Preview

Ralph In William Golding's Lord Of The Flies

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
563 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Ralph In William Golding's Lord Of The Flies
The protagonist of the story is thought to be Ralph because most of the chapters come from his point of view and the author made you choose Ralph as the ‘good guy’ since he tries to save them all by attempting to attract attentions from passing planes or ships. Ralph has a major significance in this novel and the meaning of the novel. Because he is the main character in the story, this means that most of the story revolves around him and his thoughts and beliefs and we get to see most situations from his perspective. An example is when Ralph and Jack have completely different opinions on what is important, Ralph say that it is the shelters because they need a place to sleep and rest, Jack says the meat is more important because they need to …show more content…
One of the ways are his thoughts because he always think things through and he has the more ‘civilized’ or ‘safest’ ideas and thoughts to ensure that the other characters aren’t in danger. Another way he is characterized is through what he says or what he says very often. Ralph always says that the fire is their priority, an example is when Jack asked Ralph why he was stressing. Ralph then replies with, “There’s no signal. Nothing to show.” Jack then responds with, “You’re nuts on the signal.”(page 132). This shows Ralph’s determination and how desperate he is on taking them home. Ralph tries to say things very calmly but firmly to avoid causing fight but it is hard to stay calm when Jack is always causing trouble. This is shown when Jack let the fire out and Ralph tries his best to say, “You let the fire out” and “There was a ship” very calmly to avoid causing the other characters to become frightened, but he says it with just enough power to teach Jack a lesson and to remind the other characters of the consequences (page 87/88). Ralph’s leadership and responsibility led to him being chosen as chief twice over Jack. He likes to have a system or and order of way for them to work in because he doesn’t want to confuse himself. He has a set of rules and he isn’t so hard on others. This order or way of organizing things is very effective because the character won’t fight and it allows them to work together. He has the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Ralph was one of the schoolboys who became chief of the civilization by vote because he possessed a conch and the kids saw it as a symbol of order and power. He represented leadership and demonstrated common sense. He was the one who thought of the meeting place, the signal fire, and shelters. But the main antagonist, Jack, leader of the choirboys, disapproved of the votes and thought he should be chief because he craved control and wanted to lead both his choir and the group.…

    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of the book, (Pos. 7-9) Ralph and piggy don't even know each other and are the only ones, that they know of, who are on the island. (Pos. 65) Ralph and Piggy seem to be more associated with each other. They also share ideas with each other and see what the other one thinks of his idea. (Pg. 88-89) Ralph and Piggy both agree that there probably isn't a beast unlike everyone else is thinking, so this means that they have something in common. (Pg. 125) Ralph thinks he saw the beast and it describing it to Piggy who doesn't want to believe that there is an actual beast, but since it is coming from Ralph he kind of excepts the idea. If one of the other boys would have said the same thing to Piggy, Piggy probably wouldn't even try…

    • 280 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An allegorical fiction book, “Lord of the Flies”, by William Golding, takes place somewhere in the distant future, on the threshold of the next world war. A plane overturns on an unfounded island far from civilization. Amongst the stranded are boys ranging from toddlers to school age. The first characters introduced are Ralph and Piggy. Charismatic and good looking, Ralph is the main protagonist of this story.…

    • 651 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph was the only civil guy left in the end. Although savagery came sometimes to him, he managed to stay civilized for the most part, even though the others became more savage. He is a reasonable leader, but lacks the experience and the knowledge to lead. Jack is an example of a leader, as he can easily get the bigger, more knowledgeable boys to go with him, while Ralph ends up with Simon, Piggy, and the litte’uns.…

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When a group of British school boys land on a deserted island someone has to step up and lead. A leader should have many noble traits. In the book Ralph is elected leader, in the beginning he was not much of a standout but later in the book we found Ralph has great leadership skills: he tries to keep the peace, was stern when he needed to be, and held everyone accountable for their work.…

