At the advent of the twentieth century, human nature reached its peak. This century saw some of the largest, and most barbarous conflicts history has known, and with new technology in the hands of psychotic individuals, anything was possible. With this power and with the lives of millions in their grasp, they would lose their innocence. Some would lose their innocence in power, while others beforehand. Some would lose their innocence in war, and many times in a revolt against the old order. However, what does the loss of innocence really entail? What is an example of a loss of innocence? For someone who has experienced a loss of innocence himself in war, William Golding seems to hold some of the answers. From grammar school teacher, to war
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Believing in the idea of survival of the fittest, Jack and his hunters would set off of a journey to hunt down the beastie, stopping at a habitat full of pigs. With some of the pigs scattered or slaughtered, the hunters proceeded to make it suffer and vouchsafe it a slow and painful death as they used their moved their spears, “forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing became a high-pitched scream.” (Golding 123) into the flesh of the pig before finally decapitating it. The flailing of flesh, the screeching and ululation of the pig that is written in this novel to invoke much much emotion and lachrymose imagery, even to the point of tears. Not only due to the pig’s suffering, but Jack’s downfall. Jack intended to do this, he wanted to savor and cherish the sufferings of the pig, he cared little for the food it contained, all he wanted was the plaintive screams. This very act would further his own demise and his innocence would begin to increasingly dwindle as a result, along with the compos mentis of the hunters. With their minds practically unstable, they would become obsessed and with their obsession with the beast all consuming, Jack and his hunters would seek out someone, Simon. As someone who evinced more innocence than any of the boys, he …show more content…
Like any other man who seeks to accrue power, Jack would promise his followers meat as well as fun on the island, not actual survival. Through this, the hunters as well as some of the littluns would flock to side, thus fueling his ever growing power. With Ralph and his clique sulking and lamenting about how the power of the conch and even the power that Ralph once held was diluting, Jack would be ordering his followers around and about, proclaiming that, ‘¨Some of you will stay here to improve the cave and defend the gate. I will take a few hunters with me and bring back meat. The defenders of the gate will see that the others don't sneak in.¨’ (Golding 145-146). Even though these would seem as if they were given by Ralph, Jack still wants his follower’s utter subordination. Beatings would be the result from an act of insubordination, a perfect example being poor Wilfred. The barbaric punishments that are carried out, stealing of power, would leave Jack a shadow of his former self, with no innocence left. Even though Jack was able to successfully manipulate the minds of some of his followers, there were still some that did not submit. These two boys would be the twins, Sam and Eric. They would be browbeaten and forced to join Jack’s tribe, but they would still remain loyal to Ralph. As Ralph visited them
Believing in the idea of survival of the fittest, Jack and his hunters would set off of a journey to hunt down the beastie, stopping at a habitat full of pigs. With some of the pigs scattered or slaughtered, the hunters proceeded to make it suffer and vouchsafe it a slow and painful death as they used their moved their spears, “forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing became a high-pitched scream.” (Golding 123) into the flesh of the pig before finally decapitating it. The flailing of flesh, the screeching and ululation of the pig that is written in this novel to invoke much much emotion and lachrymose imagery, even to the point of tears. Not only due to the pig’s suffering, but Jack’s downfall. Jack intended to do this, he wanted to savor and cherish the sufferings of the pig, he cared little for the food it contained, all he wanted was the plaintive screams. This very act would further his own demise and his innocence would begin to increasingly dwindle as a result, along with the compos mentis of the hunters. With their minds practically unstable, they would become obsessed and with their obsession with the beast all consuming, Jack and his hunters would seek out someone, Simon. As someone who evinced more innocence than any of the boys, he …show more content…
Like any other man who seeks to accrue power, Jack would promise his followers meat as well as fun on the island, not actual survival. Through this, the hunters as well as some of the littluns would flock to side, thus fueling his ever growing power. With Ralph and his clique sulking and lamenting about how the power of the conch and even the power that Ralph once held was diluting, Jack would be ordering his followers around and about, proclaiming that, ‘¨Some of you will stay here to improve the cave and defend the gate. I will take a few hunters with me and bring back meat. The defenders of the gate will see that the others don't sneak in.¨’ (Golding 145-146). Even though these would seem as if they were given by Ralph, Jack still wants his follower’s utter subordination. Beatings would be the result from an act of insubordination, a perfect example being poor Wilfred. The barbaric punishments that are carried out, stealing of power, would leave Jack a shadow of his former self, with no innocence left. Even though Jack was able to successfully manipulate the minds of some of his followers, there were still some that did not submit. These two boys would be the twins, Sam and Eric. They would be browbeaten and forced to join Jack’s tribe, but they would still remain loyal to Ralph. As Ralph visited them