Describe at least one important character in the written text. Explain how this character is revealed to you throughout the text.

Ralph

Ralph is the main protagonist of William Golding’s novel Lord of The Flies. Ralph is a a charismatic, outgoing and athletic boy whom Golding uses to represent Sigmund Freud’s Ego. Throughout the book Ralph grows from a uncaring, selfish person into a thoughtful and considerate leader and is one of the few boys who is not consumed by savagery.

William Golding used Ralph as a character to personify Sigmund Freud’s ego. Sigmund Freud, a famous neurologist, is the inventor of the Id, Ego and Superego, which he describes as the three aspects of a human’s personality. Id is the selfish part of the human consciousness which only cares about survival and instant gratification, and Ego is the part of the id which has been modified by influence of the external world to think realistically. At the start of the book Ralph actually represents Id because he makes fun of Piggy with the other boys. However, as Ralph realises what is at state he becomes Ego. This is shown by how he is quick to build huts, instill democracy and start a signal fire shortly after he realises that all of the adults are dead.

Unlike the other boys, Ralph constantly tries to maintain and withhold civilisation. This is shown by how he feels shame over his appearance for being covered in dirt when he meets the naval officer, since even after everything that happened on the island he still wishes he could hold onto societal expectations, such as staying clean. Another example is how he brings democracy into the island by holding meetings where only the person holding the conch can talk, so that people can share their ideas without being interuppted or ignored by louder or stronger people. He also tries to keep people who can’t defend themselves safe, such as the littluns and Piggy.

Finally, Ralph is the only living boy who does not let savagery consume him, and he believes that there is good in everyone. This is shown by how even after almost all the boys have joined Jack’s tribe Ralph still refuses to join. He does at one point in the novel attend Jack’s feast and joins in on the savagery by participating in the killing of Simon, however, this is an important moment for him in that he realises how evil and savagery exists in everyone. He is ashamed of joining in on this bloodshed, so he later refuses to join Jack even when all the other boys have joined him (albeit Samneric were forced to). He underestimates how consumed by savagery the other boys were when he demands Piggy’s glasses back from Jack and his tribe, shown by how Roger crushes Piggy with a rock, Samneric are captured, and the boys chase after Ralph with spears. Ralph at the end of the novel manages to be rescued without giving into savagery.

William Golding uses these elements of Ralph’s personality to show how selfless and sensible Ralph is, and how you can still survive in dire situations, such as a warzone, without giving up civilsation and turning to savagery. In the end Ralph won because he survived and was rescued without letting savagery consume him.