"Lord of the Flies"

Paper Summary:

This paper is an in-depth examination of William Golding's book "Lord of the Flies," paying particular attention to the character of Ralph. Ralph's characteristics are presented and discussed in detail within the context of the story. Ralph the sensible one, the natural leader in the group, maintains a cool-head until he is swept up during the tribal dance. This shows that all people are human and suffer from lapses in judgment. Using examples from the story, Ralph's downward spiral is detailed, along with its affects on the other boys in the group. The author demonstrates how Ralph really is just another one of the boys and that his evolution from good to bad isn't such a unique occurrence when put into the context of the situation.

From the Paper:

"Ralph's character slowly evolves from a decent, caring human being; someone who wants to do good and ensure that decency and morality prevail in their island society, to a self-serving person who is ruled only by his own gut feelings. (He had to admit it felt good to be part of the tribal dance, even though he did know it was an uncivilized thing to do.) Ralph has no power to stop his own transformation, no matter what he thought he believed. In the end, Ralph doesn't see actions as being black or white he isn't as sure as he once was of what is the "right" thing to do. He becomes more like Jack and his band of followers than his own initial perception of how everyone should act toward each other."

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