The Chief's actions escalate throughout the story, becoming more radical and severe. Before Ryuji becomes the center of the Chief's power trip, he acts out in other disturbing ways. The Chief directs them to engage in a series of dehumanizing activities. One example of this is when the gang brutally mutilates a cat, and cuts out its heart. The Chief claims that in doing this, they can "see life in its truest sense, without the pettiness of skin" (Mishima 57). This shows just how radical the Chief's views are, and highlight the brevity of his quest. It also foreshadows the death of Ryuji, and really shows the violent, pathological nature of the Chief. It is important to note that the Chief seeks to perpetuate the contemporary nature of Japanese society, with heavy importance placed on glory, success, and heroism. He holds meetings after school, and views himself as the judge and jury of humanity and the world. His inflated sense of power leads him to make extreme decisions. His fascination with Ryuji, the heroic sailor, quickly becomes obsessive as he takes it upon himself to restore Ryuji's glory. In the end, he succeeds in doing this by giving Ryuji a "hero's death." One of the Chief's eccentric opinions is how he feels about fathers. He instills a mentality among the gang that the role of a father is bad, and that they only serve to impede the progress of their sons by burdening them with unrealized aspirations, ideals, resentments, and weaknesses. This idea comes into conflict with the entire idea of Ryuji. The gang sees his relationship with Fusako as an inherent weakness, one that must be corrected. This "weakness" is often synonymous with western culture, something that has impeded the once perfect country of Japan. Noboru finds himself in the center of a major conflict, fighting his mixed feelings of the gang's ideology and his own. Ultimately, he brings his problems to the gang, and they take it upon themselves to somehow restore the glory that has been lost in their eyes.
