Loss Of Innocence In Lord Of The Flies Essay

Roger Killed Piggy and Jack Killed Pigs : The Loss of Innocence

What would happen if a group of children were set free without adult supervision? Set in World War Two, William Golding’s Lord of the Flies depicts a group of British schoolboys that are left stranded on an island after their plane is shot down during the battle. While no adults are left to supervise them, their poor decisions lead to horrifying outcomes as Roger, Piggy, Samneric, Ralph and Jack continue to fight with each other over the most effective way of survival and their inner savage self. Throughout the book, the boys’ loss of innocence can be seen through Roger’s actions towards others, Jack’s changed view towards violence, and the tribe’s overall change in morality.

To begin, when Roger first arrives on the island, his actions are mostly innocent and mean no harm to others. Yet as time goes by on the island, his actions begin to have a darker meaning and ends up killing another boy nicknamed Piggy. When Samneric, Piggy and Ralph attempt to retrieve Piggy’s glasses and are surrounded by a group of

boys, it is noted that he “took a small stone and flung it between the twins, aiming to miss… Some source of power began to pulse in Roger’s body” (175). Unlike before when he threw stones at a younger child to tease the boy, Roger throws stones to threaten the group and enjoys the fear and terror that he creates. He begins to feel powerful and is filled with the feeling of authority, realizing that he has the ability to kill. He then pushes a boulder off the cliff and onto Piggy who stands below him, ultimately killing the child. Before, Roger only threw rocks to play with others, however in the end of the book, he loses his innocent state of mind and begins to throw rocks in order to produce fear in others and essentially kill.

Similarly, Jack Merridew, the leader of a group of choirboys who carries a pocket knife with him, has a change of heart as well. Jack was once afraid to take the life of a pig stuck in a bundle of creepers even for the sake of filling the children’s stomachs, but after going for several days without substantial nutrition, the schoolboy begins to become obsessed with the idea of hunting. He becomes more innovative in his methods of killing and more wild with his actions in order to outsmart an animal. “Jack was on top of the sow, stabbing downward with his knife… Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands” (135), Golding’s narrator describes. Before, Jack, afraid of the idea of taking an animal’s life, could not bring himself to hurt anyone or anything. However, after accepting the idea of killing and death and being consumed with the power to do so, he could attack without hesitation and lost his innocence as a child.

In addition, almost every boy in the tribe loses their innocent view of the world as well.

When the boys first arrive on the island, they all had the impression that their stay would be fun without having adults supervising. However, after Jack gained power and leadership over a small group of boys who in turn become obsessed with hunting, the rest of the boys begin to unleash their savage side as well. Eventually, almost all of the schoolboys join Jack’s tribe and become wild and uncivilized, shouting, “‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’” (152) while hunting. After joining Jack’s tribe, the once innocent children suddenly change their morality standards while being caught in the excitement of acting unrestrained by adults. Without realizing what they have become, they lose themselves to savagery and easily take the lives of others, losing their innocence in the

process.
As time went by, each boy began to unleash their more savage side, losing their innocent view of the world. Almost every boy on the island began to feel the power, pride, and enjoyment of taking the life of another living being, especially Roger and Jack. Both boys found the capability to accept the matter of death and taking a being’s life. While Roger murdered Piggy, Jack was able to kill pigs, but both lost their innocence and naive outlook of the world. With their innocence lost, the children could never be children again.