Innocence and Experience in the Opening of LOTF

Please use this lesson summary to catch up on any notes which you didn't manage to get written down in the lesson.

In today's lesson, we focused on the theme of innocence and experience in the opening of the novel and on how these were represented in the characters of Ralph and Piggy. Some of the ideas which you came up with are as follows:

Ralph
Whilst Ralph might, at first, seem a confident and mature character, particularly when compared to Piggy, closer examination reveals him to be more innocent and naive than it might initially seem the case.

Innocence:

Whilst Ralph might, at first, seem a confident and mature character, particularly when compared to Piggy, closer examination reveals him to be more innocent and naive than it might initially seem the case.

• "Not yet old enough for adolescence to have made him awkward." p.15 Here, Golding is at pains to point out that, despite certain of his behaviours, Ralph is still very mush a child and therefore carries with him the naivity and innocence of childhood
• "He stood on his head and grinned at the reversed fat boy. 'No grown-ups!'" p.12 Shows his innocent excitement and failure to realise the dangers of the situation in which they find themselves.
• "When he gets leave he'll come and rescue us." p.19 Here, Ralph again shows the naive certainties of youthful innocence. His belief in his father is misguided but also demonstrates a childish reliance on the adult world (a world which the boys will try to recreate for themselves in the novel).

Experience:

• "'How does he know we're here?' Because, thought Ralph, because, because." p.19 Ralph's realisation that his father may not come for him demonstrates the beginning of his loss of innocence.
• "'Get my clothes,' muttered Ralph." p.20 In realising that their situation is far more dire and less fun than he had first thought, Raph's mood changes markedly.

Piggy

Piggy, through his lack of independence, might at first seem a more childlike character but, in this opening, there are clues that, the the harshness of the life he has lived to this point, he is in fact a more experienced and less innocent character than we first presume.

Innocence:

• "Looked at the water with bright, excited eyes." p.15 Shows his childish enthusiasm and sense of magic and wonder at the situation in which they find themselves
• "So long as they don't call me what they used to call me at school."p.16 Piggy naively reveals his greatest fear to Ralph, relying on his good nature not to use it against him. Ralph is, of course, a child (and one who is no longer bound by adult rules) and therefore picks on this weakness immediately
• "He laid a hand ont he end of a zipper that extended down his chest. 'My Auntie-'" p.16 Piggy's reluctance to disobey his Auntie's instructions, even in removing his wind-cheater (an item of clothing totally unsuitable for the climatic conditions in which he finds himself, demonstrates his youthful reliance on the adult world

Experience:

• "' My dad's dead,' he said quickly, 'and my mum-'" p.19 Piggy reveals the hardships of his past which have resulted in his more mature and adult outlook on the world around him. His desire for a sense of order and justice could well stem from the tragedies of his early childhood.
• "We got to do something." p.21 It is Piggy who first proposes means to establish order and routine on the island, thus laying the foundation of the primitive society which comes to exist.