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The Loss of Innocence Within Lord of the Flies

William Golding's Lord of the Flies portrays the loss of innocence in a thorough and accurate
manner. The boys gradually lose their sense of innocence as they spend more time on the island,
encounter many different hardships, and adapt their behavior to their surroundings. The loss of
innocence is illustrated though the lack of adult authority, the natural animal instinct of wanting to
survive, and the disappearance of respect that the boys display toward each other.
The loss of innocence the boys experience is portrayed through the lack of adult authority
on the island. As the boys first begin their journey on the island, adult authority is a dominant
factor in their reasoning about what they should do in order to survive. Piggy keeps referring to
his aunt and what she has told him to do in the past. He said, “she wouldn’t let me blow on the
conch on account of my asthma” (Golding 12). As the story progresses, Piggy’s references to his
aun...

Posted by: Margaret Rowden

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