Ralph Character Analysis in Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies

William Golding

The largest and most physically powerful boy on the island. Despite his size and strength, Ralph shows no signs of wanting to dominate others and is preoccupied with being rescued. He insists on planning and following the rules, and is able to prioritize the needs of the group above his own selfish desires. For example, Ralph builds the huts even though he dislikes the work, in contrast to the other boys who go off to play whenever they dislike doing important tasks. Ralph feels the exhilaration of hunting and killing, but he always manages to suppress savage feelings. Ralph symbolizes law, government, and civil society.

Ralph Quotes in Lord of the Flies

The Lord of the Flies quotes below are all either spoken by Ralph or refer to Ralph. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Penguin Books edition of Lord of the Flies published in 2003.

"Aren't there any grownups at all?"
"I don't think so."
The fair boy said this solemnly; but then the delight of a realized ambition overcame him. In the middle of the scar he stood on his head and grinned at the reversed fat boy.
"No grownups!"

Related Characters: (speaker), (speaker)

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 8

Explanation and Analysis:

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"We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They'll come when they hear us—"
He beamed at Ralph.
"That was what you meant, didn't you? That's why you got the conch out of the water."

Related Characters: (speaker),

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 16

Explanation and Analysis:

"He says he saw the beastie, the snake-thing, and will it come back tonight?"
"But there isn't a beastie!"
"He says in the morning it turned into them things like ropes in the trees and hung in the branches. He says will it come back again tonight?"
"But there isn't a beastie!"
There was no laughter at all now and more grave watching. Ralph pushed both hands through his hair and looked at the little boy in mixed amusement and exasperation.

Related Characters: (speaker), (speaker)

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 36

Explanation and Analysis:

Ralph waved the conch.
"Shut up! Wait! Listen!"
He went on in the silence, borne on in his triumph.
"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."
"A fire! Make a fire!"

Related Characters: (speaker)

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 38

Explanation and Analysis:

What did it mean? A stick sharpened at both ends. What was there in that?

Related Characters: (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 191

Explanation and Analysis:

His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. 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.

Related Characters: ,

Related Symbols: , ,

Page Number and Citation: 202

Explanation and Analysis:

Ralph Character Timeline in Lord of the Flies

The timeline below shows where the character Ralph appears in Lord of the Flies. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

The fat boy asks the tall boy his name. The tall boy answers, Ralph. But instead of asking the fat boy's name, Ralph wanders off. The fat boy follows,... (full context)

Eventually the fat boy finds Ralph and proposes they call a meeting and make a list of everyone who survived. He... (full context)

The boys keep exploring. Ralph finds a perfect swimming hole and says his father, who's in the Navy, will come... (full context)

...the choir, Simon, faints. Jack soon tells Piggy to shut up, and calls him "Fatty." Ralph gleefully reveals that Piggy's name is "Piggy." Everyone laughs, humiliating Piggy. (full context)

...leader. Everyone in the choir votes for Jack, but all the other boys vote for Ralph because he blew the conch. To keep Jack happy, Ralph says that the choir will... (full context)

Ralph decides the boys must explore their island. He and Jack will both go, of course.... (full context)

...uninhabited island. They also see the "scar" where the crashing plane tore through the jungle. Ralph says of the island, "This belongs to us." (full context)

Back at the beach, Ralph blows the conch to call another meeting. Ralph announces that they're on an uninhabited island.... (full context)

Ralph says that without adults, they'll have to take care of themselves. He makes a rule... (full context)

Piggy takes the conch and says no one knows they're on the island. Ralph agrees, but describes the island as a good place where they'll have fun even if... (full context)

...the boy said. He saw a "beastie," a "snake-thing," the previous night in the woods. Ralph and the older boys dismiss this "beastie" as just a nightmare, but the younger boys... (full context)

Ralph says he's confident they boys will be rescued. He suggests they build a fire on... (full context)

...can't figure out how start the fire until Jack grabs the glasses off Piggy's face. Ralph uses the glasses to focus the sun's rays on the wood. Piggy is terrified, nearly... (full context)

Ralph says they have to keep the fire burning every day without fail. Jack volunteers himself... (full context)

On the beach, Ralph and Simon are building huts. Ralph is frustrated because only he and Simon are working... (full context)

Ralph's complaint offends Jack. Ralph points out that all the hunters except Jack came back hours... (full context)

Ralph and Jack argue whether hunting is as important as building shelters. (full context)

Ralph says they need shelters because many of the boys are scared. Simon observes that it... (full context)

Ralph puts the focus of the conversation back on getting rescued. He mentions Jack and the... (full context)

On the beach, a bunch of biguns, including Ralph and Piggy, rest and talk. Soon Piggy comes up with a plan for them to... (full context)

Suddenly Ralph spots smoke on the horizon—it's a ship! Everyone looks at the mountain, but there's no... (full context)

Eventually Jack apologizes for letting the fire die. Ralph asks Piggy's permission to use his glasses to light the fire. Ralph realizes he and... (full context)

...boys begin to reenact the killing of the pig in a kind of ritual dance. Ralph announces that he's calling an assembly and walks away. (full context)

Ralph paces the beach, planning what he'll say at the meeting and wishing he could think... (full context)

Everyone gathers and listens to Ralph. He explains that the meeting is about setting things straight, not fun. He points out... (full context)

Jack stands and reaches for the conch so he can talk. But Ralph refuses to hand it over and Jack sits back down. (full context)

Ralph observes that people are becoming afraid. He doesn't know why, but he thinks they should... (full context)

