There are many powerful symbols that lie within William Golding’s Novel Lord of the Flies. These symbols effectively display the island’s atmosphere and it’s problems and they allow the reader to further their understanding of the novel. The symbols William Golding chose are also excellent in their illustration of significant themes found his novel Lord of the Flies. The symbols in Lord of the Flies that exemplify the theme of civilization versus savagery are fire, Ralph versus Jack, and the conch shell.
From the beginning of the novel to the end there is a change in how the fire, which was initially a symbol of hope and rescue, is used. In the novel, Ralph utilizes fire in a way that will benefit everyone; however Jacks uses
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fire in in a destructive way that puts the lives of others on the island in jeopardy. In the first chapter of the novel Ralph says to the other boys that“ If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make a smoke on the top of the mountain. We must make a fire”( Golding 37). By doing this Ralph utilizes fire in a way that will help the boys to return to their homes (and essentially back to a civilized society). In contrast, at the end of the novel Jack sets the island on fire with the intention of killing Ralph (220). When Jack lights the island on fire he shows his lack of morality, guilt, and rational thought. These examples show the island’s change from a civilized society to one of savagery. On the island no one ever argued the importance of fire but about they did argue what it should be used for. At the end of chapter 10 Jack and his tribe decide to invade Ralph’s territory to steal Piggy’s glasses (186). They did this so they can have control of the fire and use it for their own purposes like cooking the meat they obtain from hunting. Also, this event allowed Jack to exert power over Piggy. This shows that Jack and his tribe care more about power and hunting than the rescue of everyone on the island. To conclude, that is how the symbol of the signal fire relates to the theme of civilization versus savagery. Through their contrasting morals and methods of leadership Ralph and Jack show a comparison between what it means to be civilized versus what it is means to be a savage.
Throughout the book Ralph’s goal of rescue consistently stayed the same and he repeatedly reminds the others of the importance of this goal. In contrast, when Jack is reminded of Ralph’s goal to get off the island his goal remains to hunt. Ralph asks the boys “Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up”(200). This rhetorical question demonstrates that Ralph wants to maintain order on the island. Ralph’s tribe is aiming to establish a civilized society on the island and has hopes of returning home while Jack’s tribe shows no desire to return home. Instead they are living chaos and disorder and enjoy hunting and painting themselves like savages. The extent of both Ralph’s and Jack’s savagery is shown through the way they react to Simon’s death. To explain, when Ralph converses with Piggy about the event, though Piggy insistently states that they didn’t kill Simon on purpose and that they thought he was the beast Ralph states, …show more content…
“ that was Simon” and “that was murder” (172). By doing this Ralph fully acknowledges the event instead of denying that it happened or making excuses. Soon after, Ralph expresses his fear of the savagery on the island. Later on in his discussion with Piggy, Ralph says, “ I’m frightened. Of us. I want to go home. O God I want to go home” (174). By saying this to Piggy Ralph shows that he is scared of the violence that goes on within the island and he expresses a longing to return to civilization. When asked about Simons murder Jack has a very different response. He tells his tribe that it was the beast that they saw but they did not kill it so it might come back (177). By saying this Jack shows that he has now become savage to the extent where he is unable to recognize Simon and therefore is also unable to acknowledge the fact that they savagely beat him, an innocent person to death. This truly shows his descent deeper into savagery. Therefore, that is how the comparison between the characters Ralph and Jack show the overall theme of civilization versus savagery. In the novel, the conch shell symbolizes order. In the beginning of the novel Ralph establishes the rule that whomever is holding the conch shell is the one who speaks. When Jack asked about the conch Ralph explained to him “ That’s what the shell is called. I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking” (31). This is the first rule to be implemented on the island. By establishing this rule the boys are creating a civilized society. Initially when the rule is made everyone (including Jack) follows it. In chapter two after Jack talks to the others about food and water he hands the conch back to Ralph (33). This shows that the conch effectively enforced order on the island. Jack is one of the most savage people on this island so when he followed the rule of speaking only when one has the conch shell one truly see’s the power this symbol embodies.
