The Power Shift
The most prominent character in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding is Ralph who
finds power through hope. The power handed to him by the others leads him to become Chief
even though he never rules with an iron fist or a silver tongue in the novel. Power is an
important theme in which Golding expresses by connecting rules and order to Ralph’s character
and through significant events.
When Ralph initially finds the conch shell, he calls the first meeting on the Island solidifying
the power shift to him as Chief that the conch shell symbolizes. This is evidenced on page 17 of
chapter one ‘The Sound of The Shell’. “A deep harsh note boomed under the palms, spread
through the intricacies of the forest and echoed back from the pink granite of the
mountain.”Then again on page 22 “Him with the shell’ ‘Ralph Ralph!”
Another shift of power between characters in chapter one happens when Ralph turns over
control of the Boys Choir to Jack. This shift is found on page 23. “The Choir belongs to you of
course” Jack is granted power of part of the ‘Tribe’. Yet again on page 31, another power shift
is observed. Returning from a trek up the mountain to survey the land, a small piglet is found.
“I was just choosing a place” said Jack. “I was just waiting for a moment to decide where to
stab him.”
In chapter 6, Beast from Air a new power shift between Ralph and fear occurs when
everyone began to believe in Beastie after Sam and Eric came rushing back from the signal fire
to tell the others of what they had seen. The evidence is found on page 100. Jack is the first to
believe in the creature. “This will be a real hunt! Who will come?” The next shift of power
follows on page 101 in an argument between Ralph and Jack. “That’s right. Keep Piggy out of
danger!” “Have some sense. What can Piggy do with only one eye?”
The third shift of power comes when Jack is questioned on his whereabouts on the island at the
time. Page 102 has him seemingly forced to answer.“Unwillingly, Jack answered. “Theres only-
but of course! You remember? The tail-end part, where the rocks are all piled up.”
The first shift in power in chapter 8, Gift for the Darkness happens when both Jack and Ralph
return to the beach telling Piggy about what they had seen on the mountain as power slips
from their grasp morphing into fear. “So we can’t have a signal fire…we’re beaten”
The second shift of power is between Jack and Ralph again occurs when Jack calls a meeting
before Ralph has a chance to on page 135. “If you hadn’t called it I should have. You just blew
the conch.”The third event power shift is still between Ralph and Jack, but includes the rest of
the group when Jack separates himself from everyone. This is evidenced on page 127“I’m not
playing any longer. Not with you.”
What I believe to be William Golding’s message is, even with a heart of gold, everything
can still fall apart from the inherent evil that is part of humanity. Ralph, although slightly
immature, understands the prospect of hope, connecting it to the fire he urges so desperately
to keep burning. It was not Ralph who condemned Piggy all along. It was Piggy himself for
dying at the hand of Jack. Either way, Jack would have rolled the rock, but it was the way Ralph
used his power that Piggy willingly followed.
