Mbti type: ENTJ

(Te-Ni-Se-Fi)

Temperament: Honestly hard to pinpoint, I’d say Choleric, but a different type than Jack because he’s the Take Charge and Directing type too. 

Notes: I fully came in with the intention of typing Ralph as an ESTJ. What made me change my mind was going over his analysis again and noticing how he’s always looking towards the future. A lot of people see Ralph as an EXXJ, which I agree on. I don’t, however see him as a lead Fe user. If he were, he would have been much kinder to Piggy and would have decided based off feelings. 

There is no doubt that Ralph is an extrovert, he is charismatic and charming and puts it to use (E); he is always thinking up new ways to survive in the island and is always hoping of a rescue (N); he is constantly thinking and putting new tasks and taking action (T); and tries to manage his way and be as efficient as possible (J).

Dominant Function: Extroverted Thinking

Ralph’s main style of leadership is all about order. In the beginning of the novel, he knows that he can put his charismatic looks and personality and pitch it with ideas and goals. He is a diplomatic person and is able to effectively communicate and broadcast ideas and directions towards the other boys. What’s more is that he’s a doer. He is the one who goes forth to investigate castle rock and to use as much organization into his environment as possible. He also uses Te to challenge Jack’s ideas and puts them into questions. During his time as leader, Ralph uses his leadership in order to maintain effectiveness. He wants to see everyone doing something productive and that they won’t fall to waste. Ralph sees leadership not as something of power, but as something to do until they get rescued.

Auxiliary Function: Introverted Intuition 

I had my doubts about this function at first, but when I studied Ralph’s character again, it slowly made more sense that he leans more towards this than Introverted Sensing. See, Ralph thinks everything through with the possibilities of an endgame in mind. Unlike Jack, he sees everything as means to an end and the possibilities that they entail. He uses the conch in ways that are unexpected—a symbol of his ability to lead and to put a new strategy forward. When the initial plane crash happens and they’re stranded, Ralph thinks this will play out like one of his books he reads, however the more desolate side of Ni comes out during the darker points of the book when his decline of power and order has materialized. He spends a long time imagining and dreaming of going back to England. He has that collective Ni convergence of ideas and universal thoughts when he realizes that everything important to civilization and the tools for it are gone. 

Tertiary Function: Extroverted Sensing

Ralph uses his Te-Ni skills to realize that he’s just as savage as the rest of the boys. A part of him knows that he loves the hunt and killing as much as the general population of boys do. Thing is, that it isn’t his strongest function, unlike Jack, and is able to philosophize that it isn’t as strong as Jack’s. Ralph’s Se takes over when he’s being chased. He starts to forget some of his goals for the island and the civilization he tried to establish and his train of thoughts go directly to survival mode. 

Inferior Function: Introverted Feeling

Ralph has a decent knowledge of morals and what is right and what is wrong. He knows that the boys have gone too far when they murder Simon. He knows that all meaning has been lost when the other boys follow Jack’s lead and paint themselves up and hunt. Ralph, however, has a hard time trying to discern these thoughts and it isn’t until the end until he fully realizes what he wants is sincere and that he truly sees life under civilization as meaningful, but has to experience this through action.