Ralph is the athletic, charismatic protagonist of Lord of the Flies. Elected the leader of the boys at the beginning of the novel, Ralph is the primary representative of order, civilization, and productive leadership in the novel. While most of the other boys initially are concerned with playing, having fun, and avoiding work, Ralph sets about building huts and thinking of ways to maximize their chances of being rescued. For this reason, Ralph’s power and influence over the other boys are secure at the beginning of the novel. However, as the group gradually succumbs to savage instincts over the course of the novel, Ralph’s position declines precipitously while Jack’s rises. Eventually, most of the boys except Piggy leave Ralph’s group for Jack’s, and Ralph is left alone to be hunted by Jack’s tribe. Ralph’s commitment to civilization and morality is strong, and his main wish is to be rescued and returned to the society of adults. In a sense, this strength gives Ralph a moral victory at the end of the novel, when he casts the Lord of the Flies to the ground and takes up the stake it is impaled on to defend himself against Jack’s hunters.
In the earlier parts of the novel, Ralph is unable to understand why the other boys would give in to base instincts of bloodlust and barbarism. The sight of the hunters chanting and dancing is baffling and distasteful to him. As the novel progresses, however, Ralph, like Simon, comes to understand that savagery exists within all the boys. Ralph remains determined not to let this savagery overwhelm him, and only briefly does he consider joining Jack’s tribe in order to save himself. When Ralph hunts a boar for the first time, however, he experiences the exhilaration and thrill of bloodlust and violence. When he attends Jack’s feast, he is swept away by the frenzy, dances on the edge of the group, and participates in the killing of Simon. This firsthand knowledge of the evil that exists within him, as within all human beings, is tragic for Ralph, and it plunges him into listless despair for a time. But this knowledge also enables him to cast down the Lord of the Flies at the end of the novel. Ralph’s story ends semi-tragically: although he is rescued and returned to civilization, when he sees the naval officer, he weeps with the burden of his new knowledge about the human capacity for evil.
FAQs
Ralph represents leadership, the properly socialized and civilized young man. He is attractive, charismatic, and decently intelligent. He demonstrates obvious common sense.
How is Ralph characterized as being? ›
A natural leader, Ralph is charismatic, logical, and diplomatic. His character symbolizes leadership, civility, and common sense.
What best describes Ralph in Lord of the Flies? ›
Final answer: Ralph from 'Lord of the Flies' is best described as sensible, illustrated by his emphasis on the importance of making a fire for survival and rescue. Explanation: The word that best describes the character Ralph in Lord of the Flies is sensible.
How do they describe Ralph? ›
Ralph is described as a boy with boxer like shoulders, blue eyes, tan skin, and blonde hair. During a fight with him, Jack spears Ralph and gives him a large gash in his lower abdomen.
What are the positive traits of Ralph? ›
He attempts to be fair and wants to be a good leader. The reader sees this in the way he handles the assemblies, insisting that boys take turns to speak. He is also responsible, as seen in his chapter three, when he works diligently to provide shelter although the other boys do not help.
What is Ralph's style of leadership in Lord of the Flies? ›
Ralph establishes democratic leadership in the novel when the group elects him to be their chief. He assigns roles and creates a balance of work and play.
How does Ralph show ego? ›
Ralph represents the ego in his desire to fill his needs in a reasonably ethical way. Finally, Jack represents the id, as he has no desire to follow rules or laws while showing no remorse when resorting to violence and murder.
What human nature does Ralph represent? ›
What aspect of human nature does Ralph represent? Ralph represents free will and fairness in LOTF. He strives to install a democracy on the island, and is naturally elected the leader.
How is Ralph described in Lord of the Flies quizlet? ›
Ralph is initially described as "the boy with fair hair" which immediately gives him some sort of unique property. As he seems to be an attractive leader for the boys, he is voted as "chief" and begins to become egocentric because of his role.
What are three adjectives to describe Ralph in Lord of the Flies? ›
In William Golding's classic novel, Lord of the Flies, Ralph, the protagonist, is in the right place at the right time to become the leader of the plane-wrecked school boys who find themselves on a deserted island. Ralph is affable, good-looking and charismatic - much like a young John F.
Ralph believes in law, order, and working towards the common good – in this case, rescue, while Jack prioritizes hunting, chaos, and living for the moment.
How does Ralph's loss of leadership change him as a character? ›
In the end of the novel, Ralph starts to lose the specific character traits that define him as a productive leader as the boys around him turn savage and civilization fades from their society. As the novel progresses, Ralph takes a turn for the worse as he forgets his core principles and is tempted by savagery.
Why is Ralph an interesting character? ›
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.
Why is Ralph a bad leader in Lord of the Flies? ›
While Ralph proves in many ways a thoughtful, charismatic, and effective leader, his leadership is flawed by his indecision and inability to think clearly in crucial moments. Ralph's confusion in decisive moments proves too great a weakness for him to maintain his leadership peacefully.
What is important to Ralph? ›
Ralph's commitment to civilization and morality is strong, and his main wish is to be rescued and returned to the society of adults.
What page is Ralph described in Lord of the Flies? ›
Quick answer: It is on page one of Lord of the Flies that the author describes Ralph and Piggy. In the Google Books eBook version of the story, Jack is described on page fifteen, and Simon is introduced on page sixteen and described on page nineteen.
What is the indirect characterization of Ralph in Lord of the Flies? ›
Indirect Characterization Example 1
Ralph is a twelve-year-old attracitve boy who is envious, resentful, and easily becomes annoyed by the others of the group. He always needs to have power and when he does not he wants to gain it right back.
How does Ralph behave? ›
Ralph's behavior in the beginning of the novel was strict and serious but gradually over time as their time on the island grew he became more carefree and sprightly. …
