How Does Lord Of The Flies Relate To The Real World

The book Lord of the Flies can be directly related to the modern world in various ways. The author, William Golding, seamlessly connects the flaws of current and past societies in our world to that in a group of boys on an island. Each basic element of plot shows resemblance to something in the present-day. As the group of boys in the story try to set up a society in which they can live, the reader can begin to draw connections to characters, symbols, and conflicts in their own life.
Many symbols in Lord of the Flies link the reader to the story and offer a great connection to the plot. In the story, the conch serves as a symbol of order and respect. Ralph shows an understanding of this when he proclaims that the holder of the shell shall

speak.
“... I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak….”(page 38). This quote demonstrates the importance of the shell the and the way it shows authority and power. Later in the story when the shell is broken it is a symbol that order in their society has been broken along with it. The shell could be compared to a leadership such as presidency. This connection is made because the conch is something a boy needs to obtain before he can gain respect. Another symbol in Lord of the Flies is the beast. The beast is a general symbol of fear. Fear of themselves, the unknown and many other things. Simon has true clarity of the beast when he makes this remark
“...maybe it’s only us” (page 89). Here Simon offers that maybe they are the beast and they are only fearing fear itself. The beast is not a character but a feeling of true fear that is felt in the present-day world. One last symbolic element is Piggy’s glasses. In the story, Piggy has a perception that the other boys lack. He is thoughtful and helpful. His glasses are a symbol of this personality because when they are lost Piggy is more fearful and quiet. Piggy’s glasses are symbolic of the intellectual side of humanity. Once the glasses are broken, the boys tie to that side of humanity is as well.
Conflicts in Lord of the Flies show a close relation of the story to real life situations. Fire is a major conflict throughout the story. Fire resembles the boys main hope of rescue and the conflict of maintaining and controlling the fire impacts all of the boys in the society in some way. The conflict of fire, in some way, is comparable to having a job in the modern world. Keeping the fire, or job, steady provides hope and security. The conflict of the fear of the beast shows that the boys’ fear holds them back. This conflict prevents them from feeling secure and venturing in the forrest. In the story the twin boys Sam and Eric experience this fear while tending the fire. “The twins shared their identical laughter, then remembered the darkness and other things and glanced around uneasily.’ (page 97). This security being stripped from them corresponds to the fear of the unknown that most people in the modern world experience. Lastly, the conflict of leadership is a key point that shows a good versus evil power struggle. The author demonstrates this conflict with two characters who grow an understanding of how to be a leader. The boys, however, have very different ideas of what it means to be a leader. This is very comparable to elections of leaders and different beliefs of different leaders in the world.
The strongest connections of Lord of the Flies to the real world is the character types.

Simon is one of the oldest boys. He is a very helpful and quiet but is accepted by the other boys. Simon is very thoughtful and is shown throughout the book being a character who is often alone but seems to enjoy although we get no definite quote that says so. The reader can assume that Simon is a introvert character that does what is asked of him. Simon could be compared to a “wallflower” because he is on the outside looking in though it is his choice to do so. Jack and Ralph are both leaders though they are different in many ways. Jack could be compared to an athlete. In the story, he relies on his hunting abilities or brauns for popularity. Ralph is much more thoughtful and with the help of piggy, he makes well thought out decisions to help the society. Ralph relies on his responsibility and brains for popularity among the group. Ralph could be compared to a business ceo while Jack is more comparable to a sports team captain. Piggy is the outcast throughout the story. He is set apart from the rest because he is fat, he has asthma, can not grow out his hair, and many other reasons. Piggy is essentially different and the boys do not accept him as part of the society and constantly tease him. Piggy is very intellectual and is a voice of reason for Ralph. It is because of Piggy that Ralph succeeds in leadership in the beginning of the story. Piggy portrays the outcast that exists in every place around the

world.
In conclusion, William Golding uses symbols, conflicts, and characters from the modern world and incorporates them into a powerful book that is Lord of the Flies. The large quantity of connections to real life in the story make it easy to connect to and help the reader get a better understanding of the theme and key points of the story. This book goes well beyond plot level in using key elements of the story to connect every aspect to everyday life.