Lord of the Flies Essay: Importance of Ralph

Out of all the boys on the island, Ralph is the most practical yet civilised of all. Simon and Piggy could be considered exceptions to this remark, however neither possesses the practicality and ability to get things done that Ralph has. Piggy is laughed at and mocked by all the boys on the island, including the litlluns. This is evident from the beginning of the novel when it reads, ‘“He’s not Fatty”, cried Ralph, “his real name’s Piggy!” “Piggy!”…a storm of laughter arose and even the tiniest child joined in…with Piggy on the outside: he went very pink, bowed his head and cleaned his glasses again’. This quote shows how vulnerable and scorned Piggy is; resultant of his size and his glasses-as they both display two very obvious physical defects. The name ‘Piggy’ also bears a relationship with that of the pigs on the island, as both the pigs and Piggy himself are vulnerable to man. The above quote also shows how Ralph can change from being sympathetic to insensitive, as he doesn’t care for Piggy’s feelings. However, it would seem that Ralph was just trying to make himself seem like a good leader who has crowd support, as during the rest of the book he creates a strong companionship between himself and Piggy. Simon on the other hand, is given the persona of a ‘queer’ an-‘odd’ boy, which is reflected through his acts and the way the others talk about him. On page 69 Ralph says, “He’s queer. He’s funny” which is a good summation of Simon’s character; “he’s buzzed off” as Jack says. Unlike Ralph though, Simon and Piggy are never very practical; Piggy isn’t listened to and he is of an annoyance to most of the boys; and as my previous quote suggests, Simon always disappears.

Golding first shows this practicality of Ralph’s when he states that one of the first things they needed to do as a group was to light a fire on top of the mountain for passing ships to see. ‘There’s another thing. We can help them to find us. If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire’. Ralph reasons that this is the right course of action whilst the majority of other boys are content with playing on the beach and swimming, mainly the novels antagonist Jack Merridew. Ralph’s ultimate goals whilst on the island are to get rescued, have shelter and ensure that all the boys remain safe. Everything he does is with these goals in mind. Ralph attempts to convince the others that they need to abide to his regulations if they wish to live in a clean state and have the possibility of being rescued. However, after the Hunter’s-made up of Jack’s choir and some of the older boys-abandon most of Ralph’s rules, Ralph comes down harshly upon them and chastises those involved. Two examples of this are when the hunters do not maintain the fire (‘“ you let the bloody fire out”’ as Ralph states angrily), and also when the kids do not follow his plans for toileting (‘“We chose those rocks right alongside the bathing pool as a lavatory…Now people seem to use anywhere. Even near the shelters and the platform”’). This example of Ralph chastising the littluns over their ‘dirtiness’ gives readers a strong insight into the mind of Ralph. It shows how he is clinging on to what civilisation is left within him and the thought of this unhygienic act utterly repulses him. Gradually over the course of the novel however, Golding begins to show the readers how Ralph’s strong sense of civilisation diminishes, although he still maintains more civilised than any of the others, except for maybe Simon. Symbolically, Ralph’s failure to remain civilised and to lead a democratic society shows the failure of mankind to recognize or deal with the force of evil inherent in itself. The mind of Ralph also seems to be a step ahead of those belonging to the others. He cannot comprehend why the hunters would let the fire go out instead focusing on simply hunting. Ralph states; “Don’t you understand? Can’t you see we ought to die before we let the fire out?” Ralph’s sense of civilisation is far more heightened than that of the others, and it explains why he can't understand how the fire is the last thing on the their minds. In order to make sure that the fire stays on, he makes a rule that fire is to be on the mountain only, and if anyone wants to cook something, it should be done on the mountain. It can be assumed that he reasoned that this way, the fire would definitely stay on. Again, Ralph displays his keen intelligence and amazing ability to reason, which explains why he was a great choice for leader. Unlike when the boys were under Jack's rule, with Ralph the boys don’t become uncivilized savages directly because of him. With Jack they have no discipline but Ralph, however, keeps the boys under order through the meetings that he holds. At these meetings a sense of order is instilled because the boys have to wait until they hold the conch to speak.  When Ralph says, “I'll give the conch to the next person to speak.  He can hold it when he's speaking.” he enforces his role of leader by making rules and gives the boys the stability of an authority figure, mainly himself. By doing this he wins the boys respect and confidence in his leadership abilities. Ralph uses his authority to try to improve the boys' society.  By building shelters he demonstrates his knowledge of the boys' needs. When he says to Jack, “They talk and scream. The littluns. Even some of the others.” he is referring to why the boys need shelters. They are afraid. Ralph understands that by building the shelters, the boys will feel more secure. This illustrates his superior knowledge of people, which makes him a better leader than Jack. Jack fails to realize the boys need security, stability and order in their society. 

