Lord of the Flies

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Lord of the Flies

Golding uses many symbols in the novel, Lord of the Flies, to represent good and evil in society. He uses Simon to represent the peacefulness of life and the kindness of a good heart, while Piggy represents the civilization on the island and the adult viewpoint of the children. The conch symbolizes order and also adult behavior. It is a symbol of strength and knowledge as well, as the evil of the beast represents the fear in the boys. All of these symbols change as the story goes on, some changes are less obvious and are the result of the readers new perspective while others undergo dramatic, and quite obvious, change.

Simon is a symbol of peace who sees only good in the world. The name Simon itself means, listener, and depicts Simon's character well as he always listens instead of giving an alternative opinion. Although at times his opinion differs from the others, he never complains. Simon's great sacrifice for the boys, dying for their sin, is a trait of a martyr. Simon's death results in a change of his affect on the boys and on the reader. Because he is killed by the other boys, he begins to represent the evil that has dominated over the good on the island.

Piggy is another symbol for goodness, however his goodness is not the same as Simons. Piggy represents the goodness that comes from adults and order. Piggy's inability to see well makes him a perfect symbol for that of blind justice. Piggy not only thinks like an adult, but also is constantly worried about how adults would view the society on the island, showing he is concerned with the order and justice of things and want to be civilized.

Piggy is picked on a lot by the other boys because of his weight and sight hindrance, but nonetheless he does not give up his share of the authority. Piggy is constantly saying, "I've got the conch," ( a sign of authority and a sign that all should listen to the person with the conch. Piggy's death symbolizes the destruction of society and civilization on the island, and the rise of savage behavior. It also shows the demise of order and the rise of the devil.

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