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Allegory In Lord Of The Flies

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The novel Lord of the Flies, which takes place in the 1950s, opens with a group of British school boys, ages six to twelve, who have been stranded on an island and are now isolated from society. They were now required to be independent, and the boys originally reacted with the creation of rules and an attempt at a functioning society. However, as the book progresses there is more emphasis on hunting rather than order, and they become more isolated from the outside world. They are given unrestricted freedom, and commit horrible actions due to that. William Golding, the author, develops a psychological allegory: when a structured society is given freedom, it will lead to chaos; using the symbols of the signal fire, the conch, and the beast. …show more content…

When the boys first arrive on the island, the idea of making a signal fire seemed exciting and helpful; it would bring them a connection to the outside world. The fire would be used to bring attention to the island in the hopes of a passing ship seeing the smoke, and rescuing them. It was one of the first things they agreed to do, and was essential to rescue. The chief, Ralph, even describes the fire as "the most important thing on the island,” and asks, “How can we even be rescued except by luck, if we don't keep a fire going?” (Golding 80). This start to build a separation from rules, and society’s preexisting expectations. As stated earlier, the hope was for the fire to signal a passing ship that there were people on this island. By explaining they have a very limited chance of rescue without the fire, it shows how isolated they are; no one is coming to rescue them, unless by pure luck, without the fire. At this point, they still value their connection to society, however, the fire starts to become less important to the boys. It has become a burden to the hunters, who are tasked with maintaining the fire, who would rather go and hunt. This leads to conflict between Jack and Ralph, eventually leading to the group splitting up with the majority following Jack and the hunters. Without the hunters supporting the fire, they can’t sustain the it burning, shown when Ralph claims the boys, “Can’t keep one fire going. And they don't care,” (Golding 139). The fire is their connection to the outside world, but it is no longer sustainable. Once, it was the most important thing on the island. However, it has now become a burden. This shows the boys are now completely isolated from the rest of the world, they can no longer use the smoke to signal a ship. By stating how they

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