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Ralph Power Quotes

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“...the most obvious leader was Jack. But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out. There was his size, and his attractive appearance. And most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch.” This quote from page 22 in Lord of the Flies begins to illustrate the early struggle for power between Ralph and Jack on the island. From the start, it was a battle between the two boys regarding who was most qualified to take charge and step up as chief. William Golding argues that power is something that comes with responsibility, and struggle. The responsibility that falls on Ralph’s shoulders is tremendous, and there is a very clear struggle for power throughout the novel, which we will later explore.

Golding uses Ralph as a symbol for power in order to show that knowledge and sensibility are needed when in a position of leadership. Ralph displays common sense when it comes to things like the signal fire, for example, knowing that the boys must have smoke to be rescued. On page 142, Ralph says, “‘The fire’s the most important thing. Without the fire we can’t be rescued. I’d like to put war paint on and become a savage. But we must keep this fire burning. The fire’s the most important thing on the island…’” Golding uses the fire to build on Ralph’s power, constantly having him point out that the boys must maintain it and keep it going as their first priority, instead of hunting all the time. …show more content…

Fire can represent knowledge and industry. I feel the relationship between Ralph and the fire conveys that Ralph is certainly a good person to be in power on the island. This is because Ralph feels it is most important to maintain the fire. On figurative terms, Ralph wants to keep the knowledge and hardwork alive, and use common sense in order to be rescued, whereas Jack just wants to take chances and

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