lord of the flies essays on symbolism.pdfLord Of The Flies Essays On Symbolism

Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Essay
In order to keep civilization within a community one would have to make rules and laws to keep
things in check. If one were to put young boys on a stranded island, all alone and away from society,
one might guess that even though they have each other, the human nature in each of them will soon
deteriorate and cause them to do absurd things. In the book Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses
symbolism to demonstrate the deterioration of civilization on the island. When a group of young
British School boys crash on a deserted island their first attempt is to keep things in line, this will
soon fail as the boys are isolated and away from home, which will then lead them to savagery and
eventually the destruction of their whole island. Golding uses symbols such as the conch, the fire
and characters such as Jack as examples to show the downturns of civilization on the island.
The conch, being a big glistening shell. Which, was first spotted by Ralph and Piggy at the
bottom of the ocean is, a very meaningful symbol of the deterioration of civilization in this novel: "
A conch ever so expensive. I bet if you wanted to buy one you'd have to pay pounds and
pounds"(Golding 11). In the beginning of the novel, the conch is portrayed as very radiant, with a
deep cream in the inside and a faded pink. This expresses the civilisation and order that first
begins in the novel, as Ralph uses the conch to bring all the boys together, to establish rules and
regulations on the island. Later,
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In our society, humans do not always refer to their morals to make decisions. Sanity is lost without
referring to your morals. In Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys crashes onto an uninhabited
island without adult supervision. The boys are faced with challenges that they must overcome in
order to escape. To be rescued, they must work together and elect a leader to govern the group. In
William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Golding uses characters and symbols in order to explain the
change in humans when morals are forgotten.
The symbol, Piggy's glasses, changes drastically throughout the novel. In the beginning, the glasses
are unbroken, representing the knowledge being present, but as the story goes on, the glasses begin
to break,...show more content...
Along with his followers, Jack killed two of the boys that were on the island. If the officer did not
come and rescue them, Jack may have killed or hurt the others. At first, the fire represents hope to
escape the island but, as the story goes on, the fire represents destruction of the island. Making
the fire is the main priority of the boys on the island. They are fascinated with the fire and what it
does for their civilization. Right away, the boys believe that they "must make smoke on top of
the mountain" so that someone could see the smoke and rescue them (39). The fire, created by
Piggy's glasses, is how they plan to get off of the island. When Jack takes Piggy's glasses, Jack
has control of the fire. Knowing this, Jack can control whether or not they get off the island. Under
Jack's power, the island looks like a 'hell on Earth'. The island "burst into a great fan–shaped flame"
(199). The large fire, created by Jack, causes destruction to the island, but it also saves the boys
from Jack's dictatorship. The war zone that the boys have created demolishes the foliage on the
island. Smoke from this disastrous fire makes an officer come to the island and they get rescued.
Jack did not make the fire to get rescued unlike the beginning, but to find Ralph, and kill him.
Overall, the fire has a positive and negative effect to it that creates hope and destruction towards the
island

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 first
example of Jack's evil nature appears very early on in the...show more content...
... The madness came into his eyes again. 'I thought I might kill.'"(Golding, page 51). If Jack were
hunting exclusively for the purpose of food, his inner "compulsion to kill" as stated by the author
would not exist to begin with. In fact, this statement appears to suggest the opposite–that his inner
compulsion to kill is some kind of inner need rather than just an innocent venture to acquire food
for the rest of the boys. Therefore, due to the wording of the author from the quote on page 51 as
an addition to the quote on page 31 (which can be surmised as foreshadowing of evil) it provides
the basis of Jack's hunting proving him a symbol of evil. From page 134 onwards, this
relationship is further solidified by the following few quotes: "A little apart from the rest, sunk in
deep maternal bliss, lay the largest sow of the lot. She was black and pink, and the great bladder
of her belly was fringed with a row of piglets..." (page 134), "She blundered into a tree... could
follow her easily by the vivid drops of blood. ...and the hunters followed... excited by the long chase
and the dropped blood."(page 135), and "Jack held up the head and jammed the soft throat with the
pointed end which pierced through into the mouth (Golding, page 136 and 137). The first detail on
page 134 indicates the pig they have their sights on is a mother of a few piglets. Quite

