Chapter 8 Plot Summary: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

In chapter eight, Jack attempts to overthrow Ralph's leadership. Due to his arrogant belief that he held a majority in the group of boys, Jack attempted to gain leadership democratically by way of an election. Ralph won the vote by a landslide, which was an unsustainable blow to Jack's ego: "He [Jack] leapt down from the platform and ran along the beach, paying no heed to the steady fall of his tears; and until he dived into the forest Ralph watched him" (140). As a result of this upset, Jack abandoned the group of boys, taking a small portion of them with him to form a separate clan on…