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph represents order in this book. In the beginning, he is known as the leader. He uses the conch to bring everyone together and the conch is what made him the leader in the first place. In page 39 it says, “Then, with the martyred expression of a parent who has to keep up with the senseless ebullience of the children, he picked up the conch, turned toward the forest, and began to pick his way over the tumbled scar.” This quote tells that Ralph represents order because it says “...with the martyred expression of a parent” and…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph is the elected leader of the group. He continues throughout the whole book to try to keep the order in the book. He first understands that he needs to set up a structure of rules to allow for the group of boys to remain civilized. The first great leadership skill that Ralph has is that he compromises. Ralph is a compromiser. The smartest compromises makes is that he instead of having Jack be upset about not being elected leader he makes Jack be the leader of the hunters. This would allow Jack and Ralph to have a good relationship until the middle of the book where having Jack be the head hunter would cause a split in the…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Ralph reacts with an unexpected level-headedness when a boar comes charging down the path: ?Ralph found he was able to measure the distance coldly and take aim. With the boar only five yards away, he flung the foolish wooden stick that he carried, saw it hit the great snout and hang there for a moment? (123). This event suggests that Ralph may possess hunting skills that rival Jack?s, as such, it seems that Jack will attempt to show up Ralph in some other way.…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the novel the Lord of the Flies, by William Golding Simon assures Ralph when he is dispirited about his sojourn at the island. For instance, the author writes the following, “You’ll get back to where you came from” (111). In this novel, Ralph is one of the few characters who is concerned about being rescued and not for staying on the island. This quote shows that Simon also believes the same and agrees with Ralph’s perspective of being rescued. The author mentions several times that Simon has a connection to the forest, it seems now that he wants to join Ralph in the belief of being saved. Furthermore, Golding writes in chapter 7, “No, I’m not. I just think that you’ll get back all right” (111). In this piece of evidence, the author purpose…

    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “ Ralph, the representative of civilization and democracy, lives rules, acts peacefully, and follows moral commands and values the good , who dramatically reveals the condition of civilization and democracy in Golding’s time”(Li 119). From the description of Ralph in Lord of the Flies he is automatically recognized as the main character and in like most books the main character is the hero or positive leader in the book “ He is purporting to break the rules and in the newfound freedom, but the irony is that cannot escape has accustomed regime”(Watt 178). This talks about while Ralph walks about the island he tries to be happy about not having any type of structure from an adult but he later finds out that structure is needed in order to keep everything…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What kind of characteristics would be needed for a chief to deliver a group of young boys from both the island and the hidden savagery of the heart? In the Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a group of boys under twelve years of age face this exact situation. The boys are stranded on a tropical island with no adult supervision, and vote Ralph as their chief. However, their decision was predominantly based on his ownership of the conch. After a few weeks on the island, with a more thorough understanding of the boys’ personalities and an increase in conflict and fear, is Ralph really qualified to be chief? Ralph is the best candidate for chief because he knows how to solve problems quickly and efficiently and prioritize ideas and tasks.…

    • 1052 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the first two chapter of Lord of the Flies, the author William Golding illustrates the character Ralph in great detail. Physical attributes of Ralph include blonde hair, mild eyes, tall stature, and an athletic build (1,10, 22). Due to his athletic build and tall stature, Ralph appears to be physically superior to the other boys. Appearance is power, the physical superiority Ralph has over others grants him automatic power; however, because of his mild eyes and fair, blonde hair the other boys are not afraid of him. Ralph’s behavior in the first two chapters displays the powerful and the young, boyish side of his personality. In Chapter One Ralph does headstands, makes fart noises with the conch, and wrestles with other boys (10,27,17). These actions reflect those of a young child without a lot of responsibility, or the actions of a child with a high level of…

    • 475 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jack Vs Ralph

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages

    With no near site of rescue, an absence of maturity, and a craving for blood, a civilization will decline at a rapid pace. In the Lord of the Flies it does not take much for the boys’ civilization to crash and burn. This can be concerning, as it shows how rapidly a human can become wild when in a survival mentality. Humans crave power to the extent that it can make people do anything to get it. Jack and Ralph each were turned to power hungry tyrants at the slightest taste of it of its infamous glory .…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph takes on the role as the adult on the island as there is none. He constantly thinks of survival, having fire, and building shelter because he is concerned about everyone's safety, “Been working for days now. And look!” (50). He’s been working on the shelters with the other boys, but then soon tire and leave him with Simon to finish the shelter. He tries to make sure a fire is always burning, constantly thinking ahead for warmth, cooking food and the possibility of rescue. Jack is a problem, he is becoming more and more barbaric, never thinking things through or supporting others, selfish and unworthy for chief, “He isn’t a proper chief” (126). Ralph would like for everyone on the island to be in one tribe so they can all help each other using all of their strengths, some are better at building shelter, others are better at hunting. Jack does not agree and resists that idea, stealing their food and making their lives even more difficult. Jack is making Ralph’s life unbearable, but Ralph perseveres to be a leader on the…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Going back to Simon dialogue, it is certainly odd the way he talks. He interjects into conversations with short, insightful pieces of information. This definitely contradicts the other children’s behaviour, hence he is thought to be wise and thoughtful by the reader. Simon also has some cynical qualities that make themselves apparent at certain times. The most pronounced time is when Ralph and Jack are discussing the littluns’ nightmares about the beast. They dismiss it as the littluns being young and scared easily. However, Simon inputs that maybe it is real. He also brings up that the island may not be a good place, but Jack and Ralph quickly dismiss it, thereby showing Simon’s insight and wisdom that the other children find…

    • 123 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays