Ralph Lord Of The Flies Character Analysis

In Lord of the Flies, Golding writes about numerous young boys stranded on an island. Out of the group of boys, there are two who strive to be leaders: Ralph and Jack; however, each boy has a specific way he wants things done. Ralph is focused on being rescued, so he tries to maintain civilization. He is persistent on these ideas during the time on the island. Also, Ralph keeps a steady relationship with Piggy, but Jack sees Piggy as inferior. Jack prefers to hunt for food although there is plenty of fruit on the island. He wants to have fun and he transitions from an orderly choir boy to a ruthless painted savage. A good leader is someone who can influence his people to do what he wants. They are both good leaders but are different from each

At one of the first assemblies, he does not want everyone talking at once. To combat this, he exclaims, “We’ll have to have ‘Hands up’ like school. … Then I’ll give him the conch. … I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking. … he won’t be interrupted” (Golding 33). Ralph sets standards for the tribe’s organization so that everyone is heard. If all the boys voice their opinions all at once, nothing will get done. Ralph attempts to remind the boys of civilization by proposing a government based off of democracy. Whoever has the conch can speak. In addition, Ralph is adamant about maintaining a signal fire as it is the only way for them to be rescued. Ralph points this out when he says, “If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke…” (Golding 38). Ralph does not expect to be on the island long, as they have the signal fire going. To him it is just survival until a ship comes by and rescues them all. Ralph has a strong relationship with Piggy, Piggy is often telling Ralph what should be done in many situations. For example, Piggy suggests that Ralph blows into the conch (Golding 16), and even at the end when Piggy suggests that they do not talk about the dance (Golding 157). Ralph trusts Piggy, Ralph realizes that he does not have the brains; therefore, he has Piggy overlook and

In the beginning, Golding describes a scene where Jack and Ralph go to kill a pig, ‘He [Jack] raised his arm in the air. There came a pause, a hiatus, the pig… Then the pig tore loose from the creepers and scurried into the undergrowth” (31). Jack did not kill the pig as he is too civil to do so. However, later on Jack, Roger, and some other boys go and kill a pig in a violent way. Golding describes the scene vividly, “Jack was on top of the sow, stabbing downwards with his knife” (135). Jack would have never done that if he had maintained his morals. He does not need to act so violently, but he does because he is overcome with the rush of the kill. Breaking the rules of his previous society Jack is able to express his evil nature, which exciters him. Jack manipulates all of the boys to join a dance where the boys dance wildly killing Simon in the process. (Golding 153). Jack lured out the evil in the boys. When Jack is introduced, he is seen wearing a cap with a golden badge, unlike other choir boys who have silver badgers, indicating that he is already a leader. Furthermore, Golding describes a scene in which Ralph, Piggy, and Samneric see that Jack is decorated like an idol (149), representing Jack, who uses masks and paint to hide who he once was, a fierce leader of his tribe. Additionally, Jack does not associate himself with Piggy, especially when Jack says,