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Symbolism used in Lord of the Flies
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In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the boys stranded on the island encounter many symbols that reflect on the theme, civilization versus savagery. The meaning of the symbols change, the longer the boys are on the island due to the circumstances they are in. The symbols conch, beast, and fire played vital roles in portraying this theme. The conch was a representation of civilization and how it can quickly plummet, while the beast signified the evil and savagery in us all. Lastly, the fire gave a measure of the boys hope throughout their experience. The conch represented authority and rules on the island that provided civilization; however, rapidly lost influence over time. When the conch was found Ralph blew into it, which immediately …show more content…
summoned the other boys. “Boys were making their way toward the platform through the hot, dumb sand.” (Golding, 18). The conch holds power that the boys need on the island to preserve civilization. They are young and have no authority figure to guide them; therefore, they left the influence on the conch, as a rule. As Ralph blew into the conch the boys gathered, even before they knew it was a rule. The boys unconsciously gave the conch power until time stretched and its effect waned. The conch began to lose validity, as the boys became more savage and started undermining the rules.
“And I’ve got the conch. You haven’t got it with you, said Jack, sneering. You left it behind. See, clever? And the conch doesn’t count at this end of the island—.”(Golding, 150). The last figure of authority they had, lost impact on the boys. The conch held association with Ralph’s tribe and Jack was not part of it any longer. Hence, the conch took no effect on him and his gang. Jack had been taken so far into savagery that he no longer cared for small articles such as the conch, since he believed he was above Ralph’s tribe. His tribe signified his power, where there was no competition between him and the …show more content…
conch. The beast became a source of religion for the young boys until they realized it was the savage in them. The boys chose to believe in the beast because it provided them with comfort and believed that they could not be harmed. “This head is for the beast. It’s a gift.” (Golding, 137) As you would give an offering to a God they offered to sacrifice the head of the pig to give the beast as a gift. None of the boys knew who or what the beast was but the thought of power above them made them fear it. Instead of fearing the beast they decided to devote to it. It soon became their source of power over the other boys, but also became their worst fear. The beast became part of them as conditions turned out to be difficult. "Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! said the head. You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are what they are?" (Golding, 143). Simon came into contact with the beast where his suspicions were confirmed. The beast was not a physical being that would kill them but was part of them and their savagery that chose to reveal itself, as circumstances got harder. When there was limited meat and freedom Jack and his tribe chose to break off and turn towards more savage means. The beast began to reveal itself inside of them in moments of desperation, such as stealing Piggy’s glasses and killing Simon. While times got harsher, the beast inside of the boys surfaced. The beast that was once something to turn to for relief turned out to be the savage characteristics in the boys. The fire was a source of hope; however, it resulted in growing out of proportion.
This incidentally became a measure of their civilization on the island. The fire was an indication of hope the boys had of being rescued from the island. “How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don’t keep a fire going?”(Golding, 80) When Jack let the fire die, Ralph tried to explain that the fire was their only way of rescue. It gave the lost boys hope to be saved and brought them back to civilization. When the fire first went out it signaled the flicker of faith being lost to barbarity. It was evident that they no longer cared for being saved and accepted the savage inside. When the fire became weak it showed how they are also weakening as a group. When Jack and his gang left, the fire is dead representing their lack of collaboration and hope in being
rescued. Destruction on the island was caused by the ruthless part of the boys when they let the fire become wild and demolish everything. “They had smoked him out and set the island on fire.” (Golding, 197). Jack and his hunters went to seek out Ralph to kill him, where in the process set the entire island on fire. The savage inside of them had taken over and they did not care about the consequences of their actions. They were blood thirsty and wild just as the fire represented. The fire became uncontrolled and drastic like they did towards each other. The boys had reached barbarism marking their loss of all control and society. As the civilization of the boys wore off, the beast takes over, making them uncontrolled similar to the fire. Most of the symbols represented positive aspects for the boys in the beginning of the novel; however, their meanings rapidly transformed into negative characteristics. The conch, beast, and fire played an important role in the theme of the novel, from being civilized to turning to savagery. Lord of the Flies portrays the life exposed to those when we are not controlled by the rules of society through each of the symbols outlined.
The evil in man is seen in many parts of life and it could be only be brought out when they have the power and position to do it. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding symbolism is used to show the theme of the Inherent Evil of Man through the conch, the Lord of the Flies, and the fire. The breaking of the conch shows how the boys forget authority and destroy their only symbol of civilization. The Lord of the Flies shows the violence of the boys, and the temptation of the evil Lord of the Flies. The fire shows how something used for rescue and hope is turned into something violent and evil. The fire burns down trees and parts of the island when the savage boys are trying to kill Ralph.
Page seventy-one states, “There was a ship out there you said you’d keep the fire going and you let it out!”(Golding). This shows that they believe that the fire will help them escape the island and the boys desperately cling to the hope fire provides. However, as the story concludes the fire takes on a different meaning: “The whole island was shuddering with flame” (Golding 201). This dark and powerful portrayal of the fire describes a weapon of mass destruction. The atomic bomb was used twice just like the fire. The fire’s symbolism, like others’, shifts throughout the story.
