n the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding explores the theme of loss of innocence.
The novel follows the story of a group of boys who are stranded on a remote Pacific island with no adults. As the storyline progresses, the boys begin to lose their grasp on civilization, regressing farther and farther into savagery. As this regression continues, the previously innocent Ralph begins to witness the savagery that humanity is capable of--one of Goldings central ideas. Finally, this leads to Ralph having a moment of realization at the end of the novel about the inherent savagery in humanity, lurking below the surface and waiting to arise. Golding uses the character of Ralph to provide commentary on loss of innocence.
In the beginning of the story, Ralph is excited by the prospect of life without adults, thinking very little on how the group dynamic will function, and still innocent about what his fellow man is capable of. As Ralph encounters another boy on the island and they begin to converse on the lack of adults, Ralph “... stood on his head… ‘No grownups!’ ” (8). …show more content…
This loss of innocence leads to a moment of insight for Ralph, regarding the inherent savagery in all people. At the end of the novel, the boys are rescued by a passing British naval officer and his fleet. When questioned about what happened at the island, Ralph “... wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart…” (202). In this moment, Ralph is weeping for the innocence he once had, and for the darkness he has witnesses, and no longer has the luxury of denying the existence of. Ralph has realized that his naive innocence was just that: naive. He can no longer see the world through the eyes of an innocent child who believes that people are inherently kind and that order will always prevail. That innocence has been replaced by the knowledge of the savage depths of humanity that he now
The novel follows the story of a group of boys who are stranded on a remote Pacific island with no adults. As the storyline progresses, the boys begin to lose their grasp on civilization, regressing farther and farther into savagery. As this regression continues, the previously innocent Ralph begins to witness the savagery that humanity is capable of--one of Goldings central ideas. Finally, this leads to Ralph having a moment of realization at the end of the novel about the inherent savagery in humanity, lurking below the surface and waiting to arise. Golding uses the character of Ralph to provide commentary on loss of innocence.
In the beginning of the story, Ralph is excited by the prospect of life without adults, thinking very little on how the group dynamic will function, and still innocent about what his fellow man is capable of. As Ralph encounters another boy on the island and they begin to converse on the lack of adults, Ralph “... stood on his head… ‘No grownups!’ ” (8). …show more content…
This loss of innocence leads to a moment of insight for Ralph, regarding the inherent savagery in all people. At the end of the novel, the boys are rescued by a passing British naval officer and his fleet. When questioned about what happened at the island, Ralph “... wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart…” (202). In this moment, Ralph is weeping for the innocence he once had, and for the darkness he has witnesses, and no longer has the luxury of denying the existence of. Ralph has realized that his naive innocence was just that: naive. He can no longer see the world through the eyes of an innocent child who believes that people are inherently kind and that order will always prevail. That innocence has been replaced by the knowledge of the savage depths of humanity that he now