wrecks situations to be the overall higher power of
Scotland. While he’s doing this his wife encourages him to take on power.
Even though Lady Macbeth will be queen and have a high power in Scotland
it won’t be as high as the King and she will have to obey under someone
else’s control similar to the choir boys, who constantly follow orders and get
attracted to the high power that seems more appealing and beneficial for
them. However both can not handle the responsibilities of power and only see
how the power is beneficial and not how it could beneficial to all of Scotland.
(Similar to Jack).
For example in Spider Man 3, Peter Parker has his super ―powers‖ and
abilities but after being taken over by venom he no longer feels he has to
meet any of his responsibilities but simply keeps his power and strengths for
his own benefits and indulgences. Throughout Spiderman’s life he has always
had his power but meets his great power with great responsibility but when
he is taken over by venom he is like Jack ignorant to what power truly is and
lets others suffer while he`s still he is enjoying himself and keeping his
powers.
17. .
Overall Golding demonstrates in Lord of the Flies that without
power as a nation we are nothing. As a nation Golding tries to
prove that we need the varieties of power to progress, but we
must use the power in a responsible and knowledgeable way not
like how the naïve children in Lord of the Flies used their power.
We NEED to let certain people have a lot of control over us and
to exhibit their power. Although Golding also makes it clear that
we can not misuse our power. That when power is in your hands
you have to be ready to face challenges and burdens that are
attached to having supreme control. Golding stresses and puts
emphasis on the appearance of power; although power seems
fun to have you have to be ready for all the stresses and be smart
on how to handle your power. He shows this by giving clueless
little boys the opportunity to have power who know nothing
really about this concept. Power does not only effect one
person but many people.
