Lord Of The Flies Chapter 1 Analysis

It starts to dawn on Ralph that the boys are no longer listening to him. His grip on them was primarily based on communication, and his inability to deliver showed weakness. Jack, the leader of the hunters, goes rogue in a fit of embarrassment and anger.

At the time, Ralph heavily influences the boys and their actions for he resembles “the men with the megaphones” (18). He attempts to create order among the boys with rules, but most of the boys would rather play than follow the rules—for there are no adults to enforce them. With the role of leadership thrust upon him, Ralph has no choice but to stop playing games. His goals are to protect the boys and increase their chances of being rescued; however, the responsibility on Ralph’s shoulders soon begins to weigh him down. As “Ralph [watches the boys], envious and resentful” (75), the obligation to care for everyone on the island is a heavy burden to bear. His role as leader has forced Ralph to forget the joys of being an innocent kid and given him the encumbrance of responsibility, which causes the start of his maturation.

For a moment, Ralph felt the tears well up his eyes as a thought crossed his mind about the time he spent with the boys on the island. 0Whenever Ralph looked at Jack and the boys with painted faces and long hair, it reminded him of his loyal friend named Piggy who was killed many days ago. He couldn’t believe things would have gone this far and the boys have fallen within a few months, Ralph also blamed himself for not being a good

Ralph woke up on the island and found a conch and a boy named Piggy. Piggy tells Ralph to blow into the conch and suddenly all of the other boys begin to emerge from the growth on the island. After agreeing that they are without adults the boys become concerned. Piggy says, “That’s why Ralph made a meeting. So as we can decide what to do.” (Golding, 21) A little later, the boys vote on Ralph to be chief. As chief Ralph wisely decided that there needed to be rules on the island. “We can’t have everybody talking at once. We’ll have to have ‘Hands up’ like at school.” He held the conch before his face and glanced round the mouth. “Then I’ll give him the conch.” (Golding, 33)

The folds on Ralph’s clothes were “stiff like cardboard.” Ralph noticed this because of the “new mood of comprehension.” The author implies that Ralph gained more experience based on the events that happened causing him to be more perceptive. Furthermore, Ralph discovered how poorly the boys were cooperating and how their conditions could have been better if they were all responsible. The children on the island are more focused on self-entertainment, rather than survival.

Finally looking at them he stared and slowly placed the paper at the top of his cluttered desk, turning to the two men and sighed the first words, "More of this madness.” Gazing out the window he continued, “For months this town has been unsettled and upset because of these damn requests and these damn ships. Were you present yesterday at the fight at the waterfront?” They shook their head no. “Over the most unbelievable thing,” he shook his head as if scolding school boys. “It seems that one of the sailors, a questionable man he must be, to go on this voyage and perhaps with a bit too much drink in him, told your Captain that,” here the shop keeper played the part of a drunk, “Aye, the 'La Gallega' was a most awkward ship for such a voyage!”

They crept through the halls killing crewman after crewman. Unlike their time on the island, they took this game seriously. Their still painted war faces morphed with concentration. Each boy seemed to have the strength of a grown man as they subdued each victim one after the other. By the time the crew had noticed the blood on the floors each boy was equipped with a knife and the bodies had been dragged into hidden coves throughout the ship. Those on the bridge of the ship (the captain and officers) were oblivious to what was happening right under their feet in the decks below. In fact, the only person not oblivious to what was happening was Ralph. He had known as soon as he had seen the look in the boys’ eyes when they spotted the first officer back on the island that the boys were not done with their hunt

Ralph, the protagonist and the ‘leader’ of the novel, has always tried to keep the peace on the island, but when heinous act are committed it is hard not to just follow the instincts and ways of others. At the beginning of the novel, a conflict quickly arises, when the stranded boys have to make a decision on ‘who will be the chief?’. This is between Ralph, and the choir boy leader,

Ralph shuddered; the chant still rang in his mind, over and over. Images ran through his mind. He watched Piggy falling from the cliff and Simon crying out as the other boys in Jack's tribe encircled him, trapping him before… he didn't finish the thought. In the corner of the room a conch shell glistened, he'd picked it up on the beach as they walked towards the boat. He had clutched it to his chest, much like Piggy had. The officers on the ship had shown him to his room and he hadn't left since, he had just sat on the bed, silent and still. Jack and the others were talking to the staff but Ralph hadn't said a word since he had first met the officer on the beach. He spent his time thinking about Piggy and Simon, what were they going to tell their families? How could they explain? He regretted everything that happened on the island. Their deaths were his fault. If he had just kept everyone together, none of this would have happened.

Ralph and Jack get into a quarrel over whether hunting or building shelters is the priority. Ralph rapidly notices the tension and pauses to avoid a rift. Readers see from this incident that Ralph is the ego of the island. He holds back his impulsiveness but ensures to convey his notion. Ultimately he succeeds in winning Jack’s acknowledging.

"Not too far off from London, now, lads," a sailor told them, taking a swig of the small flask in his hand. Ralph remained in the same agonized position; his back arched, elbows on his knees and his fists clenched with what little finger nails he had left, digging into his skin. Samneric were on his left, rubbing their eyes free of running paint and on his right was Maurice, who sat shivering. Ralph could feel the heat of Jack 's glare burning his scalp, so he raised his eyes to give him an uncertain look, but Jack turned his head to glare at the young sailor as his eyes met Ralph 's.

“Eloy, I can’t just stay here. I don’t have any cloths or money to buy food with.”

Sherbet noticed a boy about the age of 15-16 walking a little way behind the captain, looking like he was deep in thought as he scanned the crew walking on board. Sherbets eyes and the boys met, the boy smiled, sherbet returned the gesture and continued downstairs to his cot. He threw his bags on the bed and noted the crew also, trying to gauge their experience from their looks and sea legs. He noticed the man sitting closest to him; he looked about 20. He looked green on the face and looked like he was going to hurl, holding his stomach with his eyes closed. It was obviously his first time off the land. He was clutching a small wooden cross muttering to himself, praying.

Marley nodded with wide eyes. “You must be pretty poor if this is all of the stuff you don’t have.”

When the other boys come running out of the woods, they see even more officers behind the first one. The officers do not talk to the children and the children show little emotion which does not give the reader an idea of what they are feeling. In the book, when Ralph sees the naval officer, the officer talks to Ralph and asks him if him and the others were playing a game of war. He also asks Ralph if there are any dead bodies as a joke. Ralph replies saying that two boys died and they were actually having a war. This is important because it is an example of irony since the naval officer thinks the whole situation is a joke or game but it is actually real and savage. Ralph and the others also spill tears of relief and sadness but the movie does not express that enough.