Wednesday, December 14, 2011

In lord of the flies, what does ralph keep trying to persuade the boys of?

Ralph is the elected leader of the boys and a proponent of civilization throughout the novel. His main concerns revolve around making an effort to be rescued from the uninhabited island. Ralph continually attempts to persuade the boys to build and maintain a signal fire at all times on top of the mountain. Initially, the boys follow Ralph's instructions and cheerfully participate in building a signal fire. It is also agreed that the hunters are in charge of maintaining the signal fire. However, Jack influences his hunters to leave the signal fire, and the boys miss out on an opportunity to be rescued by a passing ship. As the novel progresses, Jack begins to challenge Ralph's authority and neglects the need to maintain a signal fire. Jack is more than happy living on the island and acting like a savage. His main concerns are hunting and having fun. In contrast, Ralph is continually reminding Jack and the boys about the importance of having a signal fire. During an assembly meeting in Chapter 5, Ralph says the following:

"The fire is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don’t keep a fire going? Is a fire too much for us to make?" (Golding, 113).

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