Another example of this theory is their long growing hair and the hunters painted faces. The hunters’ painting their faces is a massive leap into savagery. The ‘mask’ that Jack puts on his face is like a personality, which consumes Jack, as if the face paints are not just paints but a mind, a way of life. The book states “…his sinewy body, held up a mask that drew their eyes and appalled them,” and “the mask compelled them,” Their faces being painted shows a decrease in social stature.
A big deterioration is the newfound ability to kill a pig. In chapter 1, Jack has a chance to kill a pig but doesn’t because “…of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood.” This is completely different attitude to when he chants with his hunters “Kill the pig, cut her throat, spill her blood,” in chapter 4.
At the beginning of chapter 2 Ralph introduces democracy with the conch when he says “We’ll have to have ‘Hands up’ like at school,” this is greeted well at the time when Jack says, “We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all we’re not savages. We’re English.” Later the disregard to rules shows how uncivilized they are and more savage like they have become, this is shown when Jack says “Bollocks to the rules!” in chapter 5.
Ralph doesn’t want to think they are stuck there, he believes, without proof, his father will rescue them, he says “My father’s in the Navy…sooner or later, we will be rescued.” This gives the group hope, which is a good leadership quality, but it is misguided hope, which means when a ship doesn’t come, they will lose faith and respect in Ralph.
Another big factor of things falling apart is the ‘Beast’, which represents fear. The idea of the beast was first put forward near the beginning of chapter 2 when one of the little boys asks, “What are you going to do about the snake-thing [?]” to Ralph, who denies the existence, but just because you ignore or deny something doesn’t mean it goes away. The fear grows and engulfs even the bigger boys; Jack says, “…You can feel as though you’re not hunting, but-being hunted.” Even Ralph says, “I’m frightened myself,” this shows his weakness. This fear is the fear of the unknown; fear that they don’t know what’s going to happen to them, fear of themselves, and fear of the dark. Later in chapter 5 Piggy starts to realize they are not scared of the beast but scared of them, he says, “Unless we get frightened of people.” The beast gets interpreted as a ghost or creature, also in chapter 5. They do not know what they are scared of, which makes them more frightened. Simon also understands that it is not the beast they are scared of but possibly themselves, but he can’t explain this to the others, he says, “…maybe it’s only us,” and the book says, “Simon became inarticulate in his efforts to express mankind’s essential illness.
An additional event, which shows things falling apart, is Ralph losing control. This happens in chapter 2 when talking about making a fire, Jack conveniently takes over, and at the end of chapter 5 again Jack takes control. Both of these lead to the disregard to democracy. In chapter 2 it says the boys left “…with the conch forgotten,” as the fire symbolizes power and the conch democracy, it shows that Jack (and the other boys) would rather have power than order whereas Ralph is the other way around. The giving of power to Jack from Ralph to keep order proves this theory but in turn he loses power. The fire getting out of hand shows how the need for power can never be controlled as it will always be desired but never given up easily. The consequence of the fire is the death of a boy- another thing falls apart.
When the ship is missed in chapter 4, it is because Ralph’s fire has gone out. This symbolizes the continuous loss of Ralph’s power. He does manage to regain some power by making Jack build a new fire and him lighting it.
Another big factor is violence. Early in chapter 4, Roger is unable to hit a little one with stones; in the same way Jack was unable to kill a pig. The reason is explains clearly in the book, “…there was a space round Henry…into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins.”
But later in chapter 4, laws are no problem for Jack who hits Piggy “…Jack smacked Piggy’s head” and breaks his glasses. As the glasses symbolize logic the breaking of them show that logic no longer matters and it is violence that will prosper.
Ralph is responsible for the diminishing of things, as he is the one, which initiates the power struggle between himself and Jack, by giving power to Jack who abuses it. This leads to the loss of control, and the increasing disregard to socialized civilization and rules. He also bears responsibility as he decides to ignore fear rather that get rid of it and then admits he is scared himself. On several occasions Ralph shows weakness and vulnerability allowing fear to grow, control loss and Jack to become more powerful. He also starts the breaking of civilized rules when he tells the group Piggy’s name, from which the others are guided and do the same. Ralph, by staying in denial of not being rescued allows Jack to capitalize on the situation by getting the group to trust him for his adaptation ability to hunt. Ralph being leader had to strong and controlling, but was not, so is therefore to an extent responsible for the breaking up of things.
Ralph is not responsible because he did what he could to keep situations calm and only ever acted on his best instincts, and did try to stop Jack taking control. Ralph was voted leader, he did not choose to be leader, so therefore can not be held responsible for the downfall of events leading to savagery, unless he forced them to hunt, set the island on fire and not listen to him, which he did not. He can not control what others do, as he is not them, neither can he control the fear of themselves and savagery as it is savagery that is mankind’s deepest sin and divides them, forcing them to turn on each other- he believes in democracy but he cannot change others opinion.
In conclusion I believe he is in part responsible for the breakdown of events leading to control loss and savagery which ends in them being petrified of what they have and will become. He cannot solemnly be accountable for the evil human instincts which turn justice to savagery and democracy to power struggle, as he did not create man just be born one. It would be unfair and false to name Ralph guilty of forcing things to fall apart when all he did was try to keep them together, at the same time it would also be untrue to say he is in no way to blame as it was his weakness which allowed savagery to seep onto the island with power and without challenge.
