LOTF Effects

Golding mentions Ralph's gray school sweater and stockings while he's walking through the jungle. In the jungle, those things are completely useless. This serves as a contrast between where Ralph came from and where he ended up. The school sweater and stockings suggest civilization, education, cool climate, and altogether everything that the island doesn't have. Golding says that Ralph "had taken off his school sweater and it now trailed from one hand..." This foreshadows that he will eventually lose (or take off) the other reminders of civilization and his home, falling farther and farther toward savagery as he stays on the island.

Throughout the whole first page, Piggy (or 'the voice' as he's called for part of it) continues to talk and chatter without Ralph ever replying. This initially creates a feeling of annoyance toward this character - he's that guy that won't shut up. But this makes sense when compared to later in the novel, when Piggy is interrupted and jeered at whenever he speaks. It can be assumed that in his life before the island, Piggy rarely got to speak his mind like he does in the first page. The fact that Ralph allows this builds a feeling of trust in Piggy, which is why Piggy stays close with Ralph throughout the rest of the story. This first page introduces this trait in Ralph, that he lets Piggy speak. So, Piggy teaches Ralph to think the way he does. He becomes Ralph's adviser. He keeps Ralph on track with the signal fire and the rescue. And when Ralph doesn't listen - when he leaves Piggy alone with the conch - Piggy is killed by the falling rock.