Another reason why Ralph made such a good leader was his ability to understand the boys. He was a likeable boy from the start and “There was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil”. He was calm and patient most of the time, and the boys did not find it difficult to trust and admire him. He was quietly confident and when the boys first meet for the first time and Jack comes up to the large group, he is an obvious choice for the role. However, Ralph, who does not promote himself or even suggest he be in the running for the place, is the one the boys chose. Perhaps it was because they did not want to vote for Jack, but whatever it was, it meant that Ralph was voted for democratically. This is extremely important because it is from this that we can see that the boys see him instantly as someone they would wish to listen to and follow. He is the figure that they see that they can look up to other than “The man with the trumpet.” Jack however, became a leader when the boys had no where to turn to. They were tempted by the offer of hunting so that they could eat fresh meat, and not having to bother about work or the fire. I think perhaps that this is partly the reason why the boys take to wearing face paints. Behind these masks, they do not have to admit that they are the boys who respected Ralph who follow the rules. They become new people, Jack’s followers, who are entirely separate to those who were once Ralph’s friends.
Ralph is also extremely protective and responsible, which is necessary when he has the welfare of many younger than himself to consider. He feels that as one of the eldest, it is his duty, like it is the duty of the adults to watch over him, to guide the others. It is only he (along with the help of Simon who remained loyal to him throughout) who was responsible enough to build shelters.
“Who built the shelters?’...’Me ’n’ Simon built the last one over there. That’s why it’s so tottery. No. Don’t laugh.”
He also tried to keep the fire going so that rescue would be possible, and to the best of his ability, made sure that the little ones did not become too scared by the prospect of a tangible beast:
“Have you been awake at night? Jack shook his head. They talk and scream. The littluns. Even some of the others.”
This shows that Jack did not stay awake just to worry about younger children who he considers to be “a lot of cry-babies and sissies”, whereas Ralph feels as if he is in a way responsible for every child as he is the one that they chose to look up to when they named him as the leader. Even when the choir voted for Jack to be leader it was obviously out of duty, but Ralph did not know any of the boys apart from Piggy, and yet they chose the boy that had no previous experience, but who had managed to bring them together.
Ralph was also strong. By this I don’t mean physically so, but mentally. He had to be strong for the rest of the boys; in particular the little ones who needed a competent adult-figure who could keep them on the right track. Ralph managed, unlike Jack and Roger, to keep the savagery at bay. In the book it is described as ‘curtains’ that close in on him, cloud his judgement, and allow him to join in with the uncivilized behavior that the other boys all partake in. These curtains never fully close on Ralph and whenever he commits a crime of pure savagery, the guilt he feels is immense. He is not afraid to admit that he has done wrong, like an adult might. The other boys however, deny their deeds, which shows their immaturity compared to Ralph. Piggy for instance, after the death of Simon in which both he and Ralph partook when the boys became like a monolith, said it was “an accident”. Ralph admitted that it was murder, but Piggy felt the need to pretend to himself more than anyone that he was “only on the outside.” The most that Ralph shows to the other boys about his increasingly confusing thoughts is his need to take more time over his decisions:
“If only one could have pax, a long pause, a time to think!”
In Ralph’s dreams, he is lost in a maze of worries, and during the day he sometimes forgets for a second what he cares about. However, he immediately remembers and feels he has to convince the others that he knew all along. This sense of guilt shows just how important his beliefs are to him.
Another very important skill that I think is vital for a good leader, and was so for Ralph, is that he was wise enough to see what he felt was right, and to stand by his convictions to the very end. He never strayed from his belief in keeping the fire going so that they could be rescued, or in the fact that it was important that they worked, and listened to eachother.
“Don’t you understand, you painted fools?’...’We aren’t enough. We tried to keep the fire going, but we couldn’t. And then you, playing at hunting”
For Ralph, democracy was a major part of his ideals, but even though he made the conch a source of power that not only represented this, but actually gave this, he eventually realises that this could not work. This is because it was easy for Jack to say that he did not believe in the conch and for him and the others to ignore it.
One skill that Ralph possessed that was vital during his time as leader, were his organizational ones. He formed rules that he hoped would keep the boys under control with no adults, for he saw from the start that boys like Jack would need guidelines. This was also important for many of the little ones as being more unsure of themselves than the bigger boys, they needed to be told what was right and what was wrong in order to progress on the island. It also made them slightly less afraid of the unknown and being without their parents or guardians. Ralph’s organisational skills also included the delegation of jobs at the start. He was wise enough to see Jack as an imminent threat to peace and tranquility on the island, and to his role as chief:
“ ‘I ought to be chief’, said Jack with simple arrogance, ‘because I’m chapter chorister and head boy.’ ”
By giving Jack a job that he might have seen as one of a grown man, he boosted his self-esteem and gained a little respect.
Whereas Jack made rules so that he could punish those who broke them, or only liked them when they were his own and he benefited:
“ ‘We’ll have rules!’ He cried excitedly ‘Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks ’em-’ ”
Ralph had rules for order and it worried him when Jack disregarded them because it mean that he was scorning the way in which he led the boys and wanted to be chief :
“ ’The rules!’ shouted Ralph, ‘you’re breaking the rules!’ ‘Who cares?’ said Jack...’Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got!’ ”
The most important rule that Ralph comes up with is the one concerning the conch. This is:
“I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking’...’And he won’t be interrupted. Except by me”
This shows that he wants to be the overall leader, but it is also a rule that makes the boys like him further. It is an enormous privilege that the boys can talk to the group like a leader and share ideas. Also, the fact that Ralph uses this to signify unity and that he recognises the need for democracy shows that he is gaining more skills already.
Ralph could be authoritative when it was necessary, but most of the time he was willing to step back or compromise over things. However, when Jack and his hunters let the fire go out in their haste to kill an innocent pig under the pretext of “needing food”, he becomes furious:
“Look at us! How many are we? And yet we can’t keep a fire going to make smoke. Don’t you understand? Can’t you see we ought to-ought to die before we let the fire out?”
“There’s no man with the trumpet. Only me”
“Course I’m frightened. Who wouldn’t be?”-
“You voted me for chief. Now you do what I say.”
When became a monolith with one terrible thought-to kill:
Not afraid to admit
“And I was frightened and started to call out for Ralph”
“this meeting must not be fun, but business.”
“We can’t leave the littluns alone’...’not all night”