Literary Analysis

What is a True Leader?      
“People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads and the boss drives” - Theodore Roosevelt. The idea behind this statement is shown in Lord of the Flies as William Golding strands a group of British boys on a deserted island. Soon, two boys emerge as leaders, Ralph and Jack. Struggles arise as the boys fight over what the priorities are for the group as a whole. Jack is shown to be violent and controlling, wanting to hunt and let a crucial signal fire run out, delaying rescue. Fed up with Ralph’s ideas, Jack leaves with the majority of the remaining boys and forms his own tribe, where he marks himself as the unquestioned leader and he doesn’t let others share their opinions or let them keep him from making an unethical decision. After he steals from Ralph’s group, a confrontation occurs during which Piggy, a friend of Ralph’s, is killed by Jack’s right-hand man Robert. Ralph escapes and Jack orders the boys to kill Jack and they start by lighting the island on fire. Ultimately, the timely arrival of the British Navy saves the boys from the monsters that they’ve become. Sally Sherwood, head of volunteer services at Allen Hospital, recognizes that when making good decisions, good leaders think about their options, relate their options to their priorities, and commit themselves to a decision because, as Jack displayed in Lord of the Flies, basing decisions off of personal wants rather than what’s best for the group leads to unwanted results.
When making a decision, a good leader must think about all of their options before making a choice, otherwise they may let decisions be based off of personal desires rather than what is best for everyone involved. Right from the beginning, Jack shows a want for total power, a power that he already exerts over his choir. When Jack leaves and forms his own tribe, he doesn’t let others question what he wants to do which leads to all of his decisions being based off of his own...