The Dangers Within
Masks are oftentimes used as a technique to hide one's identity. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, the
author William Golding, explains an the journey of a group of boys and the discoveries of their
inner savages. These boys are isolated from the adult world after their plane crashes onto an island,
presumably caused by the world war that was occurring. The children have to manage themselves
and form their own rules and civilization. Eventually, not having any older authority, the boys' true
characters are revealed. Various masks are presented throughout the story to represent this idea, such
as, wounds, face paint, and long hair. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding...show more
content...
The use of face paint is a way to disguise themselves. An example of this, is when Jack explains
how they "paint [their] faces so [the prey can't] see" (p.55). This shows how they are blending in
with the dangers of their environment. The paint permits the boys to set their inner savage free.
This behaviour was not previously acceptable in their previous civilized British homes. Their
violence facilitated a sense of fear within the boys` relationships. An example of this fear being
expressed is when Eric says, "they'll be painted! You know how it is". This shows how the dangerous
thoughts, that flow through the minds of the boys, are expressed through the use of their face paint.
The rapid growth of each individual's hairs, demonstrates how the violent civilization of this
island is formed. An example of this is when Ralph's "hair [begins to creep] into his eyes" (p.88).
This compares the ideas of violence and hair. It shows this by acknowledging the fact that the hair
cannot be cut, because they do not have the proper tools. This idea is similar to the violence that
cannot be stopped, due to their lack of maturity and extreme savageness, proving they are lacking in
certain areas to prevent their violence. The boys' hairs are constantly growing, as is their violence.
Another example is when Ralph "[stands] one hand holding back his hair, the other clenched" (p.69).
This demonstrates how his

Symbolism in William Golding's Lord of the Flies renders either through a character, intention, or
theme. The author uses these symbols to have a greater impact on the readers' interpretation of the
novel, rather than merely revealing the idea. First and foremost, the beast and its several
manifestations are few of the many signs that support deeper meanings. Furthermore, there is Piggy,
one with intelligence and responsibility and one very important symbol. Finally, there are the two
fires which are vital representations in the novel that contrasts and demonstrates irony. The use of
symbols does provide a deep elucidation of the novel, but it supports an even more profound
significance for the readers' perspectives as well.
In the novel,...show more content...
The extremity changes from fear of the unfamiliar to absolute anarchy, savagery and eventually
death. When put into universal terms, one can only conceal internal savagery for so long before it
reveals through external actions when given the appropriate opportunity. The fear of the unknown
can be a dominant influence, which can turn to complete madness and insanity if it is not taken care
of properly.
The characters in the story portray particular symbols and signs as well. One character with a fervent
representation is Piggy. Piggy, short, overweight and who wears glasses signifies intelligence and
responsibility. Both his name and persona represents his vulnerability and his defencelessness – just
like the actual helpless pigs on the island. The Golding never divulges his true name to show how
order and democracy being easily blinded. In the introduction, Piggy wants to tell Ralph who he
is as he, "...Waited to be asked his name in turn, but proffer of acquaintance was not made."
(Golding 3). He is destined to become the outcast by the majority of the children due to the fact
that he is indeed obese yet clever. He does not participate in much of the labour work and hunting
because he clings so hard to civilization, and rejects any form of savagery whatsoever. Piggy and a
small amount of the boys are just few who respect the conch, a symbol of power and stability.
Nonetheless, as he maintains the

Essay about Symbolism in Lord of the Flies
Symbolism in Lord of the Flies The story, Lord of the Flies, has many interesting symbols relating
adult society to kids surviving on an island. Many of the characters and items in this novel such as
Jack or the conch can be interpreted on a macroscopic scale but the most important being this; a
microcosm of children on an island makes a great symbolic message about human nature, society and
how grown–ups live and govern – and how they cannot. When you consider the time Period this
book was written, you can see where Golding got some of his inspiration. Europe was...show more
content...
Throughout the story the little ones didn't do much but in the beginning they did vote Ralph in and
basically brought him into power. Because the people elected Ralph, he therefore is a true
democratic ruler. He passes the conch symbolizing order around, lets others talk, follows rules and
does not intend to break them himself. There's trouble enforcing the laws just like our democracies,
today. However, we are still free–living citizens, much like the kids under Ralph's reign. Jack and
Roger are the complete opposite. Jack represents the savagery and hate in all of us. Starting out
as a choirboy, he slowly evolves into the hunting "Chief" of the opposition party. Methods used by
Hitler were also used by Jack. Total control such as binding and strapping Wilfred and propaganda
like using the beast to inspire fear and presenting himself as the only protection is used in his
dictatorial rule. He overthrows Ralph with fun, and then proceeds to use muscle once he had
friends like Roger. Roger is his right hand man but is even worse. He starts out throwing rocks,
moves on to torturing pigs and in the end he intentionally kills Piggy. He was a terror while
torturing with Sam n' Eric and the executioner when he killed Piggy. He is what Jack uses to rule,
much like Hitler's personal guard and is even more extreme and totalitarian than Jack. Jack and
Roger's rise to power mirror real

