The boys made a careless mistake by building the
fire first. They reacted on instinct rather than thinking logically about the
consequences of this decision. Ralph is a popular leader, but there are other
boys on the island who would be better. Although it cannot be certain, it seems that Piggy
would be the best leader out of all the boys on the island, since he is worried
about survival rather than having fun. Ralph did not directly tell the other
boys to build the fire first, but when he brought it up, they immediately did.
Ralph could have prevented them from building the fire, but instead helped to
build it. Piggy thinks more logically, but is rarely heard because of his
appearance. “‘…The first thing we ought to have made was shelters down there by
the beach. It wasn’t half cold down there in the night. But the first time
Ralph says ‘fire’ you goes howling and screaming up this here mountain…”’ (Lord
of the Flies, 45). Piggy knows that although it is important to be found, it is
even more important that they have all the materials necessary to survive. The
fire went on to spread and burn a numerous amount of trees, limiting their
resources for building shelter. Piggy thinks his decisions through, whereas
Ralph relies more on instinct. Ralph’s decision to build the fire first was not
well thought out, which is why Piggy would make a better leader.
