Essay On Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies

779 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Possible ramifications of fear in lord of the flies

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies Fear has the power to control, twist and break the ways of the human mind. The body, and mind are tricked and we find ourselves confused and fighting to piece together a troubling puzzle of straying emotion. Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”, projecting that fear knows no bounds and is a great power. Fear and power go hand in hand, without fear there is no power, a teacher has no power over a student if the student is not afraid of the consequences of stepping out of line. This is shown in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. The boys on the island experience fear in many different forms and their basic human instincts are swayed to do things they would not do otherwise. Fear was the real danger on the island. Although the boys did not see the hidden danger that they believed to be a beast, they let it take control of them and change who they were. The beast was created in the littluns minds because they wanted to make their fear of the dark and being trapped and alone, into something tangible. They created an object that could be stopped, otherwise it would be undefeatable, and they would be trapped and vulnerable. Each new fear fed to the story of the beast, growing it and its power over the boys. Kirstin Olsen stated, “Lord of the flies remains an influential and powerful commentary on human evil… It explores some of the most intense urges and emotions in our repertoire: the desire for power, the fear of the unknown, fear of other people, anger, and jealousy.” These emotions shaped the beast, filling the littluns heads with fear. The beast symbolized both fear and the darkness of humanity, though the darkness is also what the boys feared. When the boy... ... middle of paper ... ... one of the strongest weapons there is. Fear takes the form of an imaginary beast, a regular school boy, and in a rotting pigs’ head. As simple as they may seem, they symbolized the fears and faults of humans. William Golding’s Lord of the flies twists the limits on humanity, and proves the evil in the ways of human nature. Works cited Hynes, Samuel. “Several Interpretations of Lord of the Flies.” Swisher 56-64. 27 March. 2014. Epstein, E. L. "Here Be Thoughts." Here Be Thoughts. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 March. 2014. Julian. "Lord of the Flies." Lord of the Flies RSS. N.p., 2005. Web. 27 March. 2014. Olsen, Kirstin. "Understanding Lord of the Flies: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and ..." Google Books. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. Web. 27 March. 2014. Winfriedshule, Fulda. "Lord of the Flies." Lord of the Flies RSS. N.p., 2005. Web. 27 March. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Essay on Behavior in All Quiet on the Western Front and Lord of the Flies

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    Epstein, E. L. Afterword. Lord of the Flies. By William Golding. New York: Berkley, 1954.

    Read More

  • Lord of the Flies banned book essay

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Lord of the Flies: Fear of the Unknown

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    A distressing emotion aroused by impending evil and pain, whether the threat is real or imagined is described as fear. Fear is what William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies encompasses. By taking three major examples from the novel, fear will be considered on different levels: Simon’s having no instance of fear, Ralph’s fear of isolation on the island, and Jack’s fear of being powerless. Fear can make people behave in ways that are foreign to them, whether their fear is real or imagined. In response to fear, people may act defensively by attacking, fear can either stop one from doing something, or it can make one behave in an irrational erratic manner.

    Read More

  • Essay On Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies

    1469 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... of hope for rescue and the destruction of their ties to former human society; and the Lord of the Flies, used to represent mankind’s “essential illness”: inherent human evil. Ultimately, Golding’s symbols, simple in appearance yet burdened with the weight of human savagery, violence, and inner darkness, do more than frighten. As these symbols are ingrained into our minds, so, too, is responsibility: the responsibility of recognition, understanding, and action. If we do not take heed of the messages behind Golding’s symbols, then our ignorance may be more than unwise—it may be fatal. For if we do not soon take steps to confront our inner evil face-to-face, we may eventually find ourselves trapped in Golding’s harrowing depiction of human society: one bound only by rules far too fragile that, when broken, lead only to chaos, self-destruction, and total savagery.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis

    1232 Words  | 3 Pages

    All of the boys but Simon are becoming the beast at that moment. In Lord of the Flies, Golding proves that fear draws out man’s inner evil and barbarism. Within the novel, Golding uses characterization of the boys and symbolism of the beast to show the gradual change from their initial civility to savagery and inhumanity. Learned civility, order and humanity become ultimately futile in the face of fear. The author teaches that without logic, fear consumes us endlessly.

