ralph quotes

• "Ralph had to wave the conch once more."


  • The "conch" is a key part of Ralph's leadership.
  • He uses it to assert his authority.
  • He leads for the benefit of others, rather than himself.
• "Mildness about the eyes that proclaimed no devil."

  • The noun "mildness" suggests kindness but also weakness.
  • Ralph seems as ideal boy in society, both physically and morally.
  • The phrase "no devil" shows he may be somewhat different from other boys - this is an example of Ralph portraying in being religious on the island from the rest of the boys (except Simon).
• "Don't you want to be rescued? All you can talk about is pig, pig, pig!"

  • Here, Ralph is portraying his frustration after Jack and his hunters let the signal/fire burn out while bunting a pig.
  • It also shows Ralph's exasperation with Jack's short sighted obsession with hunting and killing, rather than rescue.
  • This is an example of Golding presenting Ralph and Jack as polar twins to each other; they juxtapose throughout the novel.
• "Things are breaking up. I don't understand why. We began well; we were happy."

  • The sentence shows Ralph's innocence and highlights the fact that he is still a child.
  • He also realises building a civilisation is difficult, particularly when everyone has conflicting ideas about how society should run.
• "The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering."

  • This sentence portrays that Ralph has similar weaknesses to the other boys; he senses blood lust in himself.
  • This is an example of man's essential illness; Golding portrays that every human has something within themselves that is sinister and can portray man's weakness if it is not controlled.
• "The fire's the most important thing on the island."


  • The sentence symbolises hope, rescue and civilisation for the boys.
  • It highlights Ralph's dedication towards order and it contrasts with Jack's descent into savagery.
  • The "fire" represents their connection society and serves a metaphor for hope, however, its neglect later on foreshadows their collapse into chaos.
• "The fire's the most important thing on the island."

  • The sentence shows the struggle between civilisation & savagery and Ralph's effort to keep the group focused and united, as they fall apart.
  • Golding's meaning of the sentence is that he critique's human's fragility and the loss of values for basic instincts.