Interesting development, although not at all unexpected. Alex is the natural leader of his small group of miscreants. He attacked the weakest (minded) member of the group for making comments about a girl singing that Alex actually enjoyed listening to. The next day, Alex stays out of school, hooks up with two ten-year girls, gets them drunk in his room and rapes them. That evening, the boldest of his friends attempts to straighten out the group dynamics and threatens Alex’s leadership. They have a knife and fist fight, it’s quickly over, and Alex has reestablished his dominance.
Two things here that follow human nature no matter what state society is in: First, rebellion against authority creates new subdivisions of society. However, it never takes very long to form a new pyramid of authority and control over its members. Secondly, I’m noticing that while leaders need people to lead, they are more likely to not only be able to control a group, they also are those most capable of being alone.
Challenge is also a natural instinct it would seem. In the animal world, the old bull is constantly proving himself worthy to garner the harem. Perhaps cavemen acted the same way. It preserved the safety of the group as well as naturally creating the strongest genetic lineage.
But evolution and civilization has restricted our natural instincts–though it certainly hasn’t been eliminated completely by language. Listening to the political debates lately, we have learned to cut and parry and dance around with words rather than limbs even in our more democratic societies. Wars can be bloody or bloody minded, but the challenge of leadership is a constant.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology