essay on ralph from lord of the flies

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Lord of the flies – charcater essay on ralph.

Choose a novel with a character who you find interesting. With reference to the text show how the writer made the character interesting.

In The Lord of the Flies by William Golding Ralph is a very interesting character. In the novel a group of boys become stranded on a desert island and must fight to survive. Ralph is a compelling character because he is the one who fights to keep civility alive amongst the boys and tries to stop them becoming savages. We can track how he does this throughout the novel.

The first way Ralph proves to be interesting is when he establishes a sense of order on the island. He finds a large conch and gathers the boys together and tells them “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak, they won’t be interrupted”. We can see clearly here that there is a sense of democracy, any boy who wishes to speak will be given the chance to do so. The idea that they won’t be ‘interrupted’ shows that Ralph expects the boys to listen to each other and give each other respect even if they don’t agree with one another. Ralph is also clearly the leader here as he is the one in charge of where the conch goes. This makes Ralph interesting as he is clearly the authority figure and he is clearly in charge at this point.

Ralph continues to exert his authority over the boys. The younger boys begin to slack off from their work and the older boys don’t pay attention to the fire and so Ralph shouts “I’m calling an assembly” and the boys immediately gather at the point. This shows that Ralph is still the boss at this point and it shows the boys still have a sense of civility as they conform to Ralph’s instructions. This is interesting because it shows Ralph is still able to control the boys at this point and there is still a sense of a functioning society.

Ralph sees that the boys are starting to move away from their civility as time passes and he tries to remind the boys of who they are. The older boys let the fire go out and Ralph, furious at them asks “Are we savages or what?” The tone of this is angry and he is trying to tell the boys that they need to behave better. The loss of fire is a loss of hope of rescue. Letting the fire go out suggests that some of the older boys aren’t actually fussed about getting off the island. This scene is interesting because it shows Ralph is starting to feel exhausted from being the only authority figure and he is getting frazzled at trying to get so many boys to conform to rules that will ultimately save them.

Ralph starts to lose his authority when Jack begins to openly challenge him. Jack punches Piggy and steals his glasses in order to restart the signal fire, Ralph calls him out on it saying “That was a dirty trick” and we are told “Ralph felt his lip twitch”. Ralph is openly identifying Jack’s deviant actions whereas in the past he would have let Jack away with it. He is trying to control Jack here. His lip twitching is an involuntary action but it betrays Ralph’s dislike for Jack. This scene is interesting as the group of boys can now see the split between Jack and Ralph and will be forced to take sides, and Ralph here actually looks weaker because he is not using brute strength.

Finally Ralph loses control of the boys completely but refuses to join them as he still clings to civility over savagery. When Simon is mistaken for the Beast and murdered Ralph is the only one who will admit “that was Simon, that was murder” and when they are finally rescued and the naval officer asks jokingly had they killed anyone Ralph responds “Only two” and Golding reveals “The officer knew when people were telling the truth. He whistled softly.” Ralph’s first statement is just that, a clear acknowledgement that the boys’ savage behaviour has led them to kill someone. Ralph’s response to the naval officer implies that the boys could have ended up killing more boys if rescue hadn’t occurred. Ralph is not scared of the truth. Ralph is interesting because he is the one boy on the island who has matured and grown a strong moral centre prizing civility over savagery.

In conclusion, Golding makes Ralph an interesting character by showing him grow as a leader and then remain the only boy who will not succumb to savagery by joining Jack’s group. Ralph is there to show us what could happen when savagery takes over from civility.

2 thoughts on “Lord of the Flies – Charcater essay on Ralph”

This was a great essay wow.

well answered a job welldone

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Lord of the Flies

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Lord of the Flies Essay: Importance of Ralph

Lord of the Flies  is an    by -winning author . The novel discusses how culture created by man fails, using as an example a group of  school-boys stuck on a  who try to govern themselves with disastrous results. The story stances on the already controversial subjects of human nature and individual welfare versus the common good; and the novel widely explores certain themes-most that relate to the inherent evil that exists in all human beings and the malicious nature of mankind. In Lord of the Flies , Golding shows how the boys’ gradual transformation from being civilized, well-mannered people-turns to a savage nature; and their inner ‘ritualistic beast’ develops. This culminates in a vivid and disastrous ending that is both significant and allegorical.

Throughout William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies , a post apocalyptic scenario is portrayed in which a group of young British schoolboys are stranded upon a desert island, as aforementioned. The beast within; an evil longing for power, which is developed by the build-up of fear, gradually begins to manifest itself inside each of the boys-although they all deal with it in very different ways. Ralph, the athletic and charismatic protagonist, is seen as one of the key characters to withstand this base of evil nature; and he shows a strong sense of leadership and righteousness throughout the course of the novel. Ralph is probably the most likable character in the entire story, and although he does not ponder as deeply like Piggy, is not as spiritual like Simon, or as energetic as Jack, there is something in him that attracts the audience. Ralph is described as being a ‘playful, innocent child’ in the beginning, but towards the end he matures significantly. In the first chapter where he takes his clothes off and goes swimming like any child would do, he seems to be Adam in the Garden of Eden, a child left to play with the nature. However, as the plot progresses, Ralph faces both internal and external conflicts; from those conflicts he greatly matures. Ralph always has the strong belief that all the children will be saved from the island sooner or later; he is so sure that he even insists that they should have fire at all times to signal any passing ships. However, when the boys abandon the fire which is symbolic of Ralph’s hope of getting saved, Ralph faces an internal conflict that makes him fear about their future; perhaps they will not be rescued at all. Ralph could be described, through Golding’s descriptions of him in the text, as the epitome of the wealthy British schoolboy and is a fascinating example of how a civilised boy reacts to such atrocious circumstances as those presented in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies .

Towards the beginning of the novel, Golding shows clearly how Ralph’s intelligence and practical approach to situations is relevant-mainly through his summation of the boy’s situation on the island. He states to Piggy, “This is an island; at least I think it's an island. That's a reef out in the sea. Perhaps there aren't any grownups anywhere.” Although this might seem to be stating the obvious, it displays keen observation and a willingness to dissect the situation to obtain the best possible outcome; clear signs of a good leader. Consequently, it is largely this lateral thinking and observation that persuaded the other boys to elect him as their ‘chief’. The difference between Ralph and all the other boys on the island, apart from possibly Simon, is his ability to remain calm in a situation and obtain the best possible outcome for all involved; the only downside to this however, is displayed later on in the novel when Ralph battles with an internal part of himself that gives him a memory block. Ralph also possesses a certain characteristic most akin to charisma that forces all those surrounding him to sit up and listen to what he has to say. Ralph defines this quality also in his first speech as leader; “Listen everybody. I've got to have time to think things out. I can't decide what to do straight off. If this isn't an island, we might be rescued straight away. So we've got to decide if this is an island or not. Everybody must stay around here and wait and not go away. Three of us… will go on an expedition and find out.” Golding clearly displays Ralph’s intelligence and reasoning skills within the early part of the novel as well as his strong leadership ability. Paired with the conch; which is a symbol of authority, common sense and democratic discipline-whilst also being an iconic object of great power to the boys; Ralph is shown as a figurehead of discipline-at first a perfect example of chief to all the boys except Jack and, reluctantly, Jack’s choir (later his  hunters). Ralph wastes no time in bringing order to the group. He shows intelligence and self-control by not jumping into conclusions and by wanting “time to think things out.” This displays to  his cautiousness in making decisions; surely the other boys recognized this also, for he had earned the title, chief.  

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Out of all the boys on the island, Ralph is the most practical yet civilised of all. Simon and Piggy could be considered exceptions to this remark, however neither possesses the practicality and ability to get things done that Ralph has. Piggy is laughed at and mocked by all the boys on the island, including the litlluns. This is evident from the beginning of the novel when it reads, ‘“He’s not Fatty”, cried Ralph, “his real name’s Piggy!” “Piggy!”…a storm of laughter arose and even the tiniest child joined in…with Piggy on the outside: he went very pink, bowed his head and cleaned his glasses again’. This quote shows how vulnerable and scorned Piggy is; resultant of his size and his glasses-as they both display two very obvious physical defects. The name ‘Piggy’ also bears a relationship with that of the pigs on the island, as both the pigs and Piggy himself are vulnerable to man. The above quote also shows how Ralph can change from being sympathetic to insensitive, as he doesn’t care for Piggy’s feelings. However, it would seem that Ralph was just trying to make himself seem like a good leader who has crowd support, as during the rest of the book he creates a strong companionship between himself and Piggy. Simon on the other hand, is given the persona of a ‘queer’ an-‘odd’ boy, which is reflected through his acts and the way the others talk about him. On page 69 Ralph says, “He’s queer. He’s funny” which is a good summation of Simon’s character; “he’s buzzed off” as Jack says. Unlike Ralph though, Simon and Piggy are never very practical; Piggy isn’t listened to and he is of an annoyance to most of the boys; and as my previous quote suggests, Simon always disappears.

Golding first shows this practicality of Ralph’s when he states that one of the first things they needed to do as a group was to light a fire on top of the mountain for passing ships to see. ‘There’s another thing. We can help them to find us. If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire’. Ralph reasons that this is the right course of action whilst the majority of other boys are content with playing on the beach and swimming, mainly the novels antagonist Jack Merridew. Ralph’s ultimate goals whilst on the island are to get rescued, have shelter and ensure that all the boys remain safe. Everything he does is with these goals in mind. Ralph attempts to convince the others that they need to abide to his regulations if they wish to live in a clean state and have the possibility of being rescued. However, after the Hunter’s-made up of Jack’s choir and some of the older boys-abandon most of Ralph’s rules, Ralph comes down harshly upon them and chastises those involved. Two examples of this are when the hunters do not maintain the fire (‘“ you let the bloody fire out”’ as Ralph states angrily), and also when the kids do not follow his plans for toileting (‘“We chose those rocks right alongside the bathing pool as a lavatory…Now people seem to use anywhere. Even near the shelters and the platform”’). This example of Ralph chastising the littluns over their ‘dirtiness’ gives readers a strong insight into the mind of Ralph. It shows how he is clinging on to what civilisation is left within him and the thought of this unhygienic act utterly repulses him. Gradually over the course of the novel however, Golding begins to show the readers how Ralph’s strong sense of civilisation diminishes, although he still maintains more civilised than any of the others, except for maybe Simon. Symbolically, Ralph’s failure to remain civilised and to lead a democratic society shows the failure of mankind to recognize or deal with the force of evil inherent in itself. The mind of Ralph also seems to be a step ahead of those belonging to the others. He cannot comprehend why the hunters would let the fire go out instead focusing on simply hunting. Ralph states; “Don’t you understand? Can’t you see we ought to die before we let the fire out?” Ralph’s sense of civilisation is far more heightened than that of the others, and it explains why he can't understand how the fire is the last thing on the their minds. In order to make sure that the fire stays on, he makes a rule that fire is to be on the mountain only, and if anyone wants to cook something, it should be done on the mountain. It can be assumed that he reasoned that this way, the fire would definitely stay on. Again, Ralph displays his keen intelligence and amazing ability to reason, which explains why he was a great choice for leader. Unlike when the boys were under Jack's rule, with Ralph the boys don’t become uncivilized savages directly because of him. With Jack they have no discipline but Ralph, however, keeps the boys under order through the meetings that he holds. At these meetings a sense of order is instilled because the boys have to wait until they hold the conch to speak.  When Ralph says, “I'll give the conch to the next person to speak.  He can hold it when he's speaking.” he enforces his role of leader by making rules and gives the boys the stability of an authority figure, mainly himself. By doing this he wins the boys respect and confidence in his leadership abilities. Ralph uses his authority to try to improve the boys' society.  By building shelters he demonstrates his knowledge of the boys' needs. When he says to Jack, “They talk and scream. The littluns. Even some of the others.” he is referring to why the boys need shelters. They are afraid. Ralph understands that by building the shelters, the boys will feel more secure. This illustrates his superior knowledge of people, which makes him a better leader than Jack. Jack fails to realize the boys need security, stability and order in their society. 

To follow on from this, Ralph's treatment of the boys also demonstrates his knowledge of human nature.  While Jack considers the boys inferior to himself, Ralph treats the boys as equals.  Ralph's superior leadership qualities are reflected in his constant defence of Piggy.  Piggy is the weakest of the group and is therefore treated unfairly much of the time.  When Jack hits Piggy and breaks his glasses, Ralph calls it “A dirty trick.” This shows Jack's disregard for other humans; while at the same time demonstrates Ralph's compassion and ability to empathize with others, thus illustrating his understanding of people.  Ralph's ‘government’ is a form of democracy which gives each boy equal rights and an ability to express themselves. Ralph's clear understanding of people and their needs make him a far superior leader when compared with Jack.  Ralph's understanding of the boys need for stability and order through government and rules prompts him to improve the society in which they are living.  Jack's society was barbaric and savage and met none of these needs.  Jack treats the boys as slaves and inferiors.  Ralph's patience and caring with the boys shows his ability to take charge and rule in an effective, yet democratic fashion.  Ralph's priority to get off the island demonstrates his wisdom and ability to make decisions. When Piggy says “Which is better - to be a pack of painted niggers like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is?” he demonstrates how the boys; by not following Ralph, have been lead astray by Jack.  Ralph's main priority, which is getting off the island, is a wiser choice than for the boys to follow Jack.  Unfortunately, the boys take the easier choice, which is to hunt and play games rather than keep the fire burning.  Had they listened to the better leader, the novel may not have ended as tragically.

