One of the most evident themes in the novel would be loss of innocence. It is constant throughout the book that the innocence of the boys is quickly being destroyed. The books obvious context of civilization versus savaging is essential to show where the innocence is lost. But because civilization is lacking, the boys become cruel and barbaric and even kill each other. The loss of innocence is evident in most characters of The Lord of The Flies.
However, as time passes, Roger becomes more savage to the point of killing Piggy by pushing a rock off of a ledge. Golding states, “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.” (Golding 164). The quiet Roger at the beginning has turned from civil, to messing with the littleuns, to murder. Roger’s change of mind lectures Golding’s belief that people can be pushed to such a point that their natural brutality is unveiled. Ralph, the most civilized character in the novel, finds brutality permeating through his brain.
There is tension that is built up during the survival of the boys on the island: tension between social responsibility and individual needs, tension between rational and emotional reactions and tension between mortality and immortality. These tensions contribute to the disintegration of order as the boys begin to lose control because Golding shows that the savagery inside them is instinct and everyone is born with evil inside them. Golding uses a variety of techniques to portray the disintegration of order. In the novel, he uses hunting and violence as one of the main themes to convey the boys as savages. There are six main hunts shown and as the hunting proceeds the boys lose their identity as the little children in England.
In the world, there is and always will be a war of good versus evil. It is a battle that will not end until the world itself has ended. In The Lord of the Flies, there are some boys who can be thought to represent evil, and boys who represent good in the world. Jack and Roger both symbolize savagery and evil with their horrible behavior and thirst for killing. Ralph and Simon are almost complete opposites of Jack and Roger, because they are symbols of good and purity in the book.
Together they decided the conch was going to be used to call assembly’s that all the boys must attend. Ralph was the owner of the conch so, when he blew into it that is when the boys would come running and join each other. During these assembly they would talk about what they were going to do to keep themselves alive on the island. The conch also helped them keep proper order and peace. When the boys were all together whomever had the conch was allowed to talk and all the others had to stay quiet and listen to the speaker .
"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy. "(LOFTF, pg 207) These lines from the end of Chapter 12 occur near the close of the novel, after the boys encounter the naval officer, who appears as if out of nowhere to save them. When Ralph sees the officer, his sudden realization that he is safe and will be returned to civilization plunges him into a reflective despair. Another important character in the novel is named Jack. Jack is the antagonist in Lord of the Flies.
The conch symbolizes power because whoever gets to hold it has the “political” power to voice their opinion amongst the islands civilization. As the novel progresses, the conch becomes less important and powerful due to the boys savagery. This theme of savagery becomes a huge problem with the boys and leads to the conch to being crushed by a boulder, which really proves that the sense of civilized living is gone. This shows just how much of an important symbol the conch is in the novel and was the only thing left of the boys’ sanity. Another important symbol in the novel is the actual “Lord of the Flies”, which is a severed sow’s head that Jack stuck on a stake in offering to the beast.
He discovers this due to his horrific experiences in World War 2 showing the darker side of human nature. Golding uses several language devices to help create an impression of Simon including alliteration which is used quite frequently. It is used to emphasise when Simon faints at the very start of the book, “the one of the boys flopped on his face,” because Golding is trying to highlight that Simon will later be a more important character but for now he is just “the fallen boy.” This shows that he is not popular and isn’t cared for as he is not referred to by his proper name. Short sentences are used to emphasise that Jack has no sympathy, “All right then. Sit down.
Sierra Branch Mrs. P. Durán Eiker English II, Pre-AP, Period 1/B 29 April 2015 John Knowles depicts a loss of innocence in, A Separate Peace, through symbol, metaphor, and irony. The realization of the hostile world diminishes the adolescence of the boys at Devon. The understanding of the brutal world implicates the necessity of a personal war with adulthood and the loss of innocence. The realities of life permeate and destroy the world of the boys’ youth, which comes with the understanding that a friend might act with malice toward another. The destruction of the youth of the boys at Devon corrupts innocence they have within themselves.
LOTF- without MLA The Lord of the Flies helps one inherit the real thought behind William Goldings view on the true meaning of evil and savagery, painting images in ones mind while reading and writing as the characters become gradually more and more evil. Jack, Ralph and Simon are all affected by the innate evil of the boys on the island. The dehumanization, obsession with power and murders are all examples of savage behavior, which affects the characters as they slowly drift away from civilization and society. When the boys first arrive on the island, Jack is still trying to stay civilized but he eventually plunges into savagery. When Jack and Ralph first encounter the pig tangled in creepers, Jack has the opportunity to kill it but he hesitates.