Symbols are often used in literature to drive plot, give clues to events in the story, and develop
key characters. They have more than one meaning, and in the novel Lord of the Flies by William
Golding there are three key symbols used: the conch, Piggy's eyeglasses and the impaled pigs head.
These three symbols will be discussed by using specific references to the text as well as examining
how they negatively impact the characters in the story.
Thesis: Three essential symbols that have a negative impact on the story are the conch, Piggy's
eyeglasses and the impaled pigs head.
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...show more content...
Even thought Piggy is physically blind without his glasses he has insight as to his surroundings.
Jack shows dislike towards Piggy by ridiculing his physique by saying , "Better Piggy the Fatty".
(40) His intelligence is undermined by the fact that Jack makes fun of him.
The need for civilization, innocence and loss of power is shown through the impaled pig's head. In
order for the group to survive, animals must be killed in order for the boys to eat. Jack takes on the
role of hunter because he enjoys killing living things, as seen when he states, "Kill the pig! Cut his
throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!" (104) Ralph is a more calm person and does not enjoy killing
as much as Jack, although he takes a small part in killing the pig. However, in the end, Jack gains
all the power because everyone looks up to him as leader because he attempts to hunt the pig
throughout the novel and is successful in the end. "We'll take the meat along the beach." "Pick up
the pig," Jack said. (150) Meanwhile, Ralph doubts Jack's abilities to kill the pig, and constantly
mocks him about being successful. "He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that
was swallowing him up."(51) Jack proves Ralph wrong and kills the pig. "Jack begins to dance and
his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling."(58) He celebrates

Anarchy fallen over the once peaceful land and all but one has returned to their savage ways. In
William Golding's, Lord Of The Flies, The character of Piggy is a symbol of civilization. To
commence, Piggy symbolises civilization because of his glasses as the fire is started by thm, and
fire is the first sign key to civilization . Secondly, by insisting the continuation of the rules to be
enforced on all of the island, Piggy demonstrates the ideals of civilization. Finally, Piggy idealises
civilization by wanting to advance in technology on the island. In William Golding's, Lord of The
Flies, Piggy symbolises civilization on the island, while others turn to primitive, savage ways.
First and foremost, Piggy's glasses are used to start a fire which shows a sign of civility as fire is
the starting point to civilization, with it being the way the boys will return home. During the
first meeting, Ralph addresses the group to say that a fire is needed to go in order to attract
attention to the island for a passing boat. The boys then, unsure how to start a fire, "Ralph moved
the lenses back and forth, this way and that, till a glossy white image of the declining sun lay on a
piece of rotten wood. Almost at once a thin trickle of smoke rose up and made him
cough"(Golding 56). This shows that because of Piggy being hard of sight, the boys were able to
start a fire and have the ability to return to civilization. Furthermore, due to Piggy's glasses creating
the fire, the boys can now

Lord of the Flies Essay
"Maybe there is a beast... maybe it's only us."(Golding [Page 50]) The Lord of the Flies, by
William Golding, is a novel that goes much deeper than a group of 12 year old boys stranded on an
island. Throughout the book Golding portrays symbols and constant themes which show how he
feels about the human race; that there is an inner beast inside everyone and no matter who you are,
it will eventually get exposed. Golding also shows symbols throughout the book which represent the
end of civilization, or on a much larger scale the end of humankind due to the war that was going on
at the time of the novel.
One of the symbols shown in Lord of the Flies is the constant theme of people and objects falling.
Not only does this...show more content...
Whoever had the shell could talk, and when the shell was blown all the boys came together. The
conch was the thing that brought the boys together and made Ralph the leader. If Ralph didn't
have the conch, then there is a good chance that Jack would've been voted leader and the book
would be different. "But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there
was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the
conch. The being that had blown that, had sat waiting for them on the platform with the delicate
thing balanced on his knees, was set apart."(Golding [Page 22]) This quote illustrates the scene
when Ralph was elected leads and says the most powerful thing about him was the fact that he
had the shell. This symbolizes how important the shell was to the boys, and in the end when it
broke, something also broke in the boys and all they cared about was violence and hurting each
other. "The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a
thousand white fragments and ceased to exist."(Golding [Page 181]) This implies that once the
conch shell was gone, so was Piggy and the boy's will to be civilized.
When Piggy has his glasses it symbolizes how him and Ralph have a clear vision of what's going
on and what is right, when Piggy's glasses break once Jack starts getting uncivilized.Much like the
conch shell, when his glasses broke, the boys broke into

