Ralph's character description from the Lord of the Flies?

Answer 1

In chapter one: the Sound of the Shell Ralph is described initially as the boy with fair hair. Later in the chapter a more detailed description of Ralph appears, and I quote.... He was old enough, twelve years and a few months, to have lost the prominent tummy of childhood; and yet not old enough for adolesence to have made him awkward. You could see now that he might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness of shoulders went, but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil.

Answer 2

Ralph is considered the ego or the conscious mind whose role is to meditate between the id's (Jack) demands for pleasure and the social pressures brought to bear by the superego. (Piggy)

Answer 3

Ralph is the main character in the book Lord of the Flies. He is the first character to be mention, in the first sentence of the first page. Ralph is elected leader of the boys and his main aim is for them all to be rescued. Ralph is described initially as the boy with fair hair. Later in the chapter a more detailed description of Ralph appears, and I quote.... He was old enough, twelve years and a few months, to have lost the prominent tummy of childhood; and yet not old enough for adolesence to have made him awkward. You could see now that he might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness of shoulders went, but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil.

Answer 4

From several snippets of information which can be gleaned from the book you can build up a reasonable picture of Ralph. Physically he is 12 and a few months old when the story begins. Ralph is fairly tall for his age and fairly well muscled. He is described as having an attractive appearance and he is fair haired. Ralph's father is a commander in the British Royal navy and the family moves home often, as Ralph's father is moved to different naval bases. Ralph's mother doesn't live with them any more and as divorce was unusual when the book was written it might be reasonable to suppose that she had died. With a father in the navy and no mother you might also conclude that Ralph was probably educated at boarding school. Ralph often loses track of what he is saying, as a curtain descends or wings flutter in his mind, this sounds like he suffers from Petit Mal epilepsy. He also suffers from anxiety dreams, where he is chased by a bus. While on the surface he appears to be a calm, well manner and friendly boy deep down Ralph suffers in silence, only Simon ever seems to suspect that all is not as it seems with the affable leader. Ralph's inability to express himself is also evidenced by his tendency to stand on his head when he is happy but unable to express that joy through words. Ralph's biggest failing is that he judges everyone else by his own standards believing that they are all as honest and fair as he is, unfortunately some people are not. Ralph leads by example and by consensus, he is happy to pitch in building huts and collecting firewood. He takes his responsibilities seriously and even gives some thought to the well being of the littluns, which few other bigguns ever do. Ralph is driven by one over riding passion, to be rescued. He soon senses that things have begun to go wrong on what he initially saw as a good island where they could have fun. He realises that the other boys like to talk and plan things but don't stick to the task of actually doing them. Ralph is quickly aware that the lure of playing at savages and hunting with Jack is much more attractive than the mundane but necessary tasks which he has to offer. He finds it a constant battle to remind the others of the enormous importance of keeping the fire lit, as their only real hope of ever being rescued. Essentially Ralph is a good guy, he is honest, fair and tries to do what is best, even when it isn't always easy.

Answer 5

Ralph's behaviour changes a great deal over the course of the novel. When he is first introduced to the reader he is prone to doing headstand to express his joy. He is a little aloof, although perhaps reserved might be a better term, calm, even tempered, thoughtful, considerate, fair and in command of situations. He seems to be an active boy who swims well and is only too happy to climb the mountain and explore the island. His activity extends to building shelters and hauling wood for the fire. When given the opportunity he participates in a pig hunt. By the time the end of the book has been reach Ralph has become prone to lapses in concentration. He bites his nails, fiddles with his hair and on one occasion at least talks aloud to himself. Ralph is conscious of the length of his hair and how dirty his clothes, hair and skin have become. He has become plagued by self doubt and his leaderships skill have deserted him. Ralph is less likely to seek compromise and is quicker to lose his temper, violently when pushed beyond his endurance. Ralph has become introverted and at the very end of the novel he has been reduced to tears.

Answer 6

Ralph changes from a cautionate and understanding to one who doesnt break down during stress Physically there are no changes mentioned except that his hair grows. His personality does changes from that of a boy who often stood on his head to express his joy and who spoke confidently. At te start of the novel he was calm, considerate, thoughful and reserved. By the end of the novel he had changed into a boy who, on one occasion at least, spoke aloud to himself. Increasingly Ralph lost track of what he was saying, fiddled with his hair, bit his nails and lost his temper. Ralph was also capable of inflicting physical violence when provoked. Whether any of these changes could be attributed to his "coming of age" or whether they were just caused by stress is a matter of opinion.

Answer 7

Ralph is the protagonist in "The Lord of the Flies." He becomes the leader of the boys at the beginning of the novel and represents the force of civilization on the island. The boys eventually turn on Ralph at the end of the book when Jack takes over the island and try to kill him before they are all rescued by the British navy.