Ralph quotes Flashcards
“Jack’s in charge of the choir. They can be—what do you want them to be?”
friendly, calling a “truce”, does not want to cause problems as he is aware of their sensitive situation
“im chief. ill go. don’t argue.”
when he steps up to hunt the beast, decisive and determined, short sentences show his clarity and he has no doubt, dedicated leader
“Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of mans heart, and the fall through the air of a true wise friend called piggy”
metaphor for evil/savagery, piggys “fall” can mean 2 things, literal and metaphorical fall in power, desperate imagery
” there aren’t any grown-ups. we shall have to look after ourselves” ralph
simple sentences, straight forward, rational
social class
“wizzoh”, his father is a “commander in the navy” that Ralph is upper-middle class. 1950s upper-middle class were considered superior to the working classes (like Piggy) At first, Ralph dismisses Piggy (who we can tell is working class from his grammar and accent, and the fact his aunt “runs a sweet shop”), but eventually learns that Piggy was his “true, wise friend”. In this way, Ralph’s experience on the island gives the reader hope, as he overcomes his class prejudice.
changed mindset and idolty of grownups
At first, Ralph looks up to the armed forces. He pretends to be a “fighter pilot” in chapter one, and speaks proudly of his father who is “in the Navy.” By the end, Ralph no longer enjoys the “game” of warfare, and realises that the “war” on the island has meant “the end of innocence”.
british superioty
At first, Ralph believes in the superiority of the British. He speaks proudly of the Queen, who’s got “a big room full of maps and all the islands in the world are drawn there.” He likens the island to “Coral Island” - an island from a novel where some British boys successfully “civilise” some “savage” islanders by teaching them Christian, English values. However, by the end of the novel, Ralph realises “the darkness of man’s heart”, a phrase borrowed from the title of another book about British explorers, “Heart of Darkness”, which explores the idea that “darkness” can be found in all civilisations and places.
