Who Is Ralph A Dynamic Character In Lord Of The Flies

William Golding’s Use of Characterization Within the Lord of the Flies: the Static, the Round, and the Dynamic.

It is human nature to undergo internal changes in one's individual viewpoint, values, and mindset after experiencing challenging circumstances. In William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies, the main protagonist, Ralph, alongside other boys his age, permanently change once they find themselves on an uninhabited island after their plane crashes. The boys realize there are no adults on the island. At first the boys are exhilarated at the news of not having adult supervision, until they realize they must fend for themselves. This proves to be difficult as many of the characters differ in personalities and do not get along with each other.

Golding characterizes Ralph as a dynamic character, someone who changes throughout the novel due to major obstacles he experiences. At the beginning of the novel, Ralph is seen as carefree and relaxed. When he first crashes and meets Piggy, Ralph is much less concerned with finding the other survivors, adults, and learning who Piggy is. He is more excited by the fact there is no adult supervision, meaning Ralph has the freedom to do whatever he wants. Soon, Ralph discovers the difficulties of wilderness survival, and buckles down. Ralph establishes rules, a signal fire that represents they are in danger, shelter, and designated waste areas. However, there is a glaring consequence to his dynamism. When Ralph is seen by the naval officer, “And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.” (Golding 290). Ralph crying represents his mourning of his childhood and overall innocence. As a result of undergoing rapid maturing as a safety response to a dire situation, Ralph can now fully process what he has experienced, emotionally. At first, he was carefree, but then he quickly began to become more concerned with the pressing matters of survival. Ralph had no time to step back and process what is going on but now he has the ability and the responsibility to deal with healing from the trauma and grief he has encountered in his survival. Ralph realizes what and who all has changed, sees that his perspective on reality has forever changed, and understands he, as well as the other boys, will never be the same, innocent, carefree boy he was when he first landed on the island; a thought that is utterly terrifying and