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   luannw Teacher
   High School - 11th Grade

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   Jack is the natural, instinctive leader and Ralph is the fair-haired boy who doesn't know how to lead.  Jack represents the defects of human nature that lead to the downfall of the boys on the island - savagery.  Ralph represents morality and order. Jack is the leader of the choir at the beginning of the story, a role which lets the reader know he has leadership abilities.  He is tall and that helps him lead others by intimidation.  Ralph is more reasonable and is nicer to the boys, so he is elected leader.  It isn't long, however, before the boys are peeled away from Ralph's leadership to go follow Jack.  Ralph does not have the natural ability to lead that Jack possesses. The moral, reasonable way to solve problems isn't always the popular way and that leads to the disintegration of Ralph's troop of boys and society as a whole.  Jack instinctively knows to play on the boys' desires for fun and meat, and he knows to surround himself with protective ranks of big, strong boys to intimidate others.  He is a natural dictator.

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   Posted by luannw on Friday October 10, 2008 at 4:37 AM