Why Does Golding Use Of Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies

Authors often apply the literary element of symbolism to use a person, place, or idea, to exemplify another critical factor of the story. Throughout the novel, the author strongly illustrates the literary devices as the novel progresses. Lord of the Flies written by Golding uses Piggy's glasses, the conch shell, and the beast to represent symbolic images throughout the book.

The conch, found by Piggy, retrieved by Ralph, and hold by Piggy, is a symbol of democracy, civilization and reunion. Ralph blows it at the beginning of the book, and all the kids that survived the accident ran towards the sound and were reunited.

In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding the stranded boys come into contact with some particular elements that represent an idea which are called symbols. These symbols include the beast which represents the fear of the unknown and the darkness of mankind. The second symbol is the signal fire which represents hope. The third symbol is the conch shell which represents order. Golding indicates that when man is taken out of civilization, they have a natural instinct is to become evil, darkness and barbaric and these symbols help to support his opinion.

Containing gruesome, meaningful, and thought provoking concepts, Lord of the Flies by William Golding received much criticism for its ending. The way Golding chose to close this story was categorized as a dues ex machina, an ending that does not conclude with satisfaction, and in this case it was a savior figure resolving the deadly situation the characters (a group of stranded boys) were involved in. Though many have agreed Golding’s ending was adventitious, deeper investigation of the novel has revealed that the larger concluding message was really centralized on the idea of power in a society. Lord of the Flies revealed that power should reside in the people, otherwise the inequality between society and the ruler will cause uttermost destruction

Lord of the Flies, a suggestive name for the Devil, a devil whose name proposes that he is devoted to decay, destruction, demoralization and panic, exactly what William Golding had in mind when using symbolism in this novel. The Lord of the Flies (1954), is a novel in which interpretating the symbols are a main key to not only understanding, but also enjoying the novel. After tying many of the symbols together, you can figure out more about what the author is trying to depict, the overall scene.

A recurring theme among leaders in many societies today is that “absolute power corrupts absolutely” (John Acton, a 1700’s English Catholic historian, politician, and writer). In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, this idea of leadership, power, and corruption is put in the spotlight. Jack, one of the boys on the island, forces his way into the leadership position without actually earning it. It is clear that Jack has become corrupt as he turns into a person who is intimidating, egotistical, and selfish. Ralph, on the other hand, is a quality leader under most conditions as he appeals to the boys’ sophisticated side and has a

Throughout the novel, the face paint that Jack and his crew used simultaneously masks their faces as well as their civility. The first mention of the facepaint is made when Jack is strategizing a way to sneak up on a pig and he decides to camouflage himself. Jack says that his “half-concealed face” is “for hunting. Like in the war” (63). The incomplete coverage of the paint indicates that Jack is not fully immersed into his savagery. However, his interest in aggressive acts, hunting and war, insinuates that he does have a tendency towards aggressiveness as well. Perhaps the most blatant reference to the fact that face paint induces savagery within the boys, specifically the hunters, is when Golding states that “the mask compelled them” (64)

William Golding included many forms of symbolism and many double meanings throughout the novel “Lord of the Flies.” In many cases, he used symbolism to make a statement about human nature. Many of these statements are negative and aimed at how munas behave badly, even savagely. Among the most prominent of these symbols are the fire, the conch, and the huts.

William Golding’s modern classic, Lord of the Flies showcases a group of boys stranded on an island, in hopes of rescue and survival. This depicts how a society of boys would function if civilization had not been forced on them. Moreover, this novel shows us Golding’s inner kept judgement of the function of society. The boys first meet together on the island by using what later becomes a symbol of law; the conch. It is first used as an object to keep order amongst the boys, but later becomes the center of conflict between two clashing tribes. It represents the battle between order and chaos, and the outcome is Golding’s view of which rules in society. A constant occurrence in the book is the bullying of the characters, Simon and Piggy. Although these characters contributed greatly to the development of the group, their actions were never appreciated. They were both outcasts in the tribe, never listened to, nor included in any conversations. Golding represents these characters as religion and intelligence, and so the outcast of these boys gives us a window into which parts of society the author deems are valuable and unnecessary. Jack, the antagonist in the book is portrayed as a vile, aggressive creature. He and his hunters become obsessed with bloodshed and macabre, and so they kill to satisfy their needs. What starts as killing pigs for meat as a means of survival, soon turns into an addiction for blood leading to a bloodbath between the boys. The constant hunger for

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

"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

In 1923, psychologist Sigmund Freud revolutionized his field with his model of the human psyche. According to his model, the mind is divided into three aspects: the id, ego, and superego. William Golding’s allegorical novel, Lord of the Flies, employs these three aspects of the psyche through intricate characterization representing the concepts of id, ego, and superego. Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of young British boys who are stranded on an island in the South Pacific. They become trapped when their plane is shot down while trying to escape their country during World War II. A choirboy named Jack is shown as the leader of the savages and encourages them to embrace their barbarity. As the novel progresses, the inner evil

Symbols and characters play major roles in representing power in works of literature. Therefore, an author uses these ‘symbols of power’ to control the characters and the overall course of the work. In Lord of the Flies symbols are both used by the characters and stand on their own. Fire on the island is a dual blade and Lord of the Flies impedes on progression. While these two symbols stand on their own, the characters use and are used by them. Ralph leads the boys to advancement while Jack stands as his opposition, both using other symbols of power to assist them.

The conch shell is the opening symbol in the novel and lasts roughly to the very end of the story. The conch is found by Ralph and Piggy, which they use to summon the boys together after the crash. “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us—" (Golding 16). The conch represents civilization and order on the island. In the start the conch is given to a boy

wrote this after publishing Lord of the Flies. It is our world, in the form of a story. The two leaders in the story are Ralph and Jack. Ralph starts off a comfortable leader of the boys, but by the end of the book, Ralph and his companion Piggy are alone facing Jack and the rest of the boys. As the novel progresses and the society on the island starts to change, so does Ralph. He begins thinking he has all the answers, but comes to realize that without Piggy he would have never gotten this far. By the end of the book, Ralph and Jack are complete opposites. Jack is about savagery and fun while Ralph is holding on to society, rules, and civilization. Appearing to be a weak leader due to defection of his followers, Ralph is actually dedicated and insightful, only loosing his followers because he could not compete with one category that attracts nearly everyone in the world: fun.