...idea is crazy. Many of the boys think Simon's saying the beast is a ghost. Ralph holds a vote on whether the boys believe in ghosts. A majority raises their hands. (full context)

Ralph accuses Jack of breaking the rules. Jack questions Ralph's leadership. He says he doesn't care... (full context)

Piggy tells Ralph to blow the conch, but Ralph refuses. What if no one responded? Ralph considers stepping... (full context)

The three boys wish adults were around to make everything better. Ralph wishes the adults would at least send them a sign. (full context)

Ralph calls a meeting that quickly becomes heated. Jack questions Ralph's decisions and leadership, mocks Piggy,... (full context)

Ralph and the biguns agree to search the island. Piggy stays behind to look after the... (full context)

Jack and the other biguns want to stay and play at the fort, but Ralph says they have to go search the mountain for the beast and relight the signal... (full context)

While resting on the hike to the mountain, Ralph wishes he could cut his hair, clip his nails, and get cleaned up. Remembering his... (full context)

...as they head through the jungle toward the mountain, the boys find signs of pigs. Ralph agrees that as long as they're going in the right direction, they can hunt. Soon,... (full context)

Darkness falls before they reach the mountain. Ralph realizes that they need to send someone to tell Piggy they won't be back that... (full context)

Jack mocks Ralph's concern for Piggy. Ralph asks Jack why he hates him. The question makes all the... (full context)

At the base of the mountain, the boys stop for the night. But Jack questions Ralph's courage, and so Ralph agrees to climb right then. Only Roger agrees to accompany them.... (full context)

...the beach, Piggy can't believe the beast is real. He asks what they should do. Ralph isn't sure. He says the beast is sitting up by the signal fire as if... (full context)

Jack says his hunters could kill the beast. Ralph says they're just boys with sticks. Infuriated, Jack blows the conch to call a meeting.... (full context)

Next Jack accuses Ralph of belittling the hunters. He says Ralph is like Piggy and isn't a proper chief.... (full context)

The boys build the fire and the littleuns dance and sing. After the fire, Ralph realizes that all the biguns but Samneric and Piggy have disappeared. Most have gone to... (full context)

...a big sow (a female pig). Jack cuts off its head. He decides they'll raid Ralph's camp fore fire to cook the pig, and invite everyone to a feast. Roger, meanwhile,... (full context)

Jack emerges from the forest into Ralph's camp. As his followers steal fire from the signal fire, he invites Ralph's group to... (full context)

...warns Simon that if he tries to interfere Jack, Roger, Maurice, Robert, Bill, Piggy, and Ralph will "do" him. (full context)

Meanwhile, everyone but a few littleuns and Ralph and Piggy have gone to Jack's feast. Ralph mocks the feast as a bunch of... (full context)

When Ralph arrives, Jack asks the gathered boys who will join his tribe. Ralph says that he's... (full context)

It starts to rain, and Ralph laughs that Jack's tribe had no foresight to build shelters. In response, Jack whips the... (full context)

The next morning, Piggy and Ralph discover that every bigun except them and Samneric has joined Jack's tribe. Ralph tells Piggy... (full context)

...says they'll go hunting tomorrow and have a feast. To cook the meat, they'll raid Ralph's group for Piggy's glasses. Meanwhile, Ralph, Piggy, and Samneric discover four people aren't enough to... (full context)

Though only Piggy, Ralph, and Samneric remain in their group, Piggy tells Ralph to blow the conch to call... (full context)

At Castle Rock, Ralph blows the conch. Roger throws a rock, though he purposely misses the twins and the... (full context)

Jack appears from the forest behind Ralph's group, followed by hunters carrying a pig on a spit. Ralph calls Jack a thief.... (full context)

Ralph demands that Jack return Piggy's glasses. He mentions again the importance of the signal fire.... (full context)

Ralph and Jack start to fight again, but Piggy asks to speak and Ralph relents. Piggy... (full context)

Roger pushes a boulder from the fort. Ralph dives out of the way, but Piggy can't see without his glasses: the boulder hits... (full context)

Stunned silence descends over the tribe. But suddenly Jack screams and throws his spear at Ralph, aiming to kill. Ralph runs into the jungle, dodging as more boys throw their spears... (full context)

Ralph spies on Castle Rock from a hiding place in the forest. He thinks the boys... (full context)

In the jungle, Ralph comes upon the skull of a pig hung on a spear staked into the ground.... (full context)

Ralph returns to spy on Castle Rock. Samneric are guarding the gates. He sneaks up to... (full context)

Ralph tells Samneric he's going to hide in a nearby thicket so they can misdirect the... (full context)

The next morning Ralph hides in the thicket. But it's soon surrounded: Samneric have been tortured into revealing Ralph's... (full context)

...tries to storm it. They can't get in, so they set the thicket on fire. Ralph breaks from the thicket and runs into the jungle. The tribe follows, spreading out behind... (full context)

As the jungle burns, the tribe chases Ralph from hiding place to hiding place. He has no time to think or plan: he... (full context)

The tribe slowly surrounds him, until Ralph is forced onto the open beach, where he'll surely be killed. But in front of... (full context)

The savages trickle out of the forest behind Ralph. The officer asks who's in charge. Ralph says he is. Jack is quiet. Percival Wemys... (full context)

...they're having a war, and jokingly asks if they've had any casualties. He's stunned when Ralph says two. The officer says he would have expected more from British boys. Ralph begins... (full context)

Characters

Piggy