    Read More

  • Dbq Essay On Lord Of The Flies

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    Whether as a child or as a grown adult, we’ve all been afraid of something. A huge focal point in the book Lord of the Flies is what the beast is, a unexplainable monster conjured up by the fear of a group of marooned British boys on an island in the Pacific Ocean. The beast is an amalgam of subjects throughout Lord of the Flies, symbolizing fear, then war, and towards the end of the book, the savage nature of the human heart.

    Read More

  • The Powers of the Symbols in "Lord of the Flies"

    942 Words  | 2 Pages

    Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. Great Britain: Cox & Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berkshire, 1954. Text.

    Read More

  • William Golding's Lord of the Flies

    1254 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hynes, Samuel. "Several Interpretations of Lord of the Flies." Readings on Lord of the Flies. Ed.

    Read More

  • A Loss of Innocence

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    Works Cited Golding, William. The. Lord of the Flies. New York: Coward-McCann, 1962. Print.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Maybe there is a beast... maybe it's only us." In William Golding's post-war novel, The Lord of the Flies, he illustrates how darkness is within everyone by portraying the island as a replica of World War II. The island symbolizes life in the real world by allowing people to view the war through these young boys. The background of the book and the outside world are shown to correlate through the symbols. The archetypal symbols, characters, and setting relay the idea that the beast is within.

    Read More

  • The Ramifications Of Fear In Lord Of The Flies, By William Golding

    883 Words  | 2 Pages

    In William Golding's book, Lord of the flies, the theme fear is often the cause of all of the characters actions. In this book, the main characters are a group of boys; Piggy, Ralph, Simon, Sam, Eric, Roger, Jack, and the littluns. They all get stuck on a tropical island in the midst of a war without adult supervision. Because of this they are forced to take care of themselves. However, things become intense when some of the boys start giving into their savage instinct’s which ultimately causes the death of innocent boys. This story perfectly represents the ramifications of fear. It is the boys' fear that leads to the death of Simon, the death of Piggy, and the birth of strange, erratic, and savage behavior.

    Read More

  • Fear In Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

    886 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” said FDR, but too often people fail to realize that and costs them dearly. Fear is a trait of all living creatures and is what H.P Lovecraft calls the oldest and strongest emotion and due to the nature of the world and the amount of unknowns around us influences all of our actions and thoughts. These influences of fear are shown throughout The Lord of the Flies a novel by William Golding and published in 1954 during the Cold war, a time where fear was rampant throughout the world due to the enormity of so many WMDs. However in the lord of the flies, a group of british schoolboys stranded on an island, without any rescue in sight are left to fend for themselves, and ends up as a reflection on

    Read More

  • The Beast In Lord Of The Flies

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the beast gives the children a sense of fear throughout the story. It also shows that it is one of the children's top priorities, as they hunt for it and try to protect themselves from it. The children use the beast to work together, but as the novel progresses the group goes through a separation. The beast is an important role in the novel, having many forms of concepts about it. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the concept of the beast as a whole is used as fear, reality, and evil.

    Read More

  • Fear In Lord Of The Flies Essay

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fear can destroy a person’s outlook on life. In William Golding’s book, Lord of the Flies a group of schoolboys from England are deserted on an uninhabited island. They are forced to live on their own with no parental control or saying in their actions, which eventually causes absurdity within the group. From the very beginning of the story, fear haunts the boys. Jack is the primary cause for this fear; he is merciless and strives for complete control on his path to becoming the main leader. His actions towards the group cause fear, delusion, and anxiety in the young boys. Thus, Golding shows the ruthless side of Jack and the destruction his control causes.

    Read More

  • Fear In Lord Of The Flies Essay

    543 Words  | 2 Pages

    While faced with any part of life, fear may play a role in how mankind reacts to his or her fear. There are different types of reason why fear would influence an individual or a group of people. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the boys are presented with multiple aspects of fear, such as darkness, the Beast, and the evil of mankind. Fear can result in savagery, hysteria, or insight.

    Read More

More about Essay On Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies

Open Document