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies by Golding Essay
Symbolism – Throughout the novel, Lord of the Flies, Golding uses many images and symbols to
portray evil and destruction.
Symbolism
Throughout the novel, 'Lord of the Flies', Golding uses many images and symbols to portray evil
and destruction. One of the main symbols is the beast, and it destroys the relationships of the boys
and is the main symbol of evil. The conch on the other hand, is the symbol of good, and represents
the pure side of the boys. There are also many symbols which tell us about their life on the island
and 'set the scene' in a deeper way.
The Island is described in great detail by Golding and at first, the island is full of goodness and one
would think that nothing could go wrong on the island....show more content...
Piggy is not seen to be responsible, just because of the way he looks. The conch helps the boys
take control of the situations they are in and reassures the boys that there is good on the island.
They sort of confide in the conch and when the conch is held up, it is a sign of respect for each
other, and the respect of law and order. Many meetings were held to discuss plans and the conch is
the centre of these assemblies. Who ever is in possession of the conch, has the right to speak and
speak his mind. When the island begins to fall apart, the conch is soon dismissed and no one pays
attention to it.
'The conch exploded' and 'ceased to exist', and when this happens, the boy's don't have any respect
for each other, especially piggy, and begin to lose sight of what is good and what is evil.
The boys start hunting for their food, and when they come across the pig for the first time, Ralph
Cant help himself and kills the pig, it seems like he does this for pleasure and he enjoys the
experience. The hunting seems exciting to the boys and they all eventually want to hunt. He later
kills many more pigs and they eventually turn into savages. They eventually turn into animals
themselves and they can't help killing and it becomes natural for them to kill. Jack has a natural skill
for hunting. They eventually progress from animals to people, and the use of weapons becomes
greater. They actually become a group of real hunters, they chant, and use

Essay On Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies
Novels usually tend to have a life lesson that the author has learned. The reader might have to
analyze the story to a deeper thought to find the literary devices used. The Lord of the Flies is all
about the origin of human characteristics, whether humanity is considered morally good or initially
evil, without laws or authority. The conch is one object that shows the theme of humanity. The
symbolism of the conch changes throughout the book. The symbolism of the conch is order,
democracy, social order, respect, andpower at the beginning of the book. At the end of the novel,
the conch loses its power and portrays savagery and barbarism. At the same time as the conch loses
its power and symbolism, Simon gets killed by the savagery of the boys. Piggy and the conch gets
crushed. The destruction of the conch symbolizes the destruction of what little civilization the boys
possessed. In the Lord of the Flies, there are specific symbols that reinforce...show more content...
Even Jack respects the conch. After he fails to stage a coup, he "laid the conch with great care in
the grass at his feet" (127). He doesn't throw it or smash it; he sets it down carefully. He respects the
authority of the conch, but disagrees the authority of the Ralph. Golding also reminds us that the
conch is a tool of government and authority, but it is also just an object that can be easily
manipulated and destroyed. That event is the pivot point where the symbolism of the conch
differences. "The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a
thousand white fragments and ceased to exist" (181). Piggy was the voice of reason, the basis for
modern systems of government; and he has now been removed. The power of the conch shifts to
such a great degree, that the conch is removed When he and the conch is removed, there is no sign
of civilization. altogether. When the conch loses its government authority, anarchy and savagery

