How is Ralph important in LOTF?

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

. Throughout the novel, Ralph is a symbol of civilization and order. Therefore, as his power diminishes and the novel progresses, Golding is able to show how “mankind’s essential illness” can infect even the strongest and most moral of innocents.

Question 2

1st Para

Answer 2

> From the outset, Ralph is presented as a civilized, fair leader which Golding reveals later to be open to corruption.
=> “the fair boy” Adjectival choices to describe his appearance, connotations of democracy from the start.
‘We ought to have a chief to decide things’
They have a laughable democractic vote to be leader, this is laughable beause they dont even know their leaders it is only in chapter 1 so they are mocking the current political situation at the time Golding was writing at and also their is an inherit need for power .

Question 3

2nd Para

Answer 3

‘Gnawed at it like a Wolf’
This is Ralph getting meat in chapter 4, the simile used to compare the children to Wolf’s, he could of said dogs but says the much bigger animal suggesting that he is getting more and more savage.

Question 4

3rd Para

Answer 4

Chapter 6 Jack has a flashback and remembers ‘once following his father from Chatham to Devon port.’ There is a juxtaposition of a normal flashback with whats going to happen next, this increases the horror of just how bad things will get on the island.

Question 5

4 Para

Answer 5

Ralph wept for the end of innocence the darkness of mans heart.’
Golding is trying to communicate that the island represents the Garden of Eden a perfect paradise setting untouched yet as man is placed on it they do inherit bad things which you have to get taught in order to do right.

Question 6

Conclusion

Answer 6

the cyclic development of his character from civilized to almost savage to civilized again, Golding is able to portray his message and warn his readers about the “darkness in man’s heart” and the ability of almost everyone to succumb to the temptation of evil. The injustice that the protagonist experiences is the medium through which Golding encourages the reader, and to an extent himself, to learn from the injustice he witnessed during WWII.