Jack enters the novel with a portent of evil omen. This foreshadows the beast existing within Jack and his crew. He and his choir are dressed in ‘black togs’ connoting the vision of a crow, which in some cultures is seen as a mark of malevolent premonition. What Jacks sees, ‘a fair-haired boy with the creamy shell on his knees’, does not please him and he turns around swiftly, ‘his black cloak circling him’. The cloak ‘circling’ him signifies him being a leader in many ways, such as a chief being encircled or worshipped by his followers, it may also propose that his followers, the choir, fear him; this tells us that Jack may have self-elected himself as head of choir. It also suggests that Jack may force the others to re-elect, so that he can be the one with ‘official’ superiority. The theme of determination is, again, evoked when Jack has the chance to kill a pig but lets the opportunity slip. ‘They knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood.’ This cites Jack’s cowardice and how he was not as cold-hearted as he acts. He is afraid of the atrocity of the bloodshed and the ‘descending’ conscience he might have of taking another’s life, even though it may be just an animal. However, we are able to sense his growing stamina (‘“Next time-!” He snatched his knife out of the sheath and slammed it into a tree trunk’). This action is repetitive as he ‘clouted a trunk’ previously when the other boys were laughing at the choir’s uniform. Moreover, it underlines his ‘authority’ and his hatred for public humiliation.
Although Ralph seemed poised to begin with, the ‘uniformed superiority’ and ‘offhand authority in Merridew’s voice’ coerces his leading abilities. The choir’s stable and casual posture intimidates the others. The choir are, again, portrayed as an image of iniquity, through the phase ‘perched like black birds’ as they ‘examined Ralph with interest’. Once more, the choir (which ‘belongs’ to Jack) are envisaged as ‘a crow’, the admonition of vile events. They ‘examine’ others rendering them to feel inferior or tense.
At this point, we are able to predict that Jack and his choir may be the ones to turn savage and lead the others ‘astray’. It is evident that Jack is eager to be leader and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He also leads the other boys to pick on Piggy when he was mentioning the other’s names to Ralph, ‘“You’re talking too much...Shut up, Fatty,” ’; this causes the other children to laugh at Piggy who shrinks back into himself. This behaviour is then encouraged when Ralph persists, saying ‘He’s not Fatty, his real name is Piggy’. This is a theme of betrayal as when Piggy first mentioned what they used to call him at school, he asked Ralph not to mention this to anyone and Ralph, objectively, ‘went an’ said straight out’. This foreshadows that somewhere in the novel; the bullying may come to a point where Ralph has to intervene on Piggy’s behalf but may choose not to leading to terrible consequences.
Roger is the only boy, along with Simon, who isn’t as exuberant as the rest of the boys. He is described as ‘the dark boy’ whom no one knew. ‘He kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy’; this denotes that he is one who doesn’t socialise and keeps to himself, foreshadowing the tint of savagery in him. At first, he is seen as a shy boy, but later on, we discover that he is just as pungent and unruly as Jack, when he kills Piggy.
Whereas, Simon, who although quiet and timid, isn’t as callous as Roger. He is portrayed as a ‘skinny, vivid little boy’ under a ‘hut of straight hair that hung down, black and coarse’; this envisages the reader of an emo-like boy. He keeps to himself, is the only one who helps Piggy and Ralph build shelters (in the subsequent chapters) and hates crowds. We know this as when the choir is first initiated, he faints, whilst standing in line. This may be due to the heat on the island or because of his phobia of crowds. ‘“He’s always throwing a faint,” said Merridew. “He did in Gib; and Addis; and at the matins over the precentor.”’ This proves the theory of Simon disliking or feeling nervous around a cluster of people as the choir were most probably ‘touring’ on a school field trip or in front of an audience with the ‘precentor’. Simon is also a naturalist, unlike the other boys who want to destroy or play on/with everything. He is ‘at one’ with nature and can identify varied species of plants, while Ralph and Jack ponder. ‘“Like candles. Candle bushes. Candle buds.”’ Again, this indicates Simon’s harmonious being and portends his innocence.
