Ralph continues to blow the conch, after not very long a small boy appears and more and moe boys emmerge as the the conch sounds across the island. Ralph seems uninterested in organising everyone and still blows on the conch where as Piggy is eager to get ready and sort everything out. (Page 25) ‘Piggy moved among the crowd asking names…the children gave him the same simple obedience that they had given the men with the megaphones.’ Lots more boys appeared all from different schools and areas and the reader is then introduced to the third main character. (Page 26) ‘…A party of boys, marching approximately in step in two parallel lines and dressed in strangely eccentric clothing.’ This group of boys are very organised and William Golding shows this before they have even spoken by describing their movement and gathering. (Page 26) ‘The boy who controlled them...’ Already they have a leader and this is the third main character-Jack Merridew. Jack controls the group using army –like commands (Page 27) “Choir! Stand still!” Ralph is slightly weary of Merridew and his group and perhaps is slightly intimidated by them.
The reader is briefly introduced to the fourth main character –Simon who had fainted earlier in the chapter, he is a choir boy from Merridew’s group not a lot is said about Simon in the beginning of the book in chapters 1 and 2. They boys have all organised themselves now and have a meeting to discuss the situation and maybe sort out some sort of authority. (Page 29) “Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things.” This is a popular suggestion and the two obvious candidates are Ralph and Jack, the rest of the boy’s vote for a chief and Ralph is nominated. (Page 30) ‘…Most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch.’ Jack is mortified at not being appointed chief and Ralph to almost soften the blow of rejection says to Jack (Page 31) “The choir belongs to you, of course.”
Ralph begins to take charge and decides to see whether the island is in fact an island and when this is established he can start making some decisions. The conch again is very symbolic in this part (Page 31) ‘Ralph smiled and held up the conch for silence.’ Ralph has to choose two people to go with him to explore the island he chooses Jack and Simon, this is where then tension is beginning with Jack and Piggy. Piggy suggests that he should go to but Ralph states that he would be no good on that sort of job as Piggy is at an obvious physical disadvantage to the others. But Jack thoughtlessly dismisses Piggy (Page 32) “We don’t want you.” The three boys go off to explore and talk about surviving on the island. At the end of chapter one they try to catch a pig and Jack fails in killing it. This is very significant to the story and helps build on Jacks character.
When the three boys get back to report on what they found they begin to make some rules and conditions. (Page 43) “And another thing. We can’t have everybody talking at once. We’ll have ‘hands up’ like at school.” Their organisation skills are based on what they already know and been taught at school. This interesting being as there are no grown ups the boys could do what ever they wanted but they stick to rules that applied at school. This perhaps makes them feel more secure being able to refer to something that everyone knows and understands the rule. Then the person with their hand up has the conch and is allowed to speak. (Page 43) “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak.” On the island they are trying to make their own society, community and to get everything in order. Here William Golding is showing the reader how people are adapted to they’re way of living, when in their home environment the rules may seem like a nuisance but when moved out of their home environment they still apply these rules indicating the dislike to change and life without structure. (Page 44) “We’ll have rules!…Lots of rules! Then anyone who breaks ‘em…” This seems like the only reason in having rules is so that when one of them breaks them they can punish them. Which makes the reader think that the boys aren’t totally aware of the actual function of rules.
