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The conch
- Ralph is originally elected chief, because of his control of the conch which sets Ralph apart from the other boys. Later, Ralph uses the conch to establish order in the meeting. He holds it up and dictates that the boys will use it like "hands-up" at school to take turns when speaking.
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Ralph believes in law, order, and working towards the common good – in this case, rescue, while Jack prioritizes hunting, chaos, and living for the moment. Ralph pleads one final time with Jack and the others to see reason, to rejoin the group and help him build a civilization.
- Chapter 1
In Chapter 1, the boys, still unsure of how to behave with...
- Lord of The Flies
Ralph remains determined not to let this savagery overwhelm...
- Chapter 1
Similarly, Ralph desires to maintain order through civilized means so that the boys's lives will be structured and safe with the goal of rescue at the...
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
After a group of boys find themselves stranded on a deserted island, ranks begin to form. Ralph is elected leader of the boys, and he appoints Jack as leader of the hunters. Read a full Summary & Analysis of Chapter 1
Ralph establishes rules to maintain order during meetings. Fear starts to spread among some of the boys who realize they might be stuck on the island for an indefinite amount of time. They are further shaken after one of the boys mentions seeing a beast on the island. The boys attempt to light a signal fire, but mistakenly set nearby trees on fire,...
Tensions between Ralph and Jack grow after Ralph criticizes Jack and some of the other boys for not contributing to their efforts to build huts for the younger boys and for failing to catch a pig. Meanwhile, Simon finds an idyllic location on the island. Read a full Summary & Analysis of Chapter 3
Ralph and Piggy spot a ship in the distance, but the signal fire has gone out. Ralph is furious with Jack and his hunters who were supposed to maintain the signal fire, however, Jack, overjoyed and in a frenzy after finally catching a pig, ignores Ralph’s complaints. After Jack assaults and breaks Piggy’s glasses, the boys roast the pig and dance m...
Ralph blows the conch shell and calls a meeting to reiterate the importance of keeping the signal fire lit and to reassure the littluns that there is no monster on the island. The meeting quickly turns to chaos, and after Jack and the other hunters run off, only Ralph, Piggy, and Simon remain. Piggy and Simon assert that they need Ralph’s leadershi...
The twins, Sam and Eric, mistake the body of a dead parachutist for the beast, and after informing Ralph, the boys organize an expedition to search the island for monsters. The boys encounter an unexplored part of the mountain, and Ralph and Jack share a friendly moment. Ralph upsets the boys after scolding them for having fun rather than searching...
The boys reenact the boar hunt from earlier in the day with a boy named Robert pretending to be the boar, but the boys take things too far and almost kill him. Though Ralph does not think they should hunt for the beast later that night, he joins the hunt. The boys become horrified after witnessing a giant ape-like figure. Read a full Summary & Anal...
Jack separates from Ralph’s group and forms a tribe of his own. Jack and his group leave a pig’s head on a stake in the clearing as an offering to the beast. Simon returns to the beautiful site he discovered, but finding the pig on the stake covered in flies, he begins to hallucinate that the head is talking, claiming itself to be the “Lord of the ...
Simon discovers the dead body of the parachutist and realizes that the boys mistook it for the beast. While at Jack’s feast, a storm hits the island, and the boys begin dancing frantically in the rain. When Simon emerges from the woods hoping to tell them about the reality of the beast, he is attacked and murdered by the boys who mistake him for th...
Ralph is ashamed of the events of the previous evening, while Piggy refuses to accept his role in the murder of Simon. Jack rules his tribe on the Castle Rock, the top of the mountain, and decides to raid Ralph’s now-small group. Jack and his tribe attack Ralph and Piggy while they sleep, and they steal Piggy’s glasses in order to make fire. Read a...
Ralph remains determined not to let this savagery overwhelm him, and only briefly does he consider joining Jack’s tribe in order to save himself. When Ralph hunts a boar for the first time, however, he experiences the exhilaration and thrill of bloodlust and violence.
Piggy says they have to do something. Just then, Ralph spots a huge conch shell. Piggy realizes they can use it as a trumpet. Piggy can't blow it himself, because of his asthma, but shows Ralph how to do it. Ralph blows, and a huge blast sounds.
He demonstrates obvious common sense. Ralph is the one who conceives the meeting place, the fire, and the huts. He synthesizes and applies Piggy 's intellectualism, and he recognizes the false fears and superstitions as barriers to their survival. He is a diplomat and a natural leader.
Key learning points. As elected leader, Ralph represents an early desire for law, order and civility. Golding uses colour symbolism to characterise Ralph as possessing the qualities of an effective and charismatic leader. Ralph's participation in the murder of Simon illustrates human beings' capacity for savagery and brutality.
