Essay | Themes Explored through Jack and Ralph in "Lord of the Flies"

Lord of the Flies is a novel set in the midst of World War II, where schoolboys are stranded in a pristine, secluded island. Within this small society, two characters - Ralph and Jack - emerge as the story's lead characters. Through Ralph and Jack, Golding is able to express many themes, largely related to man in his natural state. Being virtually the direct antithesis of one another, Ralph and Jack represent the upper echelons and nadir of humanity.

Immediately the impression we get of Ralph is the stereotypical, "blonde and handsome," hero, who demonstrates authority, civility and stable leadership. Jack, on the other hand, gives us a different feeling. Golding portrays him as, "tall, bony, thin - and his hair was red beneath the black cap... His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness," (28). Jack symbolizes the opposite values of Ralph - savagery, brutality, violence and...
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