(Page 45) “This is our island. Until the grown-ups come to fetch us we’ll have fun.” Ralph is slightly naïve and believes that his father will rescue them but hasn’t thought about if they don’t get rescued. The boys decide that the only way that they are going to be rescued is if they draw attention to the island by making a fire, which will make smoke enabling searchers to see them. (Page 49) “We must make a fire.” The decision is not thought over and the boys go rushing into the woods to collect wood and there is a lot of excitement resulting in all means of organisation is abolished. (Page 49) ‘Ralph was on his feet too, shouting for quiet, but no-one heard him.’ Everyone left, following Jack. Piggy and Jack were left with only the conch, Piggy is disgusted at their behaviour and the reader sees Piggy now as the sensible and Intelligent Piggy who remarks on the boys behaviour. (Page 50) “Like kids!” he said scornfully. “Acting like a crowd of kids!” This remark is quite ironic, as all the boys there are kids. This shows the effect the situation has had on them. Piggy seeing himself as a substitute grown up. The idea of a small fire seems to have been ignored and the boys collect a huge pile of wood they soon realise they have nothing to light it with. When Piggy appears on the scene Jack promptly snatches his glasses and uses them as burning glasses to light the fire. Jack and Piggy do not get on this has been established much earlier in the chapter and the tension only grows when Piggy tries to inform them that the fire will not work as there was only a flame and no smoke. Piggy and Jack start to dispute about the fire when Piggy reminds Jack that he has the conch and therefor should be the only one speaking when Jack changes the rule. (Page 54) “The conch doesn’t count on top of the mountain,” said Jack “So you shut up.” Piggy still tries to speak and causes even more conflict. Ralph being the leader takes over and takes the conch from Piggy and re-applies the rule. (Page 55) “We ought to have more rules. Where the conch is, that’s a meeting. The same up here as down there.” Jack then agrees with Ralph despite earlier contradicting what Ralph had just said when with Piggy. Jack then splits the choir up to do different jobs, even though being in the forest on an island he still organises them according to how high they can sing-Altos and Trebles.
The fire soon begins to get out of control and Piggy in a ‘I told you so’ manner says (Page 56) “You got your small fire alright.” Again soon Piggy wants to speak and he has the conch but Ralph and Jack lack interest. This shows clearly that the conch rule really only applies when Jack or Ralph want to speak which may cause trouble later on in the book as this does not display a good sense of organisation. Piggy again has the conch and is struggling to get a word in and give his opinion and it seems now that everyone is aware of Piggy’s weakness and mocks him. Soon enough Piggy loses his temper (Page 58) “Just you listen! The first thing we ought to have made was shelters down there by the beach…but the first time Ralph says ‘Fire’ you goes howling and screaming up this here mountain. Like a pack of kids!” The reader now sees that Piggy is definitely the most intelligent in the group and is the only one who seems to have thought about how they are going to survive and the importance of shelters and food. Unfortunately for the boys Piggy’s advice is too late and things have already got out of control. (Page 60) ‘A tree exploded in the fire like a bomb’ and at the end of chapter two there is the first death.
The ways in which Ralph tries to organise him and the others throughout the first two chapters are good but often not thought out properly enough. The reader is clearly shown from the start that Ralph is a born leader when he takes charge of Piggy. Ralph appears to get on with everyone he and Jack in ways are similar although Ralph is a lot more kind hearted and friendly. Ralph is fonder of Piggy and almost acts as an older brother to him but with Jack they have more in common. In the obvious conflict between Jack and Piggy Ralph acts as the middleman compromising with them both. Although Ralph is the chief his decisions are influenced by Jack and occasionally Piggy.
Piggy is introduced to the reader in the first chapter as a fat, useless almost annoying little boy who follows Ralph. This changes later on as Piggy gets more confidence but unfortunately it’s a little late as the boys know that he has not much authority and ignore him. Piggy has very valid viewpoints and suggestions. Piggy also grows up a lot during their stay on the island and takes care of the younger boys, asking names earning some respect from a lot of the boys excluding Ralph and Jack. Piggy does not like Jack and he knows the feeling is neutral this affects the organisation on the island as Jack refuses to listen to Piggy and this makes Piggy angry.
Jack is a very cold boy and doesn’t care a lot for other people’s feelings or opinions. He deliberately ignores Piggy even if what he has to say is important. Jack’s methods of organisation differ somewhat. Organising people into jobs according to how high they can sing is not really appropriate given the conditions. Jack is really only interested in hunting and killing the pig to make up for his failure to do this last time and to prove himself.
In conclusion the way the boys organise themselves is very much affected by conflict and even in the first two chapters break down of structure and organisation is present and things can only get worse unless something is done about it. The beginning of the chapter shows the build up of organisation which happens over a very short space of time indicating that it has not been thought over and very rushed into. Their new found rules and conditions apply for not very long when they break down due to conflict (Piggy, Jack and the conch) and then are almost obliterated at the end of chapter two after the fire. The only way to retrieve organisation is to abolish all the rules and start new going over every detail and conditions, allocating different jobs to people and making all persons equal.
Charlotte Field 10P
