Loss of Innocence in Lord of the Flies
The loss of innocence of the littluns is another example in the novel referring to Golding’s view of humanity. The beast which lies within the boys is an example of the loss of innocence and of the evil that dwells inside humanity. Many believe that savagery was always in mankind, but it needed a proper situation to expose itself and adapt to even the most innocent of children. Without civilization, the boys are lost and are not sure what to do with themselves. For example,
“Then the piglet tore loose of the creepers and scurried into the undergrowth. They were looking at each other and the place of terror” (Golding 31).
In this quote, Jack is hesitant to kill the first pig they’ve seen. This represents how when the boys first landed on the island, they weren’t able to let go of the rules that society taught them. They were still the same harmless little children who didn’t know what to do without their elders. Later on in the novel, the boys finally get used to the idea of killing and are no longer afraid. One of the littluns says,
“Look! We’ve killed a pig – we stole up on them –we got in a circle –“(Golding 69).
This shows that the littluns are used to the island’s surroundings and have become wicked. Each time they killed a pig, they were proud of it. The freedom of the island allows them to further experience a darker side of their personalities which has always been hidden within them. Thus, the darker side has come out, and there is no trace of innocence left within
“Then the piglet tore loose of the creepers and scurried into the undergrowth. They were looking at each other and the place of terror” (Golding 31).
In this quote, Jack is hesitant to kill the first pig they’ve seen. This represents how when the boys first landed on the island, they weren’t able to let go of the rules that society taught them. They were still the same harmless little children who didn’t know what to do without their elders. Later on in the novel, the boys finally get used to the idea of killing and are no longer afraid. One of the littluns says,
“Look! We’ve killed a pig – we stole up on them –we got in a circle –“(Golding 69).
This shows that the littluns are used to the island’s surroundings and have become wicked. Each time they killed a pig, they were proud of it. The freedom of the island allows them to further experience a darker side of their personalities which has always been hidden within them. Thus, the darker side has come out, and there is no trace of innocence left within