Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Quotes

“The scariest monsters are the ones that lurk within our souls” - Edgar Allan Poe. Poe is alluding to the idea that there is no greater evil than that which is perpetrated by people, whether in oneself or in others. William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, examines the matter of how evil can emanate from human beings. The reader sees examples of this complex topic throughout this parable when a group of British schoolboys turn into savages after being stranded on a deserted island. The image of the young boys’ barbarism becomes more prevalent throughout the novel, as conveyed in the following quote: “... they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink” (Golding 121). These

adolescents, without adult supervision and guidance for the first time in their lives, are desperate to survive by any means necessary. As the narrative progresses, primordial instincts gradually supersede the boys’ adherence to law and order. Golding uses symbolism, character foils, and Biblical allusions to address the issue of “civilization versus savagery” in the cause and effect of human evil.
Symbol
One major literary element the book employs is symbolism, which is the practice of using symbols to represent qualities or ideas.

One example of this device in Lord of the Flies is the signal fire, which symbolizes the power of hope and rescue. The fire is significant as it literally serves as a means to connect with the outside, the civilized world. In early parts of the novel, the boys maintain the fire and keep it going, in hopes that a passing ship or plane will see the smoke and bring them back to civilization. Even though Ralph is consistently trying to keep the fire going, most of his efforts are unsuccessful, similar to how his efforts in restoring law and order throughout the island is consistently unsuccessful. In addition to that concept, when the fire goes out or is burning low, it symbolizes the boys’ rejection of a domesticated society, and displays a mental shift toward their own wild and savage nature. For instance, Jack didn’t fulfill his obligation to maintain the fire, but instead hunted and killed a pig. In fact, the boys even exhibit the extent of their newfound bloodlust through a periodic chant as seen in this quote: “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in”(hunters 75). At this point, the boys have obviously given into their killer instinct, which begins to overtake the vestiges of their prior innocence. What began as an idealistic, cohesive venture deteriorated into chaotic conditions plagued by

discord.
Symbol
Another major symbol in Lord of the Flies is the conch shell, first appearing at the start of the novel when Ralph and Piggy use this object to summon the other boys and call a meeting. The schoolboys impose a “rule of the conch” among themselves deciding that only the boy in possession of the object has authority to speak. The conch is at first respected by every boy, resulting in it symbolizing the law and order that the boys have developed of their own volition. However, once the savagery overcomes the majority of these British boys, the conch shell takes on a different symbolic significance. The most extreme example of this change in meaning occurs when the character Rodger rolls a boulder down a mountainside, as seen in the following quote: “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (192). It is apparent in this quote the the boy Rodger is completely overcome by barbarian ways, as he goes from being a quiet, shy chorus boy to becoming the most violent, angry hunter on the island. This action symbolizes destruction and the end of order throughout the island. The savagery took over the order, which relates to the theme of civilization versus savagery.
Character foils:
Acting peacefully and adhering to moral commands is what Golding implies are essential components for being considered a “good person.” On the other hand, Lord of the flies associates evil with creating chaos and acting violently in humanity. These two concepts of “good” and “evil” are displayed through the use of character foils. This literary device is used to show contrasts between characters, to emphasize certain aspects of a character, and create conflict throughout the novel. The two primary characters in Lord of the flies who exemplify a foil are Jack and Ralph. The personalities of Ralph and Jack are very different, Jack, the leader of the choir boys, becomes a hunter, while Ralph demonstrates actions of being civil and displaying fairness. The reader sees how disparate the objectives are between these two central characters in the following quote: "There was the brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill; and there was the world of belonging and baffled common sense"(77). Jack has confidence that his desire to kill animals is innocent, denying the degree of cruelty to which he has succumbed. This relates to the overarching theme in Lord of the Flies, which is the conflict between one's instinct to follow the rules of civilization and one’s potential to allow themselves to descend into one’s primitive ideology that is run by inappropriate impulses.
Body 3- Allusions
A biblical allusion is a direct or indirect text that is a reference to a person, place, or event inside of the bible.There are many examples of biblical allusions in the novel Lord of the Flies. The island that the young boys are stranded on is alluding to The Garden of Eden before mankind’s fall from grace. The fertility of the island causes this initial allusion, followed by the sighting of a “snake like” creature. This is a reference to when Satan disguised himself as a serpent in order to trick eve into bringing sin into the world. The book includes examples that generally within every man there is the capacity to be “evil” from the beginning of his life. This concept parallels the christian concept of original sin, which presupposes that anyone can be tempted into evil behavior. Another allusion occurs in the character Simon. He embodies characteristics of a prophet or Jesus Christ because he is nonviolent, is compassionate, and is peaceful toward the outside world. The phrase “Lord of the Flies” means Beelzebub which in the bible, is an alternative name for the devil. The name of the pig that the hunters killed and put on display is called Lord of the Flies. This somewhat alludes to how the israelites worshiped false idols ……….

Conclusion -
The novel Lord of the Flies demonstrates examples of many literary devices including symbolism, character foils, and biblical allusions. Without the use of these elements, the book would be bland and highly difficult to understand on a deeper level. a touch informal, see what else the work would be without these elements.. would it be a parable? would it teach a lesson at all? would it even be meaningful? The theme, loss of innocence, is depicted through the signal fire. This symbol initially represents hope, however, the fire eventually becomes an object of destruction and violence. Another symbol that contributes to making this theme apparent is the conch shell. This major item illustrates the important idea that civilization is still something that the boys should strive for even if embodying their savagery seems inevitable. The conch is used as a tool for upholding rules, and it demonstrates democracy and civilization. The fact that this tool is literally destroyed symbolizes the complete destruction for the law the boys once obeyed. The literary element of character foils