Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

Law and civility are the keys to having a functional society. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the boys manage to maintain an organized and civilized society at the start. However later, a majority of the boys want to be free and decide to lean towards savagery since it allows them to be as free as they chose. This comes at a terrible price though since it causes lots of terrible things. As horrible as these things are, they help us understand the importance of the democracy and order that the boys were able to maintain at the start. Symbols are used well to portray the theme of the vitality of law and civilization on the island due to the changes in their significance. Symbols of order help create the theme since they prove to be very

useful at the start, then later, terrible things happen when they are useless. Symbols of hope and destruction help create the theme by showing how mankind can turn hope into destruction very easily. Symbols of savagery help create the theme by demonstrating how far savagery can be taken and all the terrible things it causes. These changes in the significance of symbolic things are effective in showing Golding’s theme of the importance of having law and civilization among people in society.

After reading the novel, we understand the importance of order, which relates to the theme and is portrayed through the fact that once symbols of order became useless, that terrible things started to happen. The conch is an example of a symbol that represents order. When the respect for the conch changes, awful things start happening which contributes to Golding’s overall theme. It is especially towards the end of the novel that we realize the theme, based on everything that has happened to the conch and on the island. At first, the conch served as a way to maintain democracy and civilization."Silence now, I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. We don't need the conch anymore, we know who ought to say things. The conch exploded." (pg 30, 31, 110, 111, 200). As shown in the example above, the conch eventually becomes useless and it even gets destroyed. Golding purposely changed the significance of the conch to make us understand how when the conch is less significant, civility is minimal and no one follows orders or rules. Ralph himself also represents a symbol of order, since he takes a stand for it. Just like the conch, his significance as the chief matters less later in the novel and this shows the importance of his leadership. Unfortunately, his loss of significance has a negative impact on the rest of the boys since he was one of the only ones making an effort to be rescued. Without him, the other boys are free to be as savage as they wish. "There was his size and attractive appearance. Ralph! Ralph! The platform was full of arguing, to Ralph, this seemed to be the breaking up of sanity. Go away Ralph, keep to your end." (pg 19, 95, 195). This demonstrates the theme of the importance of law and civility due to the fact when the boys start to disobey Ralph, they completely lose themselves and lose their chance of being rescued. Piggy is another symbol of order, not only that, but he represents the rational side of humanity on the island. Piggy's significance is weak on the island since the start from the perspective of many of the other boys. Although the worse it gets, the more it relates to golding's theme. As a rational person, Piggy reinforces the idea of order and civilization, while speaking the truth. Except for no one apart from Ralph believed or agreed with him, but instead, they laughed hysterically at him. However later, the savages take things too far and they decide to kill him when he speaks since they do not care about or him or civilization. "Nobody knows where we are; a storm of laughter arose and even the tiniest child joined in. The rock struck Piggy, he fell forty feet and his head opened." (pg 32, 17, 200). Throughout the novel, we can see that Piggy's significance means more to Ralph's group than it does to Jack's. This relates to the theme since it shows him as a rational character, along with all the smart things he does. Although we also see that if the savages listened to him, they could have done great things. Overall, it is the change in the significance of symbols of order that help create them of the vitality of law and civilization, since we realize all the consequences without them.

We also get an understanding of the theme through symbols of hope that eventually change into contrasting symbols of destruction that are harmful and contradict civility.

Piggy's glasses are a symbol of hope and intelligence that Piggy sees as a nuisance, although he uses them to see and think intellectually. Piggy's glasses are used in the beginning within the group of civilized boys to create a hopeful fire in the attempt to be rescued. However, in the end, the savages use them to create a destructive fire when they are trying to kill Ralph. "His specs--use them as burning glasses! the chief led, from his left hand dangled Piggy's broken glasses. You came sneaking up like a thief and stole Piggy's glasses." (pg 40, 186, 196). This relates to Golding's theme because if the boys had remained civilized and followed laws, they could have used the glasses to be rescued, but instead, the savages decide to use the glasses as a tool to create a fire in the attempt of killing Ralph. Fire is also an important symbol of hope that was being used to the benefit of the boys, but it also symbolizes destruction when it's being used to destroy. Among the civilized boys, a fire is lit in hopes of creating a smoke signal that could save them. Although the fire from the plane crash and the fire that destroys the island are due to savagery. "We must make smoke on top of the mountain as a signal, we must make a fire. A fire! A fire! make a fire! The fire thrust out a savage arm of heat. They

