Nicole Carlson
Mr. Strand
English 10
10-21-15
The End of Childhood
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, innocence is the lacking of experience with the world and the bad things in life. At the beginning of Lord of the Flies, the boys wander the island, lost, naive and, according to definition, innocent. But, as the story progresses, they gain experience and knowledge of the evil in the world. Consequently, they lose their innocence. Throughout William Golding’s book Lord of the Flies, the characters prove that the predominant theme is innocence, and the loss of it.
The loss of innocence is most apparent in Jack’s character, and is mirrored by the hunting of the pigs. During the first chapter, it is clear Jack is still innocent, because of his inability to kill the first pig. After the pig escapes from the creepers that held it, “Jack’s face was white under the freckles. He noticed that he still held the knife aloft and brought his arm down…” (Golding 31). Jack is unable to cut the pig's throat, even though doing so will ensure food. His failure to bring the knife down on the pig shows that he is still innocent, because killing a living creature is an enormous step away from his childhood. However, we see, almost immediately after letting the pig live, that his innocence is already disappearing, “He snatched his knife out of the sheath and slammed it into a tree trunk. Next time there would be no mercy” (Golding 31). After that first encounter, Jack becomes obsessed with meat. He begins to hunt, not solely for the meat, but to prove he can. Jack’s thirst for blood and power quickly replaces his innocence.
Simon is a symbol of innocence in Lord of the Flies and his death portrays the end of innocence on the island. Golding shows Simon’s innocence through his fainting spells, his reserved nature, and his blind trust in Ralph. We are first introduced to Simon when, “one of the boys flopped on his face in the sand” (Golding 20). From the beginning we are lead to believe that he has not been exposed to a great deal of stress in his life, and cannot handle difficult situations as well as the other boys. Golding makes Simon a symbol for the last bit of innocence, the last hope, on the island. Because of this, Simon’s death is symbolic for the end of innocence among the boys. When Simon arrived at Jack’s feast, delirious and dehydrated, the boys mistake him for The Beast and, “the crowd surged after it… leapt onto the beast, screamed, struck, bit,