Ominous events are hinted at throughout the novel; yet, the malevolence is insinuated from the very first page.
‘He was clambering heavily among creepers and broken trunks when a bird, a vision of red and yellow, flashed upwards with a witch-like cry; and this cry was echoed by another.’ This phrase, from the very first paragraph from the opening chapter, has many evocations.
‘Vision of red and yellow’ gives the reader an image of something deadly and as a warning to stay away. The bird ‘flashed upwards’ perhaps in its escape from the ‘beast’. ‘...with a witch-like cry’ signifies the existence of a ‘beast’ and suggests that the forest maybe replete with ghastly creatures. Furthermore, it vaguely preludes a theme of a ‘need’ for fear of the unknown.
There are several hints at Piggy’s death in the first chapter. When he is acquainting ‘the fair boy’, he mentions his name is Piggy. Ralph finds this humorous and playfully mocks at it. ‘Ralph shrieked with laughter. He jumped up. “Piggy! Piggy!”’ Although Ralph was only teasing, he later lets slip to the other boys that Piggy is ‘real name’. This is metaphorical as Jack and his ‘hunters’ are always hunting pigs and are ecstatic when they kill it; it foreshadows that it may be one of Jack’s crew members just out to ‘hunt’ another ‘piggy’.
Another foretelling is when Ralph is mocking Piggy’s nickname and he pretends to shoot Piggy. ‘“Piggy! Piggy!” Ralph danced out into the hot air...returned as a fighter-plane, with wings kept back, and then machine-gunned at Piggy.’ This phrase not only indicates Ralph’s juvenile exuberance but also how death is ‘aimed’ at the innocent, Piggy (and Simon).
The conch-shell discovered by Piggy, ‘possessed’ by Ralph, holds a value of intense importance. The shell allows the boys to communicate without disruption and hostility. It symbolises the civilisation and how if there was no shell, the boys wouldn’t have met, for the first time, with an assembly. ‘“Him with the trumpet,” “He ought to be chief,”’; it seems that the boys respect Ralph, immediately when making his acquaintance, because he’s the ‘attractive one holding the trumpet thing’.
This novel also alludes the evilness of man’s heart and how they leave permanent marks on everything they are in contact with. The first few pages depict the exquisiteness of the island and how Piggy and Ralph bask in its glow. However, it also talks of the ‘scar’ the ‘plane left when it crashed’. This intimates how a human’s touch impregnates depravity and abomination on anything that might have once been ravishing and divine.
There are numerous themes displayed in this chapter through an effective use of figurative language. The language, although formal, is very enlightening and conveys the traits of different yet critical characters including the imagery of unseen horror and the significance of the island evidently. The language is also VERY foreshadowing of the rest of the book. The writing is ‘old-school’ English, such as ‘“Sucks to your Aunt!”’, indicating that the novel was written a while back. I think the language used is orthodox and allows the reader to see through the eyes of not only adults living through a war, but also children witnessing the despicable.
The various themes prefaced are: betrayal (between Ralph and Piggy), fear of the unknown (the younger boys fearing the ‘omnipresent’ but ‘masked’ beast), leadership (Jack taking charge but being outvoted, then replaced by Ralph, bullying (Jack and the other boys daunting Piggy), discipline (Piggy and Ralph trying to maintain order) and determination (the boys wanting to do whatever they can, in order to be rescued; Jack pledging to kill a pig ‘next time’). Many more themes are introduced, consequently, incorporating a lot of symbolism.
The characters were introduced, precisely, with their own unique physique. The description, of not only the characters but also the scenery, is astoundingly emblematic and represents the darkness of a human’s inner soul exposed to anarchy. I, therefore, consider this exceedingly efficient and think that this chapter puts the rest of the book into perspective.
This novel is very intense in its representation as it allows us to penetrate the atmosphere it creates. The depiction gives an exonerate illustration of the narrative, permitting the reader to visualise the darkness and malice of ‘the innocent’.