had set the island on fire." (pg 37, 41, 219). This emphasizes the theme since the hopeful fire is caused by intelligence and civility, while the destructive fire is caused by savagery. If savagery were not present among the boys or the adults at war, it is likely that neither the plane crash or the fire that destroys the island would have happened. The scar is a significant symbol of destruction throughout the entire novel that becomes even more significant since it is a symbol apart from the plane crash site. It not only represents the destruction involved with the plane crash on the island, but also the violence happening between the adults at war. "The long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat. There were flames coming out of the other part of the plane. There were a sudden bright explosion and a corkscrew tail." (pg 1, 2, 103). Golding uses the scar to emphasize the theme on a global scale, that if people follow the law and remain civilized, there would be no violence. The symbols of hope that become contrasting symbols of destruction connect to the theme since they become dangerous and cause the destruction of life and humanity. If people had remained civilized and worked together to problem solve, terrible things could have easily been prevented.

The theme can even be understood through the terrible things that happen on the island due to the increase in the significance of savagery, which has been brutal and opposed civility.

The Lord of the Flies, which is a pig head attached to a stick sharpened at both ends is also known as the beast. The beast is a very important symbol that represents the savagery that is inside the boys, but they do not realize it. The boys follow their own instincts and believe that the beast is something that they can hunt down, although it's actually inside each of them, except no one apart from Simon realizes it. "But I tell you there isn't a beast. We've seen the beast with our own eyes. Fancy thinking that the beast was something you could hunt and kill! you knew it, didn't you? I'm a part of you." (pg 36, 108, 158). This relates to the theme because since there is no civilization, the boys have become so savage, that they cannot even realize that the beast is the savagery inside each of them. Jack himself is also an important symbol of savagery. Ever since Ralph becomes chief, Jack wants to replace him so that he can do what he wants without being stopped. Not only that, but his initial arrogance makes him want to have full control over the boys. At first, it seems like he's trying to make himself look superior or equal to Ralph. "I agree with Ralph, we've got to have rules and obey them. I thought I might kill. Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" (pg 42, 51, 168). This

emphasizes the theme since at first, Jack is willing to be civil until later, when he thinks that the rules and orders set on the island are too strict for him because of his determination to be free. This makes him crazy to eventually become savage and influences the other boys to join his side and do bad things. Roger is also an important symbol of savagery. He has been a terrible kid right from the start because he enjoys hurting people. Although when he becomes savage, it turns him into a complete psychopath since he tortures and kills people intentionally. "His name was Roger, he kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy. Roger stooped, picked up a stone and threw it at Henry. Roger leaned all his weight on the lever, the boulder fell, and crushed Piggy." (pg 16, 64, 200). This relates to the theme because when laws are enforced, Roger holds himself back. However later, when the group started facing issues, he could not hold back from doing terrible things to the other boys. Overall, these symbols of savagery and how they change relate to Golding's theme since savagery is taken too far after the laws on the island become useless. This proves that maintaining law and civilization would have been important for the boys as it could have prevented many terrible things that happened on the island.

In conclusion, the changing significance of important symbols created the theme, which is that people have to be civilized and follow laws to live happily and achieve goals. Also, in order to prevent harmful or even fatal things from happening. When symbols negatively changed, terrible things happened on the island and it emphasizes the importance of the civilization the boys had at the start. Symbols of order help create the theme since they prove to be useful at first, but then useless. Symbols of hope and destruction help create the theme because of their contrast which demonstrates how dangerous we can be without law or civility. Symbols of savagery help create the theme by causing terrible things and making us realize the importance of the symbols of order. Golding's theme of the vitality of law and civilization is well understood through changing symbols. In addition, just like on the island, law, order, and civility will always be the keys to maintaining a functional and democratic society.