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Year 9 - English

Considering the presentation of Ralph in Golding's 'Lord of the Flies'

'Lord of the Flies'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and explore 'The Lord of the Flies' by considering Golding's message about human nature. They first read the novel, before analysing the characters Ralph, Simon, Jack and Piggy. They then look at setting and symbolism before planning and writing an essay on human nature.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how Ralph changes throughout the novel and what he represents.

Key Notes

  • As elected leader, Ralph represents an early desire for law, order and civility.
  • Golding uses colour symbolism to characterise Ralph as possessing the qualities of an effective and charismatic leader.
  • Ralph's participation in the murder of Simon illustrates human beings' capacity for savagery and brutality.
  • Ralph's naivety fades away as he begins to recognise the savagery that exists in supposedly-civilised people.
  • Ralph's faith in democracy is arguably his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • protagonist: the main character in a text
  • charismatic: charming and compelling
  • naïve: showing a lack of effective judgement, often based on a lack of experience or optimism
  • heinous: extremely wicked and cruel
  • democracy: a system of government whereby leaders are voted in by election

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Students have a tendency to view Ralph as a morally-virtuous character who does no wrong.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

As elected leader, Ralph represents an early desire for law, order and civility. Golding uses colour symbolism to characterise Ralph as possessing the qualities of an effective and charismatic leader.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'protagonist'

the main character in a text.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Students have a tendency to view Ralph as a morally-virtuous character who does no wrong. Correction: Ralph does behave immorally and wickedly in the text - he is mean to Piggy about his asthma and he participates in the murder of Simon. What separates Ralph from the others is the remorse he shows for his actions and how he learns from them.

More Lessons In This Unit

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