In "Lord of the Flies," a novel by William Golding, a group of school-age boys find themselves stranded on a deserted tropical island after their plane is accidentally shot down during World War II. Without any adults present, the boys attempt to establish a sense of organization by electing a chief, forming a hunting group, and assigning individuals to tend to a signal fire in hopes of attracting passing ships. However, divisions begin to arise between the original group and the hunters. The role of chief is bestowed upon Ralph, while Jack takes on the leadership of the hunters. Throughout the story, Ralph undergoes personal growth and development as he grapples with internal conflicts stemming from his position as leader.
Ralph initially displays immaturity in the novel. Similar to other children, he becomes thri
...lled upon learning that there are no adults to supervise or restrict his actions. After Piggy informs him of this, Ralph proceeds to remove his clothing and indulge in swimming in a beachside water pool. This behavior mirrors that of a child amusing themselves when left unsupervised. Initially, Ralph remains unconcerned since he firmly believes that his father, who serves in the navy, will dispatch help for their rescue.
In the meantime, Ralph and Piggy discover a conch shell which, when blown into a certain way, produces a loud, low-pitched sound. Piggy informs Ralph about this and Ralph uses the sound of the conch to gather all the boys for an assembly. Boys of various ages gather on the shore as Ralph blows the conch. Once it is assumed that all the boys are present, they commence a meeting. The first order of business
is selecting a leader. Over a boy from the choir at their old school named Jack, they choose Ralph as their chief. Following Jack's defeat, Ralph appoints him as the leader of the hunters. While Ralph attempts to establish rules and cultivate their society, everyone else seems to lose interest in assisting each other and prefer to engage in individual play. This becomes apparent when Ralph endeavors to construct shelters; initially, everyone contributes to the construction of the first shelter, but only four individuals assist in building the second one, and finally only Ralph and a boy named Simon construct the third and final one. Currently, Ralph is in the stage of maturing. Although he lacks knowledge about being a good leader, he has garnered respect from everyone on the island.
As Jack improves his hunting skills, his number of followers increases. In the novel, there is a point when Ralph's group consists only of Simon, Piggy, and identical twins Sam and Eric, who are referred to as "Samneric" due to their inseparableness. Upon killing a pig, Jack's group invites Ralph's group to join them in a feast. Later that night, a savage dance takes place with the words, "Kill the Pig! Cut her throat! Spill her blood!" as lyrics. Eventually, the chant morphs into "Kill the Beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" as Simon emerges from the forest onto the beach. Mistaking Simon for the island's mythical beast, they murder him. Days later, Jack and his hunters ambush Piggy and Ralph and seize Piggy's glasses to start a fire. In an attempt to retrieve the glasses, Piggy and Ralph visit Jack's camp where one
of the hunters pushes a boulder off a cliff, crushing Piggy and shattering the conch shell. Jack then pursues Ralph with the intention of killing him. While fleeing, Ralph encounters a British Naval Officer on the beach. It is at this moment that Ralph fully matures and reflects on the brutality he and the other children on the island have succumbed to. Although Ralph appears older, around 12 years old, he ponders his actions regarding Piggy and Simon.
Unlike the other characters in the novel, Ralph undergoes growth and transformation, maturing and becoming prepared for any challenges that may arise in the future.
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