To follow on from this, Ralph's treatment of the boys also demonstrates his knowledge of human nature.  While Jack considers the boys inferior to himself, Ralph treats the boys as equals.  Ralph's superior leadership qualities are reflected in his constant defence of Piggy.  Piggy is the weakest of the group and is therefore treated unfairly much of the time.  When Jack hits Piggy and breaks his glasses, Ralph calls it “A dirty trick.” This shows Jack's disregard for other humans; while at the same time demonstrates Ralph's compassion and ability to empathize with others, thus illustrating his understanding of people.  Ralph's ‘government’ is a form of democracy which gives each boy equal rights and an ability to express themselves. Ralph's clear understanding of people and their needs make him a far superior leader when compared with Jack.  Ralph's understanding of the boys need for stability and order through government and rules prompts him to improve the society in which they are living.  Jack's society was barbaric and savage and met none of these needs.  Jack treats the boys as slaves and inferiors.  Ralph's patience and caring with the boys shows his ability to take charge and rule in an effective, yet democratic fashion.  Ralph's priority to get off the island demonstrates his wisdom and ability to make decisions. When Piggy says “Which is better - to be a pack of painted niggers like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is?” he demonstrates how the boys; by not following Ralph, have been lead astray by Jack.  Ralph's main priority, which is getting off the island, is a wiser choice than for the boys to follow Jack.  Unfortunately, the boys take the easier choice, which is to hunt and play games rather than keep the fire burning.  Had they listened to the better leader, the novel may not have ended as tragically.

The major question surrounding the character of Ralph, is whether he was an egotistical, power hungry character or an honest and just leader who led the boys on the island with a great deal of maturity and insight. Ralph was not a straightforward case of either of these personas, however the majority of evidence suggests that his intentions were reasonable. Although Ralph may have used forceful language in several instances throughout the novel and sometimes treated people with a great deal of disrespect, for the most part Ralph was simply trying to help the person or group in question. A key example of this is when he speaks with disdain to the littluns with regard to their hygiene and their attitude; “I said if you’re taken short you keep away from the fruit. That’s dirty…I said that’s dirty!” This may be seen as forceful and it even could be said that Ralph was trying to assert dominance over the younger boys. However it is quite clear from the text that he was telling the boys off for their own good, he ultimately wanted them to enjoy a high quality of living. This is in complete contrast to the character of Jack who simply abuses his power and asserts his dominance simply out of a primeval thirst for power. In fact, the only instance in which we see Ralph abusing another boy simply for the sake of it is when he teases Piggy with regard to his much-hated nickname. “Piggy! Piggy!” as he mocks. Yet even in this most extreme of situation, Ralph shows a great deal of remorse and even apologises to Piggy. The act is also very stereotypical of a young British boy, and demonstrates Ralph’s playful attitude at the beginning of the novel.

The character of Ralph shows readers through his actions and personality within Golding’s Lord of the Flies that man does have a just and reasonable side within that can shine through in the most horrific of circumstances.