Lord of the Flies character study

Ralph

Ralph is the first character introduced in the novel. He is described as being physically fit "You can't half swim well", "fair" and he could possibly be a boxer, yet not evil. He is voted for as chief as he seems most like the adult world they left behind. He shows his fair side as he gives the choir to Jack "The choir belongs to you, of course" after his defeat in the vote. Ralph first suggests the idea of being rescued, and sets up rules similar to those they would have had at school, for example only talking with the conch. He can "talk fluently" yet believes he "can't think". Jack accuses him of not being good enough to lead as "you can't hunt, you can't sing". However Ralph starts to loose control of the boys as they become obsessed with meat. Ralph changes his mind on hunting when he tries it and begins to show the strain of leadership as he forgets the purpose of the signal fire. His leadership really falls apart when the beast is 'discovered'. He looses most of the boys to Jack, Ralph loses his temper and confronts him, "You're a beast and a swine and a bloody, bloody thief!". Ralph then becomes the outcast, despite his status at the beginning of the novel. However he reclaims his title of chief when the naval officer asks who was the leader. Ralph shows the deterioration of the boys society as he goes from popular to outcast, and realises what savages they have all become.

Piggy

Piggy is from the very first described as physically inferior to Ralph, "he was shorter than the fair boy and very fat". He is set apart from the other boys by his various illnesses "***-mar", and his physical structure. However he is also intelligent, "what intelligence had been shown was traceable to Piggy". His real name is never known and despite his protests his school nickname becomes the only one the boys know. By leaving Piggy outside the social 'circle' the boys feel they are in a familiar environment and "everyone felt cheerful and normal". He is picked on by Jack and abused by the other boys, by stealing his gl***es and mocking his ideas. Piggy becomes the only person Ralph can rely on, despite their differing opinions on the beast. Piggy is the only boy on the island who tries to look after the littluns, yet the other boys give him no respect and even compare Ralph to him to show his failings as chief "He's like Piggy...He isn't a proper chief". Piggy saves the boys from fear of darkness by suggesting they move the fire "only Piggy could have the intellectual daring". Piggy firmly believes in a society like the one they have left, and so protects the conch and the values it represents. He is one of the only boys to realise that they may become stuck on the island "We may stay here till we die". Piggy…