Lord Of The Flies Symbols
"Beside the pool his sinewy body held up a mask that drew their eyes and appalled them. He began
to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling." Often in literature symbols are used to
portray a concept or idea. Lord of the Flies is a prominent user of symbolism, whether it's characters
or objects, many things in the story represents something that it does not physically appear to
represent. While using all of this symbolism, the author of Lord of the Flies, William Golding,
expertly uses show don't tell. One very unique and interesting use of symbolism he uses is in the
way the characters are dressed and the way they look as symbols. The outward appearance of the
boys on the island is used as a symbol to show the mental state...show more content...
Rather than letting his full savage instincts pour out, he tries to keep them secluded. He
witnessed traumatic events, and even shows signs of PTSD, leading to a mental breakdown. On
the inside he is fighting a mental war between staying civilized or succumbing to his internal
savagery. As the trend shows this is reflected in his physical appearance as he is depicted as a
slender boy, and although he doesn't wear a shirt for parts of the book he often wears clothes that
are ripped and worn down, leaving holes and gashes in his body and in his clothes. This can be
interpreted as almost mimicking his internal war, externally seen as worn down, beat up, dirty
boy struggling to hang on to the polite, civilized English boy outside., as iInternally Ralph he tries
to stay civilized even though he so clearly lost his innocent witnessing the loss of his friend and
desperately wanted to succumb to the savagery that is a part of his blood. In Lord of the Flies,
symbolism is evident in the outward appearance of the boys, as it represents the mental state of
them. This is a unique use of symbolism, and this along with it's great writing, interesting plot, and
intriguing characters, makes Lord of the Flies by William Golding a great

Lord Of The Flies In Lord of the Flies the major characters symbolize an abstract idea in relation to
the potrayment of the boy's psyche; William's story is a fable, because there are allusions when
major characters To fully comprehend, the abstract ideas and symbols of the major characters,
one must construe the novel, by identifying the major characters temperament linked to the
symbols for abstract ideas. Symbolism of abstract ideas emphasizes the aspects of human society
throughout the novel. For instance, Ralph represents civilization and democracy. He thrives to
live by rules and follows his morals and values. He summons the boys by utilizing a conch, and
suggest the boys vote for chief to form a civilized system to get rescued. These examples show
how Ralph's thoughts are dedicated towards law, order, and democracy. He desires to get off the
island. Ralph agonizes about the boy's welfare which causes his civilization to last longer. As a
democratic leader he is determined to get rescued by maintaining a signal fire for a ship to see.
However, when they believe that there might be a beast, after the xploration his intelligence and
order was crippled with agitation(fear). The repercussion caused them to move the signal fire. When
Jack is being disrespectful by challenging Ralph leadership, in response he doesn't counterattack,
even though he wants to give up being a chief, and shockingly engages in the feast/dance that Jack
leads and the death of Simon His innocence

Lord Of The Flies Beast Symbolism
Evil refers to the inclination to commit acts of profound immorality. There are many different
perspectives on the origin of evil; William Golding describes evil as an inherent tendency in Lord
of the Flies. Symbolism is when a person, place or thing stands for something beyond itself.
Golding uses the Lord of the Flies to symbolize the evil that lurks within every human being in
order to reinforce the theme of innate human savagery. Golding describes Simon's petrifying
encounter with the Lord of the Flies to display mankind's internal desire for barbarism. Although
the boys believe the Beast is a defeatable external figure, the Lord of the Flies reveals that the beast
lurks within every human being and will never disappear. Contrary to the boys' beliefs, the...show
more content...
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 a part of you? Close, Close, Close! I'm the reason why it's no
go? Why things are what they are?'" (Golding 130). By emphasizing how close he is to Simon,
the Lord of the Flies confirms Simon's speculation in chapter five that the Beast is only the boys
themselves. By identifying as the Beast, the Lord of the flies proves that evil is an innate desire
within all humans. Pure evil can never coexist with something that is entirely good. Hence, the
Lord of the Flies, which personifies evil itself, cannot exist alongside Simon who is pure and good.
The Lord of the Flies warns Simon good and evil cannot both be present, one of the two has to
vanish: "'I'm warning you. I'm going to get angry. D'you see? You're not wanted. Understand? We
are going to have fun on this island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So don't
try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else–'" (131). The "fun" that the Lord of the Flies promises to
have with Simon foreshadows Simon's death in the following chapter. Simon is a symbolic
representation

