Personality In Lord Of The Flies
In the novel, Lord of the flies by William Golding characters have clashing personalities. To deal with this clash and to fit in with their fellow tribe members the assume a persona. Ralph puts on this mask to seem more violent and uncivilized, like all the other boys on the island except Piggy. It is proven at the end of the novel that this is just a persona and not a complete change in character when Ralph begins to weep at the thought of being rescued by a naval officer and going home at last. After Ralph assumes his persona as an angry savage he begins to perform act unlike his true personality as it is hidden by this mask. An example of this is when Ralph goes out with the choir to hunt a pig. The group comes across a pig and he get
very excited from wounding it with his spear. This gives him an adrenalin rush and he longs to do it again, even though at an earlier time on the island he saw no real point to hunting and killing. At the thought of what he had just accomplished he gets overjoyed “ Ralph talker on excitedly ‘ I hit him all right. The spear stuck in. I wounded him!’”(113). His assumed persona makes Ralph a more violent trill seeker and he is acknowledged more by the group. As the story continues Ralph becomes more open about his aggressive and ignorant persona. An example of this is after Simon’s death when all the boys that remain in Ralph’s tribe meet up and discuss last nights events. Ralph is very open and willing to state that he took part in Simon’s murder. He says things like “’ That was murder’” and ‘” I wasn’t scared’”(156 to 157), saying that he knew what he was taking part in and that it was awful. He true caring and innocent side is brought out when Piggy gives him advice. In the last couple of chapters of Lord of the Flies Ralph strengthens his persona as a tough and intimidating savage. Another example of this is when he fights Jack with his spear because he stole his tribe and Piggy’s specs. This is not Ralph’s true personality because in the beginning of the novel he tries to limit the amount of argument and fighting by setting rules and calling assemblies. Now the sheer thought of fighting Jack and proving he is still in charge “Gets the blood flowing to his cheeks and the bunged eye throbbing”(176). This increasing tension leads to a huge hunt for him the next day, this is when Ralph’s true clever personality comes out. In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding the main character Ralph assumes a persona as a savage young boy. This occupies because the island is slowly making him and all the other English boys uncivilized and also to make life on the island easier. After they got rescued and return back home they will never be the same harmless little boys because of what happened and what changed in them while they had a mask on.
very excited from wounding it with his spear. This gives him an adrenalin rush and he longs to do it again, even though at an earlier time on the island he saw no real point to hunting and killing. At the thought of what he had just accomplished he gets overjoyed “ Ralph talker on excitedly ‘ I hit him all right. The spear stuck in. I wounded him!’”(113). His assumed persona makes Ralph a more violent trill seeker and he is acknowledged more by the group. As the story continues Ralph becomes more open about his aggressive and ignorant persona. An example of this is after Simon’s death when all the boys that remain in Ralph’s tribe meet up and discuss last nights events. Ralph is very open and willing to state that he took part in Simon’s murder. He says things like “’ That was murder’” and ‘” I wasn’t scared’”(156 to 157), saying that he knew what he was taking part in and that it was awful. He true caring and innocent side is brought out when Piggy gives him advice. In the last couple of chapters of Lord of the Flies Ralph strengthens his persona as a tough and intimidating savage. Another example of this is when he fights Jack with his spear because he stole his tribe and Piggy’s specs. This is not Ralph’s true personality because in the beginning of the novel he tries to limit the amount of argument and fighting by setting rules and calling assemblies. Now the sheer thought of fighting Jack and proving he is still in charge “Gets the blood flowing to his cheeks and the bunged eye throbbing”(176). This increasing tension leads to a huge hunt for him the next day, this is when Ralph’s true clever personality comes out. In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding the main character Ralph assumes a persona as a savage young boy. This occupies because the island is slowly making him and all the other English boys uncivilized and also to make life on the island easier. After they got rescued and return back home they will never be the same harmless little boys because of what happened and what changed in them while they had a mask on.