Yet Jack provides the most comfort to the boys in this assembly because he portrays the object of their fear as an actual animal, one that can be tracked, and “[t]he whole assembly applauded him with relief” when he points out that he has never seen a frightening beast of any kind in the forest; his skills as a tracker are undeniable. Jack orders everyone to be frightened if they must — he acknowledges that even he feels that same fear at times — but not to fear an animal-beast. Jack pleases the crowd with his practical take on the beast and his definitive pronouncement that “you’ll have to put up with [the fear] just like the rest of us.”
Given the day’s lost rescue opportunity, Ralph implements the additional precaution of using only the signal fire to cook rather than starting small wasteful fires on the beach — an idea that is solidly grounded in reality. Still counting on logic to carry his agenda, Ralph points out “You voted me for chief. Now you do what I say.” Ralph thus raises the issue of the electorate’s obligation to the rule. Winning of public opinion is both a reasoned and an emotionally based process. Every politician knows that popular opinion is easily swayed from one leader to another; the general public’s perception of who is the best leader is frequently based not on which leader has benefited the group the most, but who has gained favor most recently. Already, Ralph’s authority has lost ground, due to the concrete victory of a kill offered by Jack, the adventure and drama of the hunts, and the overall emotional nature of a crowd.
