In the first chapter Ralph is seen as naive and innocent, the epitome of a public school child.
Ralph’s portrayal in the first chapter of the novel is one of complete naivety and innocence. He is described as “fair-haired” with a “golden body,” the combination making him seem almost angelic. However, Golding shows a potential for violence as Ralph has “width and heaviness of shoulders” however Golding stresses “a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil,” setting Ralph up as a character who does not resort to base savagery later, unlike Jack and others. Ralph is clearly contrasted to Piggy who is “shorter, and very fat.” Ralph is also far more playful, for instance, when it dawns on him that there are “no grown ups” on the island, he stands on his head, “the delight of a realised ambition” having overcome him. He seems eager to be free of his clothing, which could be seen as representative of the shackles of civilisation. Golding describes the way he “kicked his shoes off fiercely and ripped off each stocking.” The use of language such as “kicked”, “fiercely” and “ripped”, which have connotations of violence and urgency, emphasize the need Ralph feels to be free, unbound by the restrictions of society. However, it is interesting that later on in the novel, Ralph is the most determined to remain civilised and so – set against this early joy at being stranded his transformation is especially shocking. Ralph does not seem to see the actual situation he is in, and tells Piggy, “”, this vagueness, coupled with his child-like attitude to rescue on discussing the whereabouts of the pilot (“he’ll be back alright”), gives the reader a strong impression of Ralph from just the first few pages.
