Lord Of The Flies: Ralph's Anguish

The Lord of the Flies: Ralph’s Anguish

One can not help but wonder which character in the novel, The Lord of the Flies, suffers the most. The author, William Golding, provides the reader with many characters which may lead to a possible solution. However, there is only one character that can fully embody the meaning of suffering, this character is Ralph. Ralph’s suffering can be observed in three incidents from the novel. First, Ralph is forced to give up his childhood in order to take responsibility for the group, as result he is constantly in conflict with his child emotions. Secondly, Ralph’s only friends are either killed or tortured in to submission leaving him alone and with no one to support him. Lastly, Ralph is hunted by Jack’s tribe for attempting to maintain order on the island. In the novel, The Lord of the Flies, the character Ralph suffers the most since he experiences the harsh reality of adulthood.

Firstly, Ralph’s decision to take responsibility of the group compromises his childhood. As he is forced into leadership, Ralph is in constant pressure to act mature and wise. This is observed when Ralph and Jack discuss the group’s present situation on the beach. As Ralph discusses the importance of the fire, Jack constantly brings up the topic of hunting. Ralph is under so much pressure that he explodes and shouts, “I was talking about smoke! Don’t you want to be rescued? All you can talk about is pig, pig, pig!” (Golding 54). This statement shows that Ralph is under acute stress and is suffering from his leadership duties. In addition, there are instances where he wishes that he is a part the group instead of the leader. Such an incident occurs at the first pig feast, Ralph watches the hunters dance around the fire and chant in unison. “Ralph watched them, envious and resentful” (75). As the statement shows, Ralph is in envy of those who do not share his burden of leadership. He also possesses feelings of resentment for those who are free from responsibility due to the fact that it is he who carries the heavy weight of liability. Thus, it is evident that the toils of adult responsibility are taking their toll on Ralph’s character.

Furthermore, Ralph is forced to suppress his childlike emotion in order to convey the image to the group that he is a responsible and mature authority figure on the island. Throughout the novel, Ralph wishes he can throw the weight of adult responsibility off his shoulders and enjoy the trouble free life of a child. At a certain point in the novel, Ralph goes as far as giving up his leadership title by denouncing himself and appointing Jack as chief (93). Ralph is so envious for a life without adult responsibilities that he wishes an adult were present on the island. “We’re all drifting and thing are going rotten. At home there was always a grownup. Please, sir; Please, miss; and then you got an answer. How I wish!” (94). Thus, the statement shows that Ralph has become weary of his leadership duties and wishes that there would be another to undertake his duties. Therefore, by showing the breakdown of Ralph due to his leadership responsibilities, it is evident that Ralph suffers the most since he experiences the harsh reality of adulthood.

Secondly, the submission and deaths of Ralph’s only allies further dictates a tone of suffering in Ralph’s life. Simon’s death further compromises Ralph’s childhood as he is forced to witness the murderous rage that envelops the group at the time of Simon’s death; as a result Ralph is filled with feelings of shock and disbelief rather than remorse and grief. The feelings that he experiences are existent due to the fact that he maintains the belief that he must be more mature than the rest of the group and not grieve over Simon’s death. This is evident in the following morning’s discussion with Piggy, when Ralph brings the topic of Simon into the discussion Piggy attempts to ignore it like a child (156). On the other hand, Ralph tackles the issue head on and continues to accentuate the fact that Simon’s death was an act of murder. By showing the grief-less emotions of Ralph, the author has conveyed the image of innocence lost. It is not until Ralph is rescued by the naval officer that he is allowed to weep for the death of Simon. By showing the struggle of emotion towards a friend’s death, the author shows that indeed Ralph is the character that suffers the most.

In addition, the death of Piggy also causes a sense of suffering within Ralph’s character. When the remaining members of Ralph’s tribe go to Castle Rock to retrieve Piggy’s glasses, Ralph is hopeful that a grain of society and civil manner still resides within the hunters. However, his hopes are crushed when he witnesses the death of Piggy. Again he is left in a state of shock; it is not until Jack stabs him with a spear that he is broken out of the daze. As he hides from Jack’s tribe, Ralph analyses the events of Piggy’s death. He tries to convince himself that Piggy’s death was an accident. “No. They’re not as bad as that. It was an accident” (184). This statement shows that Ralph continues to maintain some of his naÐ"Їve speculation. However, this thought is short lived as he is told of his fate by Sam and Eric. It is at this point that he realizes the seriousness of the situation. Once again his childhood is compromised and a little bit of his childhood is taken away. Furthermore, the submission of Sam and Eric also accentuates the suffering observed in Ralph’s