When given the proper environment, most humans tend to act barbarically rather than rationally. This is the point William Golding makes in his novel, Lord of the Flies. In Lord of the Flies ¸ a group of preadolescent children find themselves stranded on an island with no adults or way of escape. The group begins lucidly in the beginning of the book. They elect a chief to lead, form assemblies for discussion, and set basic laws. Nevertheless, as time progresses, the children begin to act more savagely. They get bloodthirsty from killing pigs, abandon most of the rules, and even murder a few of the other boys. However, not all of the boys advance toward savagery as quickly as the rest do. One of these boys is Ralph, the boy initially elected chief. Although Ralph symbolizes civilization and democracy, he undergoes a change throughout the book. Ralph begins as an adamant leader, understands the thrill of bloodthirst, and loses his innocence by gaining knowledge about humanity.
In the initial parts of the story, Ralph takes the role as a leader, even before he is elected chief. With the help of his wise friend called Piggy, Ralph manages to gather all of the boys into one area. Ralph had called the first assembly on the island before any regulations were created. At the meeting, Ralph is elected chief of all the boys. Ralph said, " 'Who wants me [for chief]?' Every hand outside the choir . . . was raised immediately. Ralph counted. I'm chief then' " (23). As soon as Ralph is named as the leader, he responsibly provides jobs for everyone. Ralph also tells everybody about his plan to create fire to attract nearby people to the island. He says, "We can help them find us. If a ship comes near the island, they might notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire- (38). It is clear that Ralph is a reliable leader and takes his responsibilities very seriously. Ralph's commitment to civilization and morality is very strong, and his main wish is to be rescued and returned to the society of adults.