Innocence is simplicity; the absence of guile or cunning; naivete. All the children come to the island with a sense of harmlessness. In Lord of the Flies William Golding reveals how innocence can be lost when hidden emotions lead to destructive accidents.
Unfamiliar emotions can slowly alter a person’s conscience. For example, when the boys hunted “they understood only too well the liberation into savagery that the concealing paint brought.”(159) This shows that they are using paint to hide who they really are. This shows that even their emotions may have been camouflaged. In addition, when Sam and Eric saw the “beast” they become motionless gripped in each other’s arms, four unwinking eyes…This shows that fear is overwhelming them causing them to do whatever is necessary to survive. This shows that raw fear is slowly leaching their dignity. When fear overpowers it conceals the emotions that promote civilized actions.
In the absence of trust, society deteriorates. For example, one member, Roger, destroys in one move not only Piggy but also the conch. This shows that the conscience Roger had is corrupted. This shows that any future trust placed in Roger would be ignorant. In addition, Sam and Eric told Jack where Ralph was hiding. This shows that the two Ralph should have been able to trust would rather betray him to gain Jack’s trust. This shows that the approval of the current leader is more important than fighting for a hopeless cause. Without rules for those who need them, betrayal is inevitable and society collapses.
In the attendance of simple loyalty to another a relationship is continually rejuvenated. Basically, if you can keep someone’s trust, your relationship with that person grows stronger each and every day. Trust is a hard characteristic to find in a person. When trust is lost between two people, that society can soon crumble. Trust is a very delicate thing. But if you use it right, it can make all the difference in the world.