| Ralph | |
|---|---|
 Ralph in the 1963 movie, portrayed by James Aubrey. | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality | British (book and 1963 film)
American (1990 film) |
| Introduced | Chapter 1 |
| Died | N/A |
| Health | Alive |
| Status | Rescued |
| Location in Book | The Island |
Physical Appearance[]
Ralph is described as a boy with boxer like shoulders, blue eyes, tan skin, and blonde hair. During a fight with him, Jack spears Ralph and gives him a large gash in his lower abdomen.
Character Overview[]
Ralph is described as the main protagonist, he is the one who is elected chief at first, soon being forced to run as Simon and Piggy have been killed and everyone else has joined Jack's tribe.
Role in the Book[]
Ralph's role is to lead the boys into their escape off the island, using a shell, but he gets ultimately betrayed when his two best friends get killed and everyone else leaves to join Jack's tribe.
Symbolism[]
Ralph symbolizes democracy and government. He is elected leader of the boys, and tries to maintain the standards of civilized society. However, he is overthrown by Jack, whose unbridled ambition and hunger for power symbolizes the end of order and democracy.
Lord of the Flies Movie: 1963[]
In the 1963 movie adaptation of Lord of the Flies, Ralph is played by James Aubrey, who was fourteen when at the time and had brown hair. Unlike in the 1990 film, Ralph is initially somewhat disdainful of Piggy- the 1990 version has Ralph immediately stand up for Piggy and reprimand others, including Jack, for mocking him. Ralph is noticeably shorter and younger than Jack, whereas in the 1990 film the two are the same height and almost the same age. Ralph asserts himself as wanting to be in charge early on, prompting a brief election with him running against Jack, who is the choir leader and Head Boy at school. He manages to win the election by a good margin, but Jack never fully accepts it and eventually completely subverts him. This version of Ralph adheres more closely to that of the book overall.
Lord of the Flies Movie: 1990[]
Ralph in the 1990 film, portrayed by Balthazar Getty.
In the 1990 adaptation of Lord of the Flies
Ralph is played by Balthazar Getty. In this film adaptation, Ralph, like all of the others, is American and attends an unnamed military boarding school. As he holds the rank of cadet lieutenant colonel, Ralph is singled out by the other boys as the best choice for their leader. Ralph himself does not try to get picked, but modestly accepts being designated as being in charge. He is three ranks higher than Jack despite being two years younger.
In the 1990 film, Jack is more accepting of being subordinate to Ralph at first, and becomes Ralph's secondary and leader of the cadets who hunt for the island's wild boar. Jack's laziness and arrogance soon lead him to ignore the signal fire, letting it go out while he leads some boys on a hunt, and when Ralph reprimands him for it, Jack angrily rejects Ralph's rank and warns him "If you know what's good for you you'll stop trying to run everything!" Ralph's uncertainty about how to adapt his military school's discipline to the untamed wilderness of the island causes him to hesitate, whereas Jack encourages everyone to resort to primitive tribal behavior. Ultimately, Ralph is saved by U.S. Marines who land on the island, drawn by the fire Jack set to flush Ralph out of hiding.
Trivia[]
- Ralph is said to be twelve years old and a few months in the book.
- He was named and created after Ralph Rover.
- Ralph is described as having fair (blond) hair in the book, but he has not had blond hair in either of his film appearances.
Gallery[]
| Ralph's Allies |
|---|
| Ralph • Piggy • Samneric • Simon • Littluns |
| Biguns |
|---|
| Ralph • Jack Merridew • Piggy • Samneric • Simon • Roger • Maurice • Bill |