Preview

Ralph Lord Of The Flies Character Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
647 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Ralph Lord Of The Flies Character Analysis
What do you think of Ralph and the way he is presented?
Ralph is a character out of the Nobel Prize-winning English author William Golding lord of the flies. Ralph is also the protagonist of the novel. Ralph is one of the biguns on the island and one of the eldest. By the way he is described throughout the book we can tell that he is around the age of twelve.
Although not especially intelligent Ralph is described as tall for his age and attractive and shows more confidence than many on the island, he is also charismatic and shows obvious common sense and this helps him to become the chosen leader by the other boys and more importantly he has the conch. The Conch symbolises structure, order, civilisation and rescue from the island and it gives ultimate authority. From the very beginning of the novel Ralph represented leadership and he made a natural leader.
As the novel progresses I think Ralph grows and develops and towards the beginning of the story Ralph is very confident, composed and
…show more content…
Although not as spiteful as jack Ralph does begin by teasing and joining in with the other boys as they tease piggy however as the novel progresses we begin to see Ralph become more respectful and mature and we see that that Ralph begins to learn to accept piggy and actually values him and his opinion more than anyone else. He begins to show his true qualities of leadership when jack and the other boys form their own tribe and Ralph loses his power over the other boys and he and piggy are left on their own and he begins to stand up to jack and when piggy’s glasses are stolen Ralph goes to get them back only leading to piggy’s death and Ralph being devastated at losing his one true friend on the island. Ralph is the only character who identifies Simon's and Piggy’s deaths as murder and has a realistic, unvarnished view of his participation. He feels excited by what he did and also loathes himself for his

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The opposing end of the spectrum from Ralph is Jack. From the moment Jack is introduced in the novel, it is clear that he is made to be in competition with Ralph. Jack is ran by his insecurity. His hunger for power is fed by jealousy. To compare Ralph and Jack is to compare apples and oranges, essentially.…

    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Lord of the Flies, Ralph is portrayed as the protagonist in the story and Jack is the antagonist. Ralph starts out as the “leader” of the group of boys in the beginning of the novel before their civilization begins to collapse. By the end of the story Ralph is nothing more than prey to Jack and his hunters. Jack is the main reason that the boys commit such barbaric actions. By the end, the reader has witnessed the true lengths mans’ instincts could reach and the evil that is hidden in every person.…

    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph is tactful and diplomatic when dealing with the boys. Despite knowing the Piggy would not be much of a help but rather a liability on the expedition to determine whether the island was truly an island, he does not say so. Instead, he tells Piggy gently that he is “no good on a job like this”, without directly saying that Piggy would hold them back on this expedition with his physical disadvantages. This is contrasted with Jack’s tactless remarks to Piggy with regards to the same incident. Jack says bluntly that they “don’t want you [him]” and that “three’s enough”. His rudeness caused Piggy to feel hurt and embarrassed especially since this was in front of all the boys, as seen when his “glasses flashed”, an indication of his feelings. Ralph is a better person than Jack as he knows how to handle matters with diplomacy and tact while Jack is tactless and hurts others with his bluntness. The contrast between the two boys’ handling of Piggy’s desire to join them on the expedition is especially telling of their character and as a result, who is a better person.…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ralph would be the perfect person to follow through this novel because he sticks to his guns and follows through with all his plans. He is very confident in what he says and as a leader, you need to have that type of personality when your leading a whole group of people, especially when all of you are on a mountain and trying to get rescued. You need a strong leader or someone that is going to speak up. Taking control is so…

