Loss Of Innocence In Lord Of The Flies Analysis

The Destruction of Innocence The loss of the boys’ innocence is associated with the evils and dangers of the world. The innocence of the boys is continuously imparted throughout the book that the innocence of the boys is harshly decreasing. Innocence is defined as the quality or state of being innocent and freedom from sin or moral wrong (“Innocence”). During their stay on the island, the boys are losing their innocence. They are becoming uncivilized, wild and evil. The reality of civilization is to keep the innocence and lawfulness of the boys. Due to lack of civilization throughout the Lord of the Flies, the boys become forwardly cruel and primary revealing the true colors of a man. When the boys withdraw on the island, they behave like children, they are expressing fear, homesickness, and they are friendly towards each other. However, by the end of the novel, they attack, murder, and torture one another without any regrets in their selves. The developments of darkness from the beginning to the end of the novel become more violent. The destruction of the boys’ innocence on the island runs parallel to and tells their birth of savagery. Darkness adds
suspense and it increases as the plot progresses. According to William Golding, he states that darkness is dangerous: Soon the darkness was full of claws, full of awful unknown and menace. An interminable dawn faded the stars out, and at last light, sad and grey, filtered into the shelter. They began to stir though still the world outside the shelter was impossibly dangerous. The maze of the darkness sorted into near and far, and at the high point of the sky the cloudlet were warmed with color (99). The loss of innocence is presumed in most characters of the Lord of the Flies. For example, the littl’uns is dependent on Simon to help them get food. Simon realizes the littl’uns dependence on him a responsibility that forces him into a role of an adult. The littl’uns is defined as “the little boys, ages around six years old, and they are used to stomachaches and diarrhea” (Golding 59). Also, Percival remembers his address but not his telephone number. “’Percival Wemys Madison. The Vircarage, Harcourt St. Anthony, Hants, telephone, telephone, tele─’” (Golding 86). The researcher’s opinion is that Percival is starting to lose his innocence and forgets some of his identity. The sparring match between Jack and Ralph happens to be constantly rousing.
It started from the beginning of the novel during the election of Ralph and Jack as the chief and as the hunter until to the hunting of the pigs. Jack is the chief of the choir group and all he wants to do is to kill and hunt even before the boy has shelters to protect them from. He is becoming more violent during his stay on the island. “But we want meat” (Golding 54). It is also evident that the boys are becoming more and more barbarians. During Jack’s successful hunt, he says to pick up the pig and the pig’s head is for the beast as a gift. Jack and his tribe completely lost their innocence and they become violent and evil to Ralph and to the other boys. “’ You’re a beast and a swine and a bloody, bloody thief!” (Golding
179). Ralph is also losing his innocence during the time he killed the boar. “Ralph was full of fright and apprehension and pride” (Golding 113). He was frighten and scared at first but by the time he hit the boar with his spear, he was proud of himself and felt that hunting was good after all. “’ I hit him all right. The spear stuck in. I wounded him!” (Golding 113). Ralph is showing pride and respect towards him from all the boys. Ralph knows that he is innocent but when he started to kill the boar, he was excited and he thinks that killing or hunting is fun. According to the researcher, Simon is the most innocent in all of the boys. He likes to wander around the forest and explore different things about nature. Simon first likes the clearing as peaceful and beautiful of the forest, but when he returns, he finds the Lord of the Flies impaled at the center. The Lord of the Flies is a powerful symbol of how the innocence of the boys has been perished by fear. Simon is similar to butterflies. “Even the butterflies deserted the open the open space where the obscene thing grinned and dripped” (Golding 138). Butterflies are innocent creatures; they avoid evils, and symbolize the immortal soul. “…staggered into an open space where might flowers grew and butterflies danced round each other and the air was hot and still” (Golding 135). Simon is a loner and he is loyal to Ralph. Like the butterflies, when Simon finally breaks his shell, he discovers the truth about the beast and happy to tell the others. However, when Simon goes to tell the boys, the boys are in a chant or dance screaming, “’Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’” (Golding 152). Simon is murdered and loss his innocence. In conclusion, at the end of the novel, Ralph weeps for the end of innocence and everyone’s good is dead. “… Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart and the fall through the air of true, wise friend called Piggy”’ (Golding 202). Ralph has lost hope in the boys’ rescue altogether. The loss of innocence is defined as “culture and involves something that society holds sacred”. No matter which culture the boys are at their hand, there is always more than one way to lose one’s innocence.

Alyssa Rasalan
1st Period
English 10 Honors
Ms. L. Balajadia
December 5, 2012

Work Cited
Book
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin Group, 1954. Print.
“Innocence.” The New International Webster’s and Dictionary Thesaurus of the English _______Language. 2nd ed. 2002. Print.