Having power and being in control is a big part of everyday life. Children listen to their parents, and officials, who are controlled by government, guide parents. However the person in overall charge is the Prime Minister or the President, who is elected by the people democratically.
In a smaller world, where there is no designated leader, anarchy would rule the streets and the world would be in a state of complete chaos, as peoples quest for power and control are acted out.
In the beginning of the novel, Golding reveals the boys true characteristics and their personalities through their need for power. This is firstly highlighted when Piggy and Ralph discover a shell. Piggy reveals his intellect, by identifying the shell as a ‘conch’. Piggy’s knowledge can be seen as an aspect of power as he would be able to guide the boys intellectually through the journey of the unknown.
When Ralph blew the ‘conch’, other children appeared from all locations of the island. This action helped to confirm to Ralph, just how powerful the ‘conch’ was.
When Jack appears, he asks the question about grownups, Ralph states, “There’s no man with the trumpet. Only me.” (Golding 1.10)
This suggests how deeply instilled in the boys mind the power and control adults hold over children. It also illustrates to the reader that there is a need for one of the boys to take responsibility over the group.
This thought displays the start of Ralph’s transformation into that adult figure and becoming “the man with the megaphone.”
Ralph is elected into power democratically by the group, which suggests just how he intended to govern the boys, fair and just.
In Ralphs quest for power, the novel explains how Ralph ridicules Piggy by shouting, “He’s not Fatty! His real name is Piggy!” (1.17).
This is a secret Piggy had entrusted in Ralph, which he had now disclosed to the group. This could demonstrate how Ralph is willing to risk friendship in order to gain power over the boys. Another...