Characters
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.
"Aren't there any grown ups 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 grown ups!“
"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.
[Ralph] was vexed to find how little he thought like a
grownup and sighed again. The island was getting
worse and worse.
Ralph pushed Piggy to one side.
"I was chief, and you were going to do what I said."
Something deep in Ralph spoke for him.
"I'm chief. I'll go. Don't argue."
Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife.
Behind him was Roger, fighting to get close. The chant
rose ritually, as at the last moment of a dance or a
hunt.
"Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!"
Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of
that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze
and hurt was over-mastering.
The suffusion drained away from Jack's face. Ralph
waved again for silence.
"Jack's in charge of the choir. They can be—what do you
want them be?"
"Hunters."
Jack and Ralph smiled at each other with shy liking. The
rest began to talk eagerly.
The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave
himself up to them now for the first time on the island;
great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to
wrench his whole body. 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. (12.248)