Ralph Flashcards
Ralph’s description at the start?
“Fair boy”
“Might make a boxer”
“A mildness about his eyes…
…that proclaimed no devil”
- “no devil” - foreshadows he won’t descent into savagery like the others
- very innocent description 
“The desire to hurt…
…and squeeze was overmastering”
- he is tempted but he doesn’t give in - leadership
“I’d like to put on war…
…paint and be a savage” (C7)
- tempting
“The world, that understandable and…
…lawful world was slipping away” (C5)
“Ralph was kneeling at the remains of the fire like a…
…sprinter at his mark and his face was half hidden by hair and smut” (C8)
- “sprinter” - heroic and athletic
- Ralph clings to his identity and civilisation - his face is only “half hidden”, and it’s only with “hair” and “smut”; he only has to wash to regain his innocence
- Jack is also described as a “sprinter” in C3
“The hunters circling still pretended to beat him (…) Ralph watched…
…them, envious and resentful”
- “pretended” - childish/youthful
- juxtaposed to “beat him” - switch from innocence to violence
- “envious”, “resentful” - he is drawn in
“Something deep in Ralph spoke for him…
…”I’m chief. I’ll go. Don’t argue” ” (C6)
- natural leader
- imperatives - authoritative
- brave
- represents the EGO - the conscious mind
“That was murder… I’m…
…frightened of us. I want to go home” (C10)
- the only one who realises and acknowledges they have become murderers
- reminder that he still a child - evil hasn’t fully reached him yet
“Ralph wept for the end of innocence,…
…the darkness of man’s heart”
The very end when he is hunted - now that Piggy and the conch are gone, Ralph has become powerless
“He forgot his wounds,…
…his hunger and thirst, and became fear”
- Semantic field of childish fears
At the very end when he is being hunted
“Below him someone’s…
…legs were tired”
- cannot recognise himself anymore- so overwhelmed
“The fire is the most…
…important thing on the island” (C8)
- Ralph focuses of rescue - smart
“I’m c_____ then”
“I’m chief then”
- assertive
- democracy
At the very end with the naval officer:
“The tears began to flow…
…and sobs shook him”
- only starts to cry in front of an adult
