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Littluns In Lord Of The Flies Analysis

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In Lord of the Flies, the littluns’ fear discourages them from following Jack’s leadership, but later when they are manipulated by Jack into giving him power they pay for their naïvety by the brutal society they choose. This shows the responsibility the littluns have in determining the society they live in. Throughout the novel, the littluns make decisions that heavily affect all the others and have the opportunity to accept or deny all situations on the island. Their responsibility goes mostly unnoticed by the littluns, as well as the older boys. Ralph and Jack are major characters, but the littluns play an equally important role. From the beginning, the littluns are responsible for the choice of the leader in power. Though Jack is the “most obvious leader” (18), the glamour of Ralph and the power of his conch win the vote of the boys, as “Every hand outside the choir except Piggy’s was raised immediately.” (18). To the littluns, Jack represents order and strict rules, a combination that the littluns fear will impose on their new found liberty, a fear that is later realised to be reasonable. Ralph is not an ideal leader when he is selected. He is still childlike and carefree; harsh reality has not yet set in. This more juvenile Ralph is more attractive to the littluns’ values. This irresponsibility does not hurt them, but their continued decisions motivated by wants later prove fatal. The win of Ralph is not strategic or purposely catered to the littluns, an oversight that

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