Discussion Topic
The significance of Ralph and Jack going up the mountain after dark in Lord of the Flies
Summary:
In Lord of the Flies, Ralph and Jack's decision to ascend the mountain after dark signifies their bravery and the escalating tension between civilization and savagery. The darkness symbolizes the unknown and the inherent fears within the boys, highlighting their struggle for power and control in an increasingly chaotic environment.
In Lord of the Flies, why does Ralph go up the mountain with Jack after dark?
One of the major themes in the novel is the lack of emotional maturity that the boys share, as well as their ego-driven desire to be seen as brave by the others. Adding on to this is the fact that Ralph and Jack both want to be the de facto leader of the group, although neither is specifically suited for the task. During Chapter 7, the boys discuss going up the mountain in pursuit of "the beast." Ralph, still trying to be a rational leader, wants to camp for the night, but Jack has been using Ralph's caution against him and is aiming to undermine Ralph's authority.
"I'm going up the mountain." The words came from Jack viciously, as though they were a curse. He looked at Ralph, his thin body tensed, his spear held as if he threatened him.
"I'm going up the mountain to look for the...
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beast-now." Then the supreme sting, the casual, bitter, word. "Coming?"
[...]
"I don't mind."
Astonished, he heard his voice come out, cool and casual, so that the bitterness of Jack’s taunt fell powerless.
(Golding, Lord of the Flies, staff.bcc.edu)
Jack is using psychology to make Ralph seem weak in front of the other boys. Ralph, feeling his power and his influence slipping away, feels he has no choice but to rise to every occasion, especially if Jack seems willing to do things while Ralph refuses. It is this ego-driven impulse that causes Ralph to be more foolhardy, as otherwise it would appear that Jack is more brave. Without that drive, and with the ability to inform the boys rationally, Ralph may have resisted the urge to out-perform Jack, and become a better leader.
Jack and Ralph are two of the older boys in Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and they are the two clear leaders on the island. In chapter one, the boys elect Ralph to be their leader instead of Jack. While at first Jack is embarrassed about losing, Ralph quickly offers him the chance to be the leader of the choir, and Jack quickly claims them as his hunters.
Once that is decided, the boys are even a bit friendly.
Jack and Ralph smiled at each other with shy liking. The rest began to talk eagerly.
When Ralph decides to explore the island, he explains that it is important to determine whether this is truly an island so they can make a more effective rescue plan. He says:
Three of us—if we takemore we’d get all mixed, and lose each other—three of us will go on an expedition and find out. I’ll go, and Jack, and, and. . . .”
Your question implies that perhaps Ralph is a willing participant in Jack's expedition up the mountain; in fact, it is Ralph's expedition and he invites Jack (and eventually Simon) to join him because Jack has already been exploring and, so far, the two boys are somewhat friendly.
In Lord of the Flies, why did Golding make the boys go up the mountain in the dark?
Lord of the Flies by William Golding outlines the potentially disastrous effects of badly managed responsibility and unchecked selfishness as Ralph, ill-equipped to be chief and to lead a group of unruly boys to safe rescue, and Jack, unable to show compassion or recognize the needs of others, clash and intensify problems for the boys on an island with no "grown-ups." Golding consistently exploits the imagination of the reader as he knows that assumptions will be made readily. There is the conch shell, the Beast, the mountain, Castle Rock, the fire, the painted faces of Jack and his hunters and so on, all of which contribute to the reader's understanding of the boys' helplessness. The shell, for example, becomes a symbol of order and civilization and therefore when it smashes "into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist," the reader knows that anarchy has set in.
William Golding builds momentum and explores the effects of the imagination on real events by setting certain incidents at significant times. The darkness is a permanent feature and even having assemblies later than usual changes Ralph's perspective. He wonders, as he realizes how different everything looks, "If faces were different when lit from above or below-what was a face? What was anything?" Ralph also understands that there are certain things that increase the boys' fears, such as "too much talk about ghosts." This information helps the reader see the island from the boys' perspective as, for the boys, "The sun was bright and danger had faded with the darkness." From an idyllic place in the daytime where the boys having few cares or concerns and not an adult in sight, the island at night transforms into a place that hides many unknowns.
Searching for the beast in the dark is significant because Ralph wanted to wait until morning; the reader can sense that his authority is waning. Furthermore, darkness can be confusing and overwhelming and Golding is building up towards this as the boys search for the beast in the dark. Ralph's ability to reason has been affected by what he saw in the dark; he believes it to be the beast, ensuring that the theme of appearance versus reality is prominent in the reader's mind. Darkness encroaches on the boys more and more from the "Shadows and Tall Trees" of chapter seven when they see the beast in the dark, through to the very end when Ralph will weep "for the end of innocence (and) the darkness of man's heart..." which completes the picture.