Photo citation: 1963. Movie Mail. Web. 16 May 2014
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Fear of Facing Reality in Lord of the Flies
In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, facing realty is a recurring theme, in which the boys continue to hide from reality in order to escape from tough situations happening in their life. For example, the idea of hiding from the true situation is presented through, “The air was heavy with unspoken knowledge. Sam twisted and the obscene word shot out of him. ‘-dance?’ Memory of the dance that none of them had attended shook all four boys convulsively. ‘We left early’” (Golding 141). The boy's recollection of the dance represents the changing of reality to fantasy that teens create when facing the truth of life and displays the internal desire to forget a past mistake, by creating a false reality. They all conveniently forgot the dance where they killed Simon, because they are trying to forget their fatal mistakes. The "air of unspoken knowledge" the idea of pushing reality back is presented through the boys reluctance to confront the truth. As displayed within Lord of the Flies, teenagers attempt to recreate reality in order to benefit themselves.
Individualism in Lord of the Flies
Individualism is present in William Golding's Lord of the Flies, as the boys are on the beach, Golding writes, “Yet there was a space around Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life” (Golding 62). Roger finds himself unable to throw the rock, due to the limits that a life within society has placed on him. However, now that there is no immediate societal figure looming over him,
Roger’s innate desire as an adolescent to go against society comes out. While he does not directly go against society’s beliefs, he demonstrates the fact that the desire is within him. Near the end of the novel, Golding writes, “Roger,
with a sense of delirious abandonment leaned all his weight on the lever” (Golding 180). By the end of the novel, Roger has completely abandoned society and has no trouble killing his fellow youths. Without society, the desire within an
adolescent to be an individual against society will eventually turn them into an uncivilized animal.
Loss of Innocence in Lord of the Flies
In William Golding's Lord of the Flies loss of innocence is one of the central themes. This is evident when the boys are playing around, Golding writes, “Then Maurice pretended to be the pig and ran squealing into the center, and the hunters, circling still, pretended to beat him. And they danced, they sang” (Golding 75).Loss of innocence is entirely evident in the novel Lord of the Flies due to the boys’ continual drift away from the societal rules that used to bind them. This is especially evident when the boys go overboard in their "game" of hunting and put Maurice in physical danger. Maurice pretends to become the pig, he and the other boys really embody the evil that is building up as their innocence diminishes. Without realizing it, Jack and his tribe are continually losing their childhood innocence during their stay on the island.
Roger’s innate desire as an adolescent to go against society comes out. While he does not directly go against society’s beliefs, he demonstrates the fact that the desire is within him. Near the end of the novel, Golding writes, “Roger,
with a sense of delirious abandonment leaned all his weight on the lever” (Golding 180). By the end of the novel, Roger has completely abandoned society and has no trouble killing his fellow youths. Without society, the desire within an
adolescent to be an individual against society will eventually turn them into an uncivilized animal.
Loss of Innocence in Lord of the Flies
In William Golding's Lord of the Flies loss of innocence is one of the central themes. This is evident when the boys are playing around, Golding writes, “Then Maurice pretended to be the pig and ran squealing into the center, and the hunters, circling still, pretended to beat him. And they danced, they sang” (Golding 75).Loss of innocence is entirely evident in the novel Lord of the Flies due to the boys’ continual drift away from the societal rules that used to bind them. This is especially evident when the boys go overboard in their "game" of hunting and put Maurice in physical danger. Maurice pretends to become the pig, he and the other boys really embody the evil that is building up as their innocence diminishes. Without realizing it, Jack and his tribe are continually losing their childhood innocence during their stay on the island.