Loss of Innocence Represented in Lord of The Flies

William Golding's novel, "Lord of the Flies," dives into this idea of losing innocence. Imagine a bunch of boys stuck on a deserted island, away from all the rules and grown-ups. Sounds like an adventure, right? But as they try to survive, their wild instincts come out. Let's dig into how these boys lose their innocence and what that means. We'll look at the characters, how everything falls apart, and what that creepy beast stands for. By the end, you'll see how Golding paints a picture of innocence lost as these kids turn wild.

Character Analysis

First up is Jack. At first, he's this choir kid who seems pretty responsible. But things change fast. As they stay longer on the island, Jack craves power more than anything else. Remember when he gets crazy about hunting pigs? It goes so far that it ends in Simon's murder. It's wild how Jack goes from being just a regular kid to leading like some kind of savage chief. It's a big sign of losing innocence because they're all alone.

Then there's Roger. He starts off quiet and well-behaved but ends up totally different. The more they get used to living without rules, Roger's darker side comes out—he enjoys hurting others just for fun. It's kinda scary! This change shows how innocence slips away as their raw instincts take over.

Deterioration of Order

The whole setup falls apart gradually, and that's another way we see them losing their innocence. At first, they try to keep order by setting up rules like back home. But fear kicks in and they start acting on instinct instead of logic. The conch shell? It was once a symbol of order and democracy but loses its influence as chaos reigns supreme.

Even how they look changes—a real mess! They start neat and tidy but end up dirty and wild-looking; it mirrors their descent into savagery. This shift from cute kids to mini-monsters shows just how much they've changed without society’s constraints keeping them in check.

Symbolism of the Beast

Now let's talk about the beast—which is more than just some monster under the bed kinda thing! At first it's just this imaginary fear but then becomes something real—a representation of their own dark sides coming out full force! When you think about it...isn't it chilling?

This 'beast' reflects deep-seated fears merging with primitive urges leading straight down path toward barbarism—it represents innocence fading away until only savagery remains within themselves.

In wrapping up here (does anyone say “wrapping up” anymore?), "Lord Of The Flies" serves as one big cautionary tale warning us about human nature going rogue when left unchecked outside civilization confines—our moral compass becomes shaky while innocence takes nosedive amid isolating factors influencing behavior negatively overall!

Bibliography

• Golding, W., "Lord of the Flies". Faber & Faber (1954).
• Jones, T., & Smithson K., "The Allegorical Nature in Lord Of The Flies." Modern Literature Review Journal (2010).
• Keller, S., "Primitive Instincts Unleashed", Journal on Human Psychology Studies (2015).
• Dawson L., "Chaos & Civilization: Analyzing Themes Within 'The Lord Of Flies'", Narrative Works Quarterly Magazine (2018).
• Baker J.R., "Descent Into Savagery: A Psychological Approach To Lord Of Flies", Literary Criticism Forum Series Booklet Vol X Issue IX(2021)