Lord Of The Flies Symbolism
MMarlex Iraheta
A Block
9 October 2017 The Dark side of Man
What does it mean to be human? In the novel Lord of The Flies, author William Golding goes in
depth and shines some light on a darker side of man with symbols he portrays throughout his
book. In the Lord of The Flies, a group of kids have crashed landed on an island with no
civilization, no adults to take charge, and no one to look after them. Alone, the group of kids
slowly lose their grasp of civilization, and one by one they start giving in to their savagery. In Lord
of The Flies William Golding uses the symbols of "the beast," the pig hunts, and the island's scars to
portray the kids' fall from civilization into savagery, also known as the dark side of man.
Topic Sentence needed. Then introduce the quote "It's you... You're the beast... Can't you see what
you're doing..."~ Simon's last words. What is the beast, and what does it represent in LoTF? The
beast is the fear that we all have inside of us; the very same fear that led the kids into killing each
other. Fear , it manipulates the mind, kicks all logic out the window and puts your mind in a
defensive mechanism. This defense mechanism is known as the Fight or Flight response , our
natural instinct as human where the frontal lobe, or the prefrontal cortex goes offline (meaning you
have no control over your body) and your Limbic system takes control over your body, and kicks
starts an adrenaline rush, like a lighter being ignited by a sprayed can, this

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
In his classic novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses many elements of symbolism to help
the readers gain a greater understanding of his message. Symbolism can be anything, a person,
place, or thing, used to portray something beyond its self. It is used to represent or foreshadow the
conclusion of the story. As one reads this novel, he or she will begin to recognize the way basic
civilization is slowly stripped away from the boys as conflict between civilization and savagery
arises.
The conch shell represents power and authority. Whoever has the shell has the power to talk. The
conch shows how people use objects to give power, like a crown. "Conch?" "That's
what...show more content...
"There was a ship. Out there. You said you'd keep the fire going and you let it out! They might
have seen us. We might have gone home." (Golding, 70)
As the novel continues and the boys start to lose their sense of civilization; we learn that objects
don't really give power when people choose not to obey it. Ralph says, "Things are breaking
up. I don't know why. We began well, we were happy." (Golding, 89) When it comes down to
it, simple things, like people not thinking, make them capable of destruction.
Ralph was very popular in the beginning of the story, however as the novel proceeds and the society
deteriorates, the popular leader is abandoned for a strong–armed dictator, Jack Merridew. Jack was
first described with an ugly sense of cruelty that made him naturally unlikable. Without adults as a
superior and responsible authority, he began to lose his fear of being punished for improper
actions and behaviors. There are always people who, in a group, come out with better qualities as
a leader than others. The strongest people, however, become the greater influences, which the
others decide to follow. Jack only cares about being powerful he's not out for the benefit of
everyone; he's only out for the benefit of himself. Symbolically Jack breaks away from good when
he baptizes himself with the blood of the slaughtered pig. He discovered the paint allowed him

Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies
Symbolism is key to understanding Golding's Lord of the Flies that had been called the best book of
the century or "The most influential novel...since salinger's catcher in the rye" by time magazine.
This novel is indeed a very reputable one that everyone should read. However, in order to do that the
reader must understand the symbolism used many times thought the novel. Thought, the novel the
conch is one of the few major symbolic objects that changes drastically and meaningfully during the
duration of the novel. As soon as the reader is introduced to the first major characters in this
adventure they are just as quickly been introduced the the conch the two boys find on the beach. At
first, this conch is just used as a means of location or even communication but as the boys start to
meet up it quickly becomes an object of authority, community, and power. This all starts by Ralph
just saying that no one can talk unless the wield the conch. On page 16 golding shows the reader
what the conch is used for. "Wee can use this to call the others, Have a meeting. They will come
when they hear us." When the first discover the conch it is simply just a way to call the other
boys. Then, once ralph uses it to show his power after he is named leader it becomes a status of
government or community. This however, will surely change in the novel and the conchs
symbolism will begin to mean very much. Next, In Lord of the Flies the conch power is questioned
by Jack when he begins to feel

