Do we like them?

Do we like Ralph?

A character from Lord of the Flies (1954)

Our score: 8 out of 10. Yes, we'd back him. He's decent, fair and set on getting everyone rescued, though he isn't flawless and he struggles when the group stops listening.

Ralph is one of a group of British schoolboys stranded on a tropical island after their plane crashes during a war. He's an athletic, likeable boy of about twelve. He blows a conch shell to gather the survivors, and they elect him chief.

His priorities are simple: keep a smoke signal burning so passing ships will see it, build shelters, and hold orderly meetings where whoever holds the conch gets to speak. He isn't the cleverest boy and he knows it. He leans on Piggy's brains, and he doesn't hunt for glory or power.

He scores high because he stays decent when it gets hard. His weakness is that rules and patience are dull next to the thrill of the hunt, and the rival leader Jack offers plenty of thrills. Ralph feels that pull too, and he is shaken to see it in himself.

As the boys split into factions, Ralph loses most of his followers and is hunted. He is left alone, and in the end he weeps for the loss of innocence and for the friends he lost along the way. He isn't a perfect hero, but he is the closest the island has to one.