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How is absolute power portrayed in the novel Lord of the Flies?

William Golding portrays absolute power as being corrupt, dangerous, and harmful. Throughout Jack's tyrannical rule, he uses violence, intimidation, and psychological manipulation to control his tribe of savages. He not only encourages violence but perpetuates the belief in a "beast" which consumes the members of his tribe with fear. He uses their fear to enhance his position as chief, allowing him to give commands without having to explain his decisions. His directives only serve to benefit himself, and he refuses to take into consideration how his choices affect the members of his tribe. Unlike Ralph's democratic group where each individual is given an opportunity to voice their opinion, Jack is the only person whose thoughts and ideas matter. His authoritarian rule results in the deaths of Simon and Piggy, and he even orders his band of savages to hunt Ralph like a pig.


The members of Jack's tribe cannot disobey him because they will be severely punished. In Chapter 10, Jack orders Wilfred to be tied up and beaten. When Robert asks Roger why Wilfred is being punished, Robert says, "I don’t know. He didn’t say" (Golding 159). In addition to physically abusing his subjects, Jack's priorities are backward. He doesn't care about shelter or being rescued, and focuses all of his attention on hunting and controlling his tribe. Jack's terrible decision making, lack of empathy, and unanswerable authority are accurate depictions of William Golding's views on absolute power. Absolute sovereignty only benefits the individual in charge, and this unfair balance in power negatively affects the people subjected to the rule of one person.

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