Lord Of The Flies Symbolism
In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Golding uses characters and symbols in order to elaborate
on the idea that human instinct is to be consumed by maliciousness and savagery. One of the
many symbols shown in the book is the island. The island symbolizes the transition that the boys
experience throughout the story. "The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned
or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air"(9). The
foliage shows the environment is fresh and clean. Green usually represents a garden and rebirth.
These terms explain how the island depicted a sense of purity and innocence in the boys. As the
story progresses forward, the boys, especially Jack and some of his followers, are slowly consumed
by savagery. They complete...show more content...
Whenever the boys completed an effort to kill a pig or human, they always light a fire afterward
and chanted (152). This showed how the fire destroyed some of the environment every time it was
lit. Likewise, their internal sense innocence and morality was impaired every time they killed
someone or something. This relates to how the island and the boys' identity are degrading based
on the boys' actions as time passes. At the very end, the island's plant and animal life are set aflame.
"All at once the lights flickering ahead of him merged together, the roar of the forest rose to thunder
and a tall bush directly in his path burst into a great fan–shaped flame"(199). When the fire destroys
the island's luscious greenery along with the animals living in the jungle, it symbolizes that Jack's
followers lost all

Symbols In Lord Of The Flies Essay
Many symbols have been brought to light while reading the book, Lord of the Flies. Symbols
usually represent different things in some cases, but in this book they all tie around one thing, the
downfall of civilization on an island. There has been symbols such as, the "beastie," the conch shell
and even the beast head, that have all been used to represent one thing. To begin, the "beastie" was
by fat one of the biggest symbols used to portray downfall of civilization in the book. The beast had
turned young, proper British boys into ruthless savages. As the book talks more about the "beastie",
we get more animal–like behaviors coming from the group of boys, especially Jack's "tribe." There
was many different perceptions of the beast, and its leads the boys on to see the beast in it's true
form, themselves. Piggy had no true belief in this "beastie" due to his scientific...show more content...
Ultimately, I've come to a conclusion that the "Lord of the flies" represent the Devil in many
ways. In chapter 8, when the Lord of the flies speaks to Simon he says this, "I'm warning you. I'm
going to get angry. D'you see? You're not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this
island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So don't try it on, my poor misguided
boy, or else." The Lord of the flies already foreshadows and guarantees death upon Simon. This
reminds me of then Jesus and Satan come face to face on a rock, which was the ultimate test. This
test was used to see if Jesus, the true Son of God, will fail, and go with Satan, or forget the
temptations, and do what's right. Jesus, like Simon, did not fall into the temptations of Lucifer.
Causing them later on in their life to die. Why is it the good people die before the bad? Why is it
that those who sin greatly, and choose to worship Satan tend to live longer and more successful?
But those who believe in doing right, and know what is truly good tend to

Analyse how symbolism was used to reinforce an idea.
In real life, common objects may not hold much value and are often taken for granted. However,
authors use such common objects to help symbolise ideas that strengthen their point of view.
William Golding's award winning novel, Lord of the Flies, reinforces the author's view of humanity
being consumed of evil and darkness; through the use of language features such as symbolism. A
group of boys are stranded on an uninhabited island, and come in contact with many unique elements
and objects. The author uses a pig, mask, and Lord of the Flies as symbols. Golding foreshadows
the dissolution of the young English boys' civilised, educated, disciplined behaviour – as they
accustomed into vicious barbarians – ultimately losing their innocence.
William Golding uses a pig as a symbol to illustrate the desire men have to kill; reinforcing that all
of humanity is consumed of darkness and evil. Upon the boy's arrival, an assembly is called in
which Ralph – the main protagonist demonstrates and symbolises law and order, is elected due to
his attractive appearances. However this infuriates Jack – the major antagonist who symbolises greed
and evil, who wanted to be elected as the leader. The loss of the position of 'chief' causes anger to
gradually build in Jack; causing a conflict between himself and ultimately between good and evil. As
a result, Ralph promotes Jack and his choir to provide meat for the assembly. When Jack goes
hunting for the first time, he is extremely hesitant towards killing the pig as he has never done
such a thing due to being surrounded by law and order; back in England. Jack, gets teased by the
others for not killing the pig; which drives him into thinking that, "Next time there will be no
mercy." This foreshadows the change in Jack. Remarkably, during the next hunt Jack he is
successful in killing a pig without any signs of emotions. His mind "crowded with memories" of the
hunt. Memories of the new knowledge that he'd learnt whilst closing in on the struggling pig.
"Knowledge of outwitting a living thing, imposing your will upon it; taking it was like a long long
satisfying drink." This quote stresses the importance of the transformation Jack

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