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel, “Lord of the Flies”, by William Golding, he tells the story of a group of boys stranded on an island. During World War II, a plane filled with young boys got shot down which led the young survivals on a deserted island without any adults. The young boys decide to have a leader who can willingly lead the group to survival. Ralph is chosen to be the leader, yet after a series of events maybe Ralph wasn't a good choice after all. I believe Ralph is the reason of the development of their savage society. Ralph takes responsibility for the island’s decline because his poor leadership skills result in nothing getting done and the young boys breaking into groups rather than cooperating like they should have been…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are several instances in the story where Ralph, the leader, goes against the majority. Ralph tries to put thought behind the things he does, much like Piggy. Piggy showed this maturity when he said “Acting like a crowd of kids!” and “What do they think they’re going to do on that mountain?”(Golding 38). Piggy said all of this in disgust because he, much like Ralph, thinks differently than the rest of the characters. Throughout the story Ralph was found trying to appease Jack, in one situation Jack had struck Piggy to vent his anger and Ralph replied “That was dirty trick”(72) but did not punish Jack . Ralph allowed Jack to hunt with the choir, his appointed hunters. Jack failed his task of keeping the fire going and Ralph further appeased…

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    A positive and well-rounded boy is the type that was portrayed to the reader when talking about Ralph. The so-called “beast”, brings many inconvenient conversations and thoughts in the boys’ minds. The littluns are a main source of this problem, spreading rumors about things they haven’t actually seen. This big confusion is even too much for ralph to handle and is the reason Simon ends up being killed. That well-rounded boy changed into a careless savage and it costs Simon his life. Ralph being one of the only characters to remain as civil as possible for the longest time ends up turning for the worst and losing his innocence. Ralph pushes for the caring of the groups overall rescue but many people start to forget to care. The darkness and savagery that is starting to form in Ralph can be seen by Piggy’s constant worry and counseling for him. The chant from Chapter 4 (69); “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.” Explicitly shows how savage the boys are becoming. This chant is used once again when Simon is being killed, “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” Ralph being a part of these events shows how his loss of innocence becomes a big part/issue of the…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The second character trait Simon possesses is that he is devotedly faithful. He is an enormous believer of God and loves sharing his faith with other people. This is proven during various conversations with Reverend Russell and his best friend, Joe Wenteworth. When Simon is talking to the reverend, he suggests that God made him the way he is for a reason and says, “I think I'm God's instrument - that he's gonna use me to carry out his plan.” The last occurrence when Simon is faithful happens when is continually encouraging Joe to be joyful. Simon claims, “Your problem is that you have no faith.” Joe responds, “I got faith. I just need proof to back it up.” Joe is more of a pessimist and practical person therefore Simon is there hence he can cause Joe be further positive.…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 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
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lord of the Flies- How would you characterize Ralph? Cite textual evidence to support your opinion of Ralph, please?…

    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Who would ever guess that a ninety-eight pound weakling would serve as the protagonist's confidant? Looks deceiving, especially in the case of Piggy who serves as Ralph's confidant in William Golding's Novel, Lord of the Flies. Despite his poor eyesight, asthma, a weight problem and vulnerability, he was considered to be the most intelligent of the boys. However his intelligence was only a benefit to the group through Ralph. Unlike Piggy, Ralph possessed the proper leadership skills in which he could apply the intellect of Piggy.…

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Ralph's Savagery

    • 1117 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Ralph has undergone the devolution from civilization into savagery. In the beginning of Ralph's stay on the island, he is portrayed as a calm, innocent boy, “ a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil” (10). Also, Ralph shows that he cares about everyone on the island not just himself. Ralph’s want's to get everyone off the island by using fire, “There’s another thing.…

    • 1117 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lord of the Flies: Our Society Suppresses the Evil That Is Presented In All of Us…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The protagonist of "Lord of the Flies", Ralph, is an essential character to the novel. Ralph, who is athletic and pleasant, is elected leader of the boys in the beginning of the story; he instills order and civilization through his leadership. Ralph has his sight set on being rescued and thinks of ways…

    • 3033 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    He becomes a great force of order and establishes solid communication, safety, and logical reasoning on the island. He establishes the standards of a true civilization by fulfilling the needs of the boys and holding the standards of a civilization formed by Englishmen. And he exhibits the characteristics of true leadership by showing a capability to rule, ruling without fear, and assuring a solid bond between the boys. Ralph unfailingly holds true to these standards of order, civilization, and leadership, and shows us the true nature of these symbols and how we should hold their importance in…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics