In Chapter 7 of Lord of the Flies, Golding symbolizes mob mentality by Ralph’s loss of innocence. For example, when the group surrounds robert, “Ralph, carried away by a sudden thick excitement, grabbed Eric’s spear and jabbed at Robert with it” (Golding 114). This passage shows that even the most innocent give into mob mentality when others are participating in it. This shows Ralph’s loss of innocence by portraying him as hurting one of his own. Furthermore, an individual doesn’t have to be violent to be susceptible to mob mentality and it’s affect on one’s life. As an example, the chant rose and “Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh” (Golding 114-115). This passage shows that Ralph get’s carried
