Innocence is often associated with ignorance and youthfulness, while loss of innocence is interconnected with evil and crime. In the book Lord of the Flies by William Goldberg, the theme of innocence is explored, more importantly, the loss of innocence. Through contrasting and symbolizing three characters, Goldberg suggests that innocence is often lost when one commits crime knowingly.
Roger, a symbol of sadism, seems to enjoy when others are in pain; he is a primary example of how innocence is lost when one commits crime knowingly. At the beginning of the book, Roger shows innocence, his instinct to stop himself from doing something hurtful to another as he had been taught through civilized conditioning. When Roger gathers stones to throw …show more content…
At the beginning of the book, Jack displays innocence that youth has preserved within him, which is soon lost as he begins to commit things that would otherwise be socially unacceptable. For example, when Jack fails to kill a pig as he hesitates before striking, he claims it was because it escapes, when everyone else knows “very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood (29).” Jack shows a sense of innocence when he hesitates to kill the pig, knowing that one of society’s rules are that people should not kill. His ability to recognize and hesitate from killing shows that he still values what has been taught to him all his life. Jack, however, is one of the most fast developing characters in the novel, his almost immediate transition from innocent to not proves so. Jack shows his first signs of bloodlust are shown as he details his first kill while laughing and shuddering, saying, “There was lashings of blood...you should have seen it (73).” He slowly dehumanizes himself while describing the gore, and he himself knows that he has committed something that would be socially unacceptable in England, however he feels like he can get away with it on the island, almost as though he enjoys the recognition the outcome of his actions give him. This contrasts Jack near the beginning of the novel where he was hesitant to kill. Jack’s inner beast of savagry overpowers the talented head boy that the boys once knew, and he is again a fine example of how the author shows innocence being lost when one commits crime
Roger, a symbol of sadism, seems to enjoy when others are in pain; he is a primary example of how innocence is lost when one commits crime knowingly. At the beginning of the book, Roger shows innocence, his instinct to stop himself from doing something hurtful to another as he had been taught through civilized conditioning. When Roger gathers stones to throw …show more content…
At the beginning of the book, Jack displays innocence that youth has preserved within him, which is soon lost as he begins to commit things that would otherwise be socially unacceptable. For example, when Jack fails to kill a pig as he hesitates before striking, he claims it was because it escapes, when everyone else knows “very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood (29).” Jack shows a sense of innocence when he hesitates to kill the pig, knowing that one of society’s rules are that people should not kill. His ability to recognize and hesitate from killing shows that he still values what has been taught to him all his life. Jack, however, is one of the most fast developing characters in the novel, his almost immediate transition from innocent to not proves so. Jack shows his first signs of bloodlust are shown as he details his first kill while laughing and shuddering, saying, “There was lashings of blood...you should have seen it (73).” He slowly dehumanizes himself while describing the gore, and he himself knows that he has committed something that would be socially unacceptable in England, however he feels like he can get away with it on the island, almost as though he enjoys the recognition the outcome of his actions give him. This contrasts Jack near the beginning of the novel where he was hesitant to kill. Jack’s inner beast of savagry overpowers the talented head boy that the boys once knew, and he is again a fine example of how the author shows innocence being lost when one commits crime