“One could say that at that moment in time they were still highly civilized – they were all well socialized – and reasonably certain about who they were and what they were about – and acquainted with the rules of their civilization at home” (Teacher, 2002). When the boys crash land on the island, they carry with them the social structures of their culture as they understand them, both from the school and from their home environments. By examining these characters and their approach and reaction to power, we can begin to understand the point Golding was attempting to make regarding the power struggles that were occurring in his own time. Spiritual power is exercised by Simon who concerns himself with providing for the youngest and weakest members of the group and brute power, representing a complete absence of society, is finally reverted to when Jack and his tribe attempt to burn Ralph off of the island. Authoritarian power is shown through Jack, who is concerned primarily with himself and seizes power as a means of controlling others to do his bidding. Democratic power is represented by Ralph as he struggles to maintain some semblance of society on the island and attempts to provide for the welfare of all. Within the novel Lord of the Flies by Sir William Golding, there are four different types of power structures represented, all of which function to control the actions of the boys on the island to greater or lesser extent and each represented by a different boy with differing goals in their determination to seize power. Power can be divided in many different ways that will determine the extent to which individuals have a say in how their lives are governed. Who has the power often dictates the type of lifestyles that can be enjoyed by the rest of society. Savagery Power is a major theme in many aspects of social life.
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