1.Defend and/or criticize Ralph’s actions as leader. What were his motivations? Did he contribute to the tragedy in any way? Could he have acted to prevent any of the deaths? What would you have done differently in his situation?

Ralph, in all likelihood, acts as a leader in the manner of the adults he has known before the accident. He uses Piggy as his advisor, a very wise move considering that administrative decisions need someone to "bounce" ideas off of. Ralph, however, is naive in his handling of the problems of the island. He was unaware of the more base nature of the boys with whom he was dealing; his inability to deal with Jack and his band ignores the difficulty of focusing the boys on survival rather than on their "fun." Jack's leadership of the savage group results in a situation that is completely out of control and Ralph could not have prevented the murders. The only way anyone could have worked this situation out differently would be to compromise with Jack and form some kind of unified leadership.