ature before it is touched by fear, greed, and the desire for power.
Growth of Fear and Corruption: As time passes, innocence begins to fade. The idea of the “beast” spreads fear among the boys. Piggy says,
“Unless we get frightened of people.”
His words show that evil is not outside but within. Jack and his hunters start killing pigs and painting their faces. The chant,
“Kill the pig. Cut her throat,”
marks the loss of moral control. Their fear and excitement destroy their innocence and give birth to savage instincts. Experience here comes through violence and blood.
Simon’s Discovery Of The Truth: Simon’s vision of the “Lord of the Flies” reveals the theme most clearly. When the pig’s head says,
“I’m part of you… I’m the Beast,”
Simon realizes that evil exists inside every human being. His discovery is an experience that kills his innocence. Yet his moral insight makes him the most spiritually pure character. The boys mistake Simon for the beast and kill him. Here, Golding shows how the truth and innocence are destroyed by ignorance and blind violence.
Ralph’s Loss of Innocence: Ralph’s journey from leadership to despair reflects the movement from innocence to experience. He begins as a confident leader, but by the end, he becomes a hunted animal. When the naval officer arrives, the narrator says,
“Ralph wept for the end of innocence.”
This line captures the emotional heart of the novel. Ralph’s tears are not only for the dead boys but also for the death of childhood purity. Through his pain, he learns the bitter truth about the human soul.
Symbolic Connection Between Innocence and Experience: Golding uses symbols to express the link between innocence and experience. The conch stands for law and purity, while Piggy’s glasses stand for knowledge. When the conch is broken and Piggy dies, both order and innocence vanish. The fire, once a hope for rescue, turns into a weapon of destruction. These symbols show that innocence and experience are two sides of life. Experience brings wisdom but also guilt and loss, as the boys learn the dark nature of humanity.
To sum up, in “Lord of the Flies,” Golding shows that innocence and experience are deeply connected. Innocence is beautiful, yet fragile, while experience is painful yet real. Through fear, violence, and loss, the boys move from purity to awareness. Ralph’s tears and Simon’s death symbolize this tragic change. Golding finally proves that human beings cannot stay innocent forever—they must face the truth of their own inner darkness.
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