Andres Lopez Ms. Sandoval English 9 16 March 2023 A Loss of Virtue What does a loss of innocence signify? After a plane crash, an unspecified amount of boys end up stranded on a deserted island. They have to survive as their innocence and sanity start to wear down, and they lose whatever social structure they try to retain. The boys who have the most power in their little civilization are Ralph, Jack, and Piggy. One symbol which remains prevalent throughout Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, is the “beast” – most importantly, its significance. The beast symbolizes the boys’ loss of sanity and structure which emphasizes the innocence they all eventually lose. Following the thesis, their loss of structure and innocence starts when the beast …show more content…
In the article “The Importance of Monsters” by Stephen Fox they state, “monsters have played many important roles… reminding us of the potential danger that comes from giving into our primal urges.” Oftentimes readers think the idea only takes into account something highly improbable and that can only be done by the vilest of human beings but Golding shows that even the most innocent of creatures can give in. The older boys make this mistake on the island. By giving into their urges they effectively become thirsty for the hunt and the feeling of exhilaration of the action itself. They themselves end up becoming the “beast” they feared. The only one who lost their sanity in a different way is Simon who started hallucinating because he didn’t become bloodthirsty. As has been noted Piggy was able to keep his innocence partly because of the veil that his glasses held before his mind. Another excerpt from the article “The Hidden Psychology of Wearing Glasses” that should be highlighted is, “Having reality framed… could give wearers an emotional distance”(Pacific Standard) this could be the reason Piggy was able to keep his sanity. In other words, due to the borders that his vision is confined to he can have an emotional distance from all the gruesome actions that he experiences allowing him to keep his sanity. Particularly “Having reality framed…. give… emotional distance” really stands out from the quote, it is stating that having a sense limited by borders can make experiences feel surreal which is something that is most commonly seen in movies. Those borders that surround a screen make it clear that the people watching are only that, viewers, and this could be what piggy was feeling with his lack of vision. Similar to the veil his glasses work as Piggy also uses them as a tool he can use to distance himself from any emotions he might be feeling, and this is amplified when