Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Analysis

William Golding, winner of the 1983 Nobel Prize for Literature, argues in his 1954 book Lord of the Flies that humans are evil in nature. He uses multiple symbols to define what savagery really is and how it can affect even the youngest of society. Some symbols, such as painted faces or a pig's head on a stick are used as shocking narrative tools but are necessary in order to portray these children as ruthless monsters. Golding’s use of painted faces does symbolize that when there is anonymity, humans will commit atrocious acts, especially if they are in a position of power.

In William Golding’s “Lord Of The Flies” Novel, symbolism is a very important element of the book, Many symbols show how the boys on the island are slowly becoming savage and losing their civility.

Oftentimes authors will use symbolism through the characters in order to represent a larger encompassing theme. William Golding’s book Lord of the Flies is no exception to this pattern—as various characters in the book have such allegorical meanings. In the case of Jack, he could be said to represent the evilness in humanity, proven by three established concepts in the story: the true nature of his hunting tendencies, the progression of events that happen in his dancing rituals, and his interactions towards other symbolic figures. These three reasons, furthered by evidence shown throughout the novel, fit Jack into a role of symbolic evilness (add something here).

The symbols in the Lord of the Flies all change meaning throughout the novel. As the boys change and develop, the symbols change with them. Some may become more positive or more negative and some may change meaning completely. Ralph, Piggy, and Jack all adjust to being stranded on the island differently and therefore react to and treat the objects on the island differently. With Jack’s development into savagery throughout the novel, his carelessness is evident in his lack of acknowledgement of symbols that are important to Ralph and Piggy who look at this experience more logically and optimistically. One symbol that changed dramatically throughout the novel is the fire. The fire in the Lord of the Flies is introduced as a symbol for hope, develops into destruction and is finalized as a representation of salvation.

"There isn't anyone to help you. Only me. And I'm the Beast . . . Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didn’t you? I'm part of you?" (Golding, 143) Symbolism is used to represent something of a deeper meaning. This quote represents the beast, which is one of the many symbols along with the conch shell and war paint presented in the novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding. This essay will explore the different symbols utilized to give William Golding’s novel a deeper meaning.

Human nature, innocence, civilization, security, and sanity. Each is a common idea in both literature and everyday life but despite how regular these concepts may occur, they are more delicate than they appear. William Golding presents such ideas in the novel Lord of the Flies, which tells the tale of a group of English schoolboys whose plane has been shot down in the middle of an unnamed nuclear war and crashed on an uninhabited island. Upon crashing, the boys discover that they must govern themselves and work together towards survival ultimately causing their own war of adolescence on the once serene island, destroying both the land and the last shred of innocence and civilization left in the group. Percival Wemys Madison, the conch, the fire, the island, and the beast are all utilized throughout the entirety of the novel to symbolize the deeper meanings behind the actions and interactions of the boys.

Thesis: In the Lord of the Flies, the conch shell reflects important values which show the conflict of Ralph and Jack throughout the novel. The conch shell represents authority, order and civilization.

confide in the conch and when the conch is held up, it is a sign of

In the very beginning the conch is used to bring all of the boys in the story together. Ralph blows it and they come. This is the first sign of its power. The boys have been lost and now there is this thing, much like a school bell, calling them to be brought together. It has brought order to this strange place in which they are stranded.

Lord of the Flies: William Golding has said that his novel Lord of the Flies was symbolic from the beginning until the end when the boys are rescued. During the course of the novel these symbols are constantly changing, giving us a new interpretation of the island society.

The conch is a symbol in the novel and represents civilized authority and democracy. When the group of boys are stranded on the island, they choose Ralph as the

Lord of the Flies has symbols throughout the story, each character brings a different point of view. Piggy, Ralph, and Jack take a leading role with all the boys, although they vote Ralph in charge both of the other boys take a leadership position. Goulding uses the boys to show the faults of mankind and the roots of all evil. Four symbols Goulding used in the novel were: Piggy’s glasses, the Conch Shell, The Beast, and Simon’s hiding place. Therefore, the symbols show the true character of the boys who are stranded on an island.

The symbols will change throughout the story of Lord of the Flies and will be important elements. One of the symbols in the novel Lord of the Flies is the Conch Shell. The conch shell is large

"His head opened and stuff came out and turned red. Piggy's arms and legs twitched a bit like a pig after it has been killed" (217). This is what can happen to someone when all signs of civilization, order and power disappear and have no more meaning to members of a group or society. In the writing of William Golding's Lord of the Flies (1954), the symbol of power and civilization is the conch. Once that is lost, all bets are off. When the novel begins, two boys are talking about what has happened and why they are on this island. While walking on the beach, the main character Ralph then proceeds to find a shell which the two boys call the conch. Blowing on this shell Ralph calls a meeting where the boys lay out rules and decide they need a signal fire to be rescued from this island on which there are no adults and no females. During the meeting Jack, a choir boy, decides to organize a group of hunters to hunt for food. As the story progresses, Ralph finds himself and Jack to be enemies. Then the "lord of the flies" begins to emerge within the group, many of whom begin to take on savage behavior, and end up killing Simon. Jack then decides to go and start his own tribe; he and a lot of the others do so. Even as the conflict increases between the two rivals, there is ongoing respect for the conch. The same savages later kill the character Piggy who was not doing anything to them except trying to get his glasses back that were stolen to make the fire. Then they try to kill

A group of young boys, an uninhabited island, no adults and no rules- sounds like an adventurous and suspenseful story. The novel, Lord of the Flies, by author William Golding is just that, and has been enjoyed and praised worldwide for over 50 years. Many read the story and appreciate it as the book with the fictional plot above, but one of the things that makes this story so valued in literature is its allegorical connection to World War II. Throughout the novel, Golding employs symbolism to make connections of the themes expressed in the book and during the war, and emphasizes the traits and actions of the characters in the book to convey the different leadership styles of those who played essential roles in World War II.