...m the island is if they make smoke. To make smoke, they must build a fire. They decide to put the fire on top of the mountain because it is the highest point on the island and they smoke would be easier to see to passing by ships. Everybody at this point thinks it’s a great idea and thinks is willing to pitch in to get the fire going. They are very enthusiastic and they all want to get of the island as soon as possible. Rescue is the first and only thing that is going through the minds of the boys. Fire also represents civilty because fire is used for warmth, comfort and tool-making. All things that are needed in a civil society and at this point in the novel, the boys are very civil. Jack and some of the other boys are starting to lose will to be rescued. ‘”We can light the fire again. You should have been with us, Ralph. We had a smashing time…”’ (Golding 73)
From Lord of the Flies, there were many things like Conch and Fire that symbolized something. One of the most important symbols was the Conch. The Conch, which is a big shell that can be seen at the beach symbolizes many things in the Lord of the Flies. The Conch represents power because it once was able to control the boys with it, and it also symbolizes democracy because of anyone who has their ideas and can speak their thoughts. The Conch represents unity because it was used to call an assembly and was used to put the boys and keep the peace between the boys so nobody would fight with each other. So, the conch is an important symbol in the novel, because it represents power, democracy, and unity.
When a situation is confronted Ralph used the opportunity to show his leadership skills and kindness for all the boys on the island. He had a goal to create a society just like they had before they were abandoned on the island. William Golding used symbolism to show the strength in Ralph and the savagery in Jack. Throughout the whole novel, Ralph tried to keep his peace with humanity and kept persisting to make sure that the fire was always burning, this is a sign of hope in being rescued. The conch was also a very significant symbol in the book. It was a sign of authority, the order of civilization and a chance to be heard. “He can
In the novel, Ralph deserts civilization. At first, Ralph uses the conch to establish civilization and a form of democracy on the island. In the beginning of the novel, Ralph declares, “Whoever has the conch gets to speak” (16). The conch was used as a tool to retain ord...
After Jack separates himself from the rest of the tribe, Ralph barges into the camp and attempts to use the conch shell to gather up his former tribe mates. The boys say that the conch doesn’t work here, and they start throwing rocks at Ralph.
They thought their society was stable; they thought it would last. It all started with the conch shell that gathered them. In the book The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of boys became nomads on an island causing them to take on the biggest challenge of their lives, survival. The traits for a successful survivalist would include cooperation, maturity and responsibility. But if they can’t achieve those traits they will crash, causing chaos on the island.
Being a part of a group of children having to adapt after being trapped on a island with no surrounding civilization is an unimaginable situation. However, William Golding shows just how terrifying it can be in his novel, Lord Of The Flies, by his use of symbols to represent hardships. The main symbols, which best portrays characteristics are the fire and the conch; symbols leadership and confidence.
As the boys time on the island goes on the conch slowly becomes of less and less valuable. When the boys first start to make a fire on top of the mountain, Piggy takes the conch and tries to speak, shortly after Jack interrupts him. Jack stops him by saying," The conch doesn’t count on top of the mountain" Said Jack," So you shut up" (Golding42). He starts disrespecting the boys and the conch. Jack sees all the weaknesses in Ralph’s way of order. When the boys no longer respect the conch everything takes a turn "the conch had been two of the few representations of civilization and common sense on the island " (Saidi,Hasan). Without the conch there are no rules and no way of order. “Jack was the first to make himself heard. He had not got the conch and thus spoke against the rules; but nobody minded” (Golding 87). The conch fades and the slowly fading of the conch represents the slowly fading of the peace and agreement of the boys. "[Ralph] took the conch down from the tree and examined the surface. Exposure to the air had bleached the yellow and pink to a near-white transparen...
Ralph concentrates on being rescued and Jack goes along with this taking on the responsibility that he and his choir will mind the fire. “We’ll be responsible for keeping the fire going-”, but while Ralph remains focused on being rescued, Jack’s newfound interest in hunting leads him to forget about rescue.
Symbols: we see them on the street, on the walls, and in our homes, plastered on backpacks, jackets, and even fast food receipts. From the generic images that guide us through our daily lives to the shapes we see on television screens, these symbols are everywhere—and their importance as guides that tell us how to live, what to do and whom to believe is undeniable. Of all of these symbols, perhaps some of the most important are the symbols found in literature. In using simplistic symbols to represent profound ideas, authors construct a kind of “key”: one that allows readers to look past the surface of a story and reflect on the deeper messages beneath. Such is the nature of the symbols found in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. As a group of boys stranded on an island struggle to survive without adult supervision to maintain order, Golding uses a variety of objects to convey their descent from civilization into brutality, violence, and savagery. Of these objects, three hold particular significance. In Lord of the Flies, Golding uses the conch, the signal fire, and the Lord of the Flies to symbolize civilization, hope for rescue, and inner evil while conveying an overall theme of innate human evil.
It was not significant at Jack’s end of the island, due to the fact that the conch represented order, and Jack does not agree with order. Since Jack had moved from Ralph’s group, order had no meaning for him. Jack would only do whatever he desires which is hunting and didn’t care about anything els...
In his novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding presents a conch shell representing the order of civilization. He uses this symbol to effectively portray the theme that humans are inherently evil and have savage desires, shown through the decline from discipline and peace among the boys on the deserted island. In the novel, civilization directly correlates to the boys’ past lives in England. Before coming to the island, there were adults present who maintained order by enforcing rules and punishing those who did not follow them. However on the island, the conch, representing this society, is a powerful object that demands the respect of the boys in a similar way that the adults do. As time passes, the conch’s influence over the boys weakens and ultimately all forms of civilization are rejected.
This is illustrated when he says "There was a ship… you said you'd keep the smoke going". Ralph's leadership is what keeps the order among the boys on the island. Ralph's desire for home is what drives him to lead the group of boys and to keep an orderly society on the island. Creating the signal fire was Ralph's only way to get home and it is clear he knows this when he tells Jack "No fire, no smoke, no rescue.