There is no exact time for how long the boys have been on the island, but Golding provides hints that express how long the boys have been there. In the first scene of the chapter, Golding reveals the extended length of time spent on the island through Jacks’ hunt. As Jack crouches in the jungle, his senses notice “the faintest indication of a trail here; a cracked twig and what might be the impression of one side of a hoof” (Golding 48). Jacks senses are honed enough that he can detect the tiniest possible print of only half of a hoof. He is so in tune with the island that he can recognize something only an experienced hunter could detect. He also observes a microscopic “loop of creeper with a tendril pendant from a node. The tendril was polished on the underside; pigs, passing through the loop, brushed it with their bristly hide” (Golding 48). …show more content…
Jack comprehends that the rough hide of the pigs wears at the pendant of creeper and causes it to become smooth. These observation skills are not easy to acquire and clearly take months to develop. Furthermore, his physical appearance changes greatly as “his sandy hair, considerably longer than it had been when they dropped in, was lighter now; and his bare back was a mass of dark freckles and peeling sunburn” (Golding 48). These changes take long times to occur. His hair is bleached by time in the sun, and freckles and hair growth develop over long spans of time. Another indicator of time on the island is how their clothing is worn out. Simon is described as wearing “the remains of shorts” (Golding 56). Schoolboys wore shorts made of strong wool. Wool takes a long time to deteriorate; therefore, having remains of shorts means that they have been on the island for an extended time. There are other signs of length on the island, such as the routine and organization that only come with