LOTF Response

Ralph chose the firm strip as a path because he needed to think, and only here could he allow his feet to move without having to watch them.  Suddenly, pacing by the water, he was overcome with astonishment.  He found himself understanding the weariness of this life, where every path was an improvisation and a considerable part of one's waking life was spent watching one's feet.  He stopped, facing the strip, and remembering that first enthusiastic exploration as though it were part of a brighter childhood, he smiled jeeringly. [...]

This wind pressed his grey shirt against his chest so that he noticed--in this new mood of comprehension--how the folds were stiff like cardboard, and unpleasant; noticed too how the frayed edges of his shorts were making an uncomfortable, pink area on the front of his thighs.  With a convulsion of the mind, Ralph discovered dirt and decay, understood how much he disliked perpetually flicking the tangled hair out of his eyes, and at last, when the sun was gone, rolling noisily to rest among the leaves. (76-77)

In this passage, Ralph begins to examine himself and how the island has changed him. In the first paragraph, Ralph happily looks at himself and his first memories of the island. In the second paragraph, Ralph looks at himself with more judgement. He examines the dirt and long hair that has accumulated through his time spent on the island. He starts with a bright look on the island but looks under the exterior to discover the dark aspects of life on the island.

Ralph has these thoughts after Jack and the boys killed the pig, forgetting about the priorities of the island, such as the fire. Jack and his hunters disobeyed Ralph, so Ralph takes time alone to plan the assembly and what should be done to fix the problem. This is a time where Ralph gathers himself before reacting to Jack's bad decisions. This is significant because later in the book, Ralph starts to react impulsively to Jack, in a fit of rage.