Ralph Character Analysis

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Like Jack, Ralph is charismatic and inclined to leadership. However, there are some aspects in Ralph that make him stand out as the member who represents order and civilization. He starts as a naive child, proud of his good looks and nice ways, immediately making him chief. Ralph blowing the conch for the first time signifies the true, pure, selfless power vested in him. He believes that “if [someone is] a chief, [they have] to think, [have] to be wise, [and have] to grab at a decision” (78) without hesitation, while making wise choices for the rest of the boys as well. His priorities are making sure that the group is taken care of, the litteluns are safe, the fire is lit, and shelters are in the process of being built. Throughout the novel, he has Simon and Piggy by his side, who notoriously make sure Ralph never sways in his principles. When they both are murdered by Jack and his hunters, Ralph needs to go against the mob mentality and stand for morality. He values the deaths of his close friends, and avenges them in a non-violent way by standing firm with his standards. Ralph understands the burden and weight of taking care a group of young, rowdy boys, when he realizes that meetings “must not [always] be fun, but business” (76) as well. At times he seems to be a controlling, boring leader, but his words truly help the boys. He knows that knowledge and order can not go far without authority. He mentions everything that needs to get done in order to survive and have order, overwhelming the other boys, yet when they do not follow these tasks, they turn to monsters themselves in minimal time, and even subject to killing each other. They soon spiral out of control. …show more content…
Ralph strived to stop that from happening, but at times, he was pulled into “the brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill” (71) and sheer power. At times the beast in Ralph comes out as well. The first scenario is the very first time Ralph is introduced. One of the first things he does is take off his clothes, a sign of savagery on its own. When he first feels the island, “he [becomes] conscious of the weight of clothes, [kicks] his shoes off fiercely and [rips] off each stocking with its elastic garter in a single movement” (10), and continues to shed the rest of his clothes in a ferocious manner. The first time Ralph hunts, he starts to behave sinisterly. He wounds a pig, and talks excitedly. He even goes to the extent to believe that maybe "hunting was good after all" (113). Another instance where Ralph lets his inner beast slip is when he says that he would “like to put on war-paint and be a savage” (142), slowly emerging his cravings to join the rest of the boys instead of standing against them. Furthermore, when the dance that Jack leads begins to heat up, Ralph finds himself "eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society" (152), which then leads to the brutal murder of Simon. No matter how much Ralph tries to convince himself that "[he] left early" (158), he truly helped kill Simon, his close mate and ally, someone who always had his back. Despite his urges, he still maintains his hold, especially after having the guilt of

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