The Lord of the Flies is a novel hardly definable that bounders among many genres. Though we may find typical characteristics of adventure, dystopian or religious fiction, the dealing of symbols turn this as a potentially allegorical novel which can be studied and interpreted through different visions and perspectives.
Characters and objects resemble behaviors, historical processes, personality styles and emotions. The narrator found in these the “objective correlative” to evoke different emotions in the reader.
The sincerity of the book gives a new approach about human nature and seeks where the goodness or evilness of our society come from. In fact, it is the frankness of the book that makes it such a great attempt to explore such themes: “Wouldn’t it be a good idea to write a story about some boys on an island, showing how they would really behave, being boys and not little saints as they usually are in children’s books.” (King, 1)
Taking into account these factors, the exploration of the characters and the symbols of the novel is essential to understand the text.
The main characters of the novel are Ralph and Jack, though Simon, Piggy, Roger or the littluns are a key part in the growth of the events. The development of the characters throughout the novel carries out the progress of the themes and motifs explored.
Ralph and Simon are the characters who evoke and conduct goodness. Despite this, the text shows the different motivations they have for this behavior and why their development is different.
Ralph has learned what is good in a society. This knowledge arises in the previous education he received and the morals and ethics he learned. He has two main goals to defend since the beginning, the respect for democracy: “‘See...
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...ates with great power on history . . . It twists programs and ruins the best-conceived plans. It is the raw material that ruins intelligence.” (Gramsci) These ideas of the danger of indifference are embraced by Samneric and the littluns. In this conflict, not taking a stance is indeed, taking a stance.
Works Cited
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1954. Print.
Gramsci, Antonio. "‘I Hate the Indifferent’." Overland Literary Journal. Trans. Giovanni Tiso. N.p., 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 08 Jan. 2014.
"Hobbes: Man Is a Wolf to Man." Philosophy Philosophers. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Jan. 2014.
King, Stephen. Introduction. Lord of the Flies. By William Golding. London: Perigee Limited, 2011. Print.
Wilson, David. Style that Communicates. A Stylistic Analysis of Golding’s Lord of the Flies. U.S.A: Lambert Academic Publishing. 2012. Print.
These boys represent good intentions in the novel, but in our existence, we are fortunate to have incredible citizens who are comparable to the characters. Ralph symbolizes our parents, they always have the best intentions for the children they have made although, we may not appreciate the little things they do for us such as purchase food for our stomachs , provide a roof over our heads and love us unconditionally. Simon is represented through people who aid others because it is from the goodness of their
Henningfeld, Diane Andrews. "An overview of Lord of the Flies." an Essay for Exploring Novels. Gale, 1998. Rpt. in Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Literature Resource Center. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
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.
Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, is a novel about British schoolboys, who survived on an island after the plane crash. This novel is an allegory: It is a literary work in which each character, event, or object is symbolic outside of the novel. It is allegorical in the level of society in terms of three major symbols. The conch symbolizes civilization, and helps to possess an organized law and order. Next, Jack, as the main antagonist in the novel, represents a savage in the society. Furthermore, the fire signifies the return of civilization and conflicts within the society. Thus, Lord of the Flies is an allegory for society since it represents good governance, humanity’s innate cruelty, and struggles to the return of its civilization.
Works cited: Hynes, Samuel. “Several Interpretations of Lord of the Flies.” Swisher 56-64. 27 March. 2014.
Ralph’s power at the beginning is secure but as the group succumbs to their savage instincts, Ralph’s influence declines as Jack’s rises. This is due mainly to the cruelty and violence that goes on in the story. This cruelty reveals that Ralph’s commitment to civilization and being rescued is so strong that he will not allow himself to change his morals and become cruel like the others. The cruelty in this novel also shows that Ralph is a very intelligent character. His intelligence can be proven because there was a point in the novel when he hunts a boar for the first time and he experiences the thrill of bloodlust. He also attends one of Jack’s feast where he is swept away by the frenzy and participates in the killing of Simon. This is a very tragic moment for Ralph because this is when he realizes the evil that lives within himself and every human being. It is the cruel acts that happen in this novel that reveals Ralph’s character of being intelligent and being able to think deeply about human experiences. He even weeps when getting saved because of his knowledge about the human capacity for
Golding was such an excellent writer because even though his plot was incredibly simple it makes us think about the true meaning behind his words. Golding is able to convey vast information in simple ways through characterization such as when we see Jack manipulating the boys through pathos, Ralph establishing himself and relying on his ethos, and Piggy ineffectively attempting to use logos. The devote use of symbolism throughout the novel creates a unique writing style and conveys an elegant tone. When the novel is examined for rhetoric, knowledge of ethos, logos, and pathos is gained because of Golding’s ability to deliver a message through visual imagery, vivid character descriptions and the underlying messages in his
Golding, William, and Edmund L. Epstein. Lord of the Flies: A Novel. New York: Perigee, 1954. Print.
Ralph is the novel’s protagonist and tries to maintain the sense of civility and order as the boys run wild. Ralph represents the good in mankind by treating and caring for all equally, which is completely opposite of Jack’s savage nature. Jack is the antagonist in the novel and provokes the most internal evil of all the boys. Jack is seen at first as a great and innocent leader but he becomes t...
The book Lord of the Flies was William Golding’s first novel he had published, and also his one that is the most well known. It follows the story of a group of British schoolboys whose plane, supposedly carrying them somewhere safe to live during the vaguely mentioned war going on, crashes on the shore of a deserted island. They try to attempt to cope with their situation and govern themselves while they wait to be rescued, but they instead regress to primal instincts and the manner and mentality of humanity’s earliest societies.
Ralph, the first character introduced to the audience, is probably the most likable character in the entire story. Although he does not ponder such deeply like Piggy, is not as spiritual like Simon, or as energetic as Jack, there is something in him that attracts the audience. Ralph serves as the protagonist of the story. He is described as being a playful, innocent child in the beginning, but towards the end he matures significantly. In the first chapter where he takes his clothes off and goes swimming like any child would do, he seems to be Adam in the Garden of Eden, a child left to play with the nature.
Ralph was elected shortly after their arrival to the island, but his time in power came to end quite gradually. He tried to run his group through a democratic type system in which all major decision were first discussed at an assembly before they were put into action. At these assemblies his views were questioned not only by Jack, but by the other boys as well. Even the ideas that the assembly could agree on usually weren't pu...
The most interesting aspect and probably the most influential characteristic of the story is found to be the age of the characters. The author successfully attempts to show how capable the aspect of evil is among human beings. However, Golding perfects this idea as he used children, who represent purity and innocence in a normal society.
Much of history’s most renown literature have real-world connections hidden in them, although they may be taxing uncover. William Golding’s classic, Lord of the Flies, is no exception. In this work of art, Golding uses the three main characters, Piggy, Jack, and Ralph, to symbolize various aspects of human nature through their behaviors, actions, and responses.
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. Great Britain: Cox & Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berkshire, 1954. Text.