In the novel Lord of the Flies, Golding suggests that children are innocent. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Throughout the novel Lord of the Flies, Golding suggests that children are innocent. He makes a valid argument that, void of societal restrictions and parental influence, children's morality can sway between good and evil. He uses the littluns to portray childhood innocence. The littluns have a difficult time choosing between Ralph and Jack as their leaders and rely mostly on others for protection. They do not understand the difference between good and evil and behave...

Throughout the novel Lord of the Flies, Golding suggests that children are innocent. He makes a valid argument that, void of societal restrictions and parental influence, children's morality can sway between good and evil. He uses the littluns to portray childhood innocence. The littluns have a difficult time choosing between Ralph and Jack as their leaders and rely mostly on others for protection. They do not understand the difference between good and evil and behave according to their physical needs and desires. In my opinion, I agree with some of Golding's belief that children are born innocent. I believe that environmental influences impact a child's behavior and their ability to reason. This is a classic argument between nature vs. nurture. Nurture plays a significant role in a child's moral, physical, and intellectual development. From another perspective, many Christians subscribe to the belief that we, as humans, are all born sinners. To quote Psalm 51:5, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." Throughout the novel, it becomes evident that the littluns are attracted to barbarism, and eventually fall victim to their inherent sinful nature.