The major question surrounding the character of Ralph, is whether he was an egotistical, power hungry character or an honest and just leader who led the boys on the island with a great deal of maturity and insight. Ralph was not a straightforward case of either of these personas, however the majority of evidence suggests that his intentions were reasonable. Although Ralph may have used forceful language in several instances throughout the novel and sometimes treated people with a great deal of disrespect, for the most part Ralph was simply trying to help the person or group in question. A key example of this is when he speaks with disdain to the littluns with regard to their hygiene and their attitude; “I said if you’re taken short you keep away from the fruit. That’s dirty…I said that’s dirty!” This may be seen as forceful and it even could be said that Ralph was trying to assert dominance over the younger boys. However it is quite clear from the text that he was telling the boys off for their own good, he ultimately wanted them to enjoy a high quality of living. This is in complete contrast to the character of Jack who simply abuses his power and asserts his dominance simply out of a primeval thirst for power. In fact, the only instance in which we see Ralph abusing another boy simply for the sake of it is when he teases Piggy with regard to his much-hated nickname. “Piggy! Piggy!” as he mocks. Yet even in this most extreme of situation, Ralph shows a great deal of remorse and even apologises to Piggy. The act is also very stereotypical of a young British boy, and demonstrates Ralph’s playful attitude at the beginning of the novel.

The character of Ralph shows readers through his actions and personality within Golding’s Lord of the Flies that man does have a just and reasonable side within that can shine through in the most horrific of circumstances.

Document Details

• Word Count 2598
• Page Count 4
• Subject English

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• Lord of the Flies

William Golding

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Critical Essays Major Themes

Problem of Evil

Lord of the Flies was driven by " Golding 's consideration of human evil, a complex topic that involves an examination not only of human nature but also the causes, effects, and manifestations of evil. It demands also a close observation of the methods or ideologies humankind uses to combat evil and whether those methods are effective. Golding addresses these topics through the intricate allegory of his novel.

When Lord of the Flies was first released in 1954, Golding described the novel's theme in a publicity questionnaire as "an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature." In his 1982 essay A Moving Target , he stated simply "The theme of Lord of the Flies is grief, sheer grief, grief, grief." The novel ends of course with Ralph grieving the indelible mark of evil in each person's heart, an evil he scarcely suspected existed before witnessing its effects on his friends and supporters. The former schoolboys sought unthinkingly to dominate others who were not of their group. They discovered within themselves the urge to inflict pain and enjoyed the accompanying rush of power. When confronted with a choice between reason's civilizing influence and animality's self-indulgent savagery, they choose to abandon the values of the civilization that Ralph represents.

This same choice is made constantly all over the world, all throughout history — the source of the grief Golding sought to convey. He places supposedly innocent schoolboys in the protected environment of an uninhabited tropical island to illustrate the point that savagery is not confined to certain people in particular environments but exists in everyone as a stain on, if not a dominator of, the nobler side of human nature. Golding depicts the smallest boys acting out, in innocence, the same cruel desire for mastery shown by Jack and his tribe while hunting pigs and, later, Ralph. The adults waging the war that marooned the boys on the island are also enacting the desire to rule others.

Ironically, by giving rein to their urge to dominate, the boys find themselves in the grip of a force they can neither understand nor acknowledge. The Lord of the Flies tells Simon "Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!" and then laughs at the boys' efforts to externalize their savagery in the form of an animal or other fearsome creature. Simon has the revelation that evil isn't simply a component of human nature, but an active element that seeks expression.

Outlets for Violence

Most societies set up mechanisms to channel aggressive impulses into productive enterprises or projects. On the island, Jack's hunters are successful in providing meat for the group because they tap into their innate ability to commit violence. To the extent that this violence is a reasoned response to the group's needs (for example, to feed for the population), it produces positive effects and outcomes. However, when the violence becomes the motivator and the desired outcome lacks social or moral value beyond itself, as it does with the hunters, at that point the violence becomes evil, savage, and diabolical.

Violence continues to exist in modern society and is institutionalized in the military and politics. Golding develops this theme by having his characters establish a democratic assembly, which is greatly affected by the verbal violence of Jack's power-plays, and an army of hunters, which ultimately forms a small military dictatorship. The boys' assemblies are likened to both ends of the social or civil spectrum, from pre-verbal tribe gatherings to modern governmental institutions, indicating that while the forum for politics has changed over the millennia, the dynamic remains the same.

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