Ralph, a charismatic twelve year old boy is the protagonist in William Golding's Lord of the Flies. The author describes him as being "fair haired" with "the body and shoulders of a boxer" while still having a "mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil." These facts immediately tell the reader that Ralph represents good in this novel. Because of Ralph's positive qualities he is chosen leader of a group of boys on an uninhabited island. Ralph knows the difference between right and wrong and is willing to act as the absent adult figure. He knows that the children could not survive without rules so he makes up a list of rules based upon common sense. It is Ralph's job to lay down rules and organize some type of society on the island. Throughout the novel we see many changes in Ralph's character since he is always in conflict with Jack Merridew, the novel's antagonist. These many changes put Ralph

Instinct is defined as the preservation of life. Ralph uses his instinctual abilities when he separates the boys into specific groups with jobs such as hunting, building shelters, keeping watch of the fire and exploring the island. Ralph establishes rules for everyone to follow since his instincts tell him that they cannot survive without them.

Throughout the novel, Ralph's decisions are based upon his rational thinking and the use of his instincts. Examples of his rational thinking are shown when he found the conch shell and used it to call the other boys on the island to a meeting; instructed the boys to keep the fire burning to guarantee a rescue; and his struggle to maintain civilization and order on the island. His reasoning ability is evident when he reminds the boys that "there are no adults on the island and we need to survive by ourselves."

These traits and desires can all be traced back to his upper-middle class upbringing in England where he attended private schools and this type of behavior was normal. The upper class English believe in keeping traditions and living an orderly and civilized life. These traits and desires support one another because he carried over his life style from England to the island and these traits came naturally to Ralph.

Ralph had a strong belief in rules, regulations and a desire to be rescued. Ralph's moral stature is apparent when he gets very angry at Jack and his group of hunters for leaving the fire unattended and later to die out.

II.B.1. Evaluate the moral stature of the protagonist: To what extent is his moral stature defined by contrasting minor characters, by the testimony of characters who are readily acceptable as witnesses?

Jack and his hunters return to the burned out fire while Ralph awaits them. Jack is extremely proud of his kill although Ralph is not so impressed saying "the smoke is more important than the pig, no matter how many you kill."

into the category of a round character, one who is more human as opposed to a flat character who is one dimensional. Ralph's contribution to The Lord of the Flies is his representation of law and order or an organized society.

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Approximate Word count = 1546
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)