In chapter six Jack speaks without the conch. When Piggy says he has the conch Jack retorts by saying, “we don’t need the conch anymore. We know who ought to say things? It’s time some people knew they’ve got to keep quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us” (111). In this quote Jack embodies the same ideals as a dictator. He seems to think that some people are more worthy of speaking than others and this is the idealism that ends the order and the democracy first instituted by Ralph. The destruction of the conch is a very momentous event in Lord of the Flies. William Golding illustrates the immensity of this event when he descriptively writes, “ The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (200). The destruction of the conch shell is emphasized because it occurs at the same time that Roger savagely kills Piggy by releasing the boulder. This also shows the islands descent into savagery because at the very same time the conch shell breaks (a symbol of order) the violent action that is Piggy’s death occurs. That is how the symbol of the conch shell illustrates the theme of civilization versus
savagery. William Golding’s carefully chosen symbols help the reader understand the novel and it’s theme. These symbols show the transformation of the island from a civilized society to one of savagery. Three effective symbols that demonstrate the theme of civilization versus savagery are the symbol fire, Ralph and Jack, and the conch shell.
The book Lord of the Flies has changing symbolic values in objects and places. These values reflect humanity's nature to become savage. This is demonstrated by the symbols in their mirroring of the boys. In Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, the meaning of symbols evolve throughout the story with the conch standing for civilization and then the breakdown of order in society, Piggy’s specs meaning knowledge then Jack’s power, and the fire first representing hope then ultimately destruction.
In “Lord of the Flies” Ralph has the goal of getting himself and the rest of the tribe off the island. His plan to execute it is by making a signal fire that a passing ship or boat will see to rescue them. Ralph realizes that maintaining order within their tribe is crucial to their survival and chance of being saved. As chief of their group, he assigns Jack the leader of the hunters. He then puts them in charge of keeping the signal fire lit. During this process, Jack and his boys get distracted from keeping it lit as they attempt to kill a pig. After a couple of hunts, Jack and his boys finally kill a pig and return in cheers. As they get back, Ralph gets mad at Jack saying “You and your blood Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might have gone home” (70). Ralph is angry with Jack because he realizes as leader that he has to make sure everyone understands their main goal, and are able to focus on that by blocking out distractions. These actions that Ralph show display why he is successful as a leader and why they accomplish the goal of getting
Throughout the novel when Ralph notices some of the boys have started to turn into savages, he tries to put an end to it as soon as possible. Ralph wants the young boys to remain as close to their old selves as much as they can, rather than transforming into unrecognizable people. Once the boys have gotten somewhat settled in on the island, they forget to watch after the most important job, as seen in Ralph’s eyes, “We’ve got to have special people for looking after the fire. Any day there might be a ship out there” (Golding 42). The majority of the group has turned to having fun rather than getting rescued. Ralph is one of the only people that has common sense and seems to know their correct priorities. We can see that choosing Ralph to be the leader may lead to benefiting them all. In chapter 11, Jack and his group have bombarded Ralph’s group and stolen Piggy’s glasses, so when Piggy asks what they are going to do, Ralph responds with, “Supposing we go, looking like we used to, washed and hair brushed- after all we aren’t savages really and being rescued isn’t a game--” (Golding 170). Ralph ends up handling this given situation like an adult. He can see quite clearly that the thought of salvation and maturity has no meaning to everyone in Jack's’ group. They have been treating their whole situation like it is just a game, but Ralph knows at this point that rescue is
How can we ever be rescued, except by luck, if we don’t keep a fire going? Is a fire too much for us to make?”(80). In the beginning of the novel, the way that the boys maintain the fire is a sign that they want to be rescued and return to society. When the fire burns low or goes out, the boys have seemed to lose sight of their desire to be rescued and have accepted their savage lives on the island. In this way, the signal fire functions as some sort of indicator of the boy’s connection to civilization.
However, as the plot progresses, Ralph faces both internal and external conflicts; from those conflicts he greatly matures. Ralph always has the strong belief that all the children will be saved from the island sooner or later; he is so sure that he even insists that they should have fire at all times to signal. However, when the boys abandon the fire which is symbolic of Ralph’s hope of getting saved, Ralph faces an internal conflict that makes him fear about their future; perhaps they will not be rescued at all. By insisting that the children should keep the fire going, he creates an external conflict with Jack whose values are different. Jack is enjoying life as a leader of the savages, and he fears that fire will possibly end his authoritarian rule over the savages. Both conflicts are resolved when Ralph finally meets the naval officer.
...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)
The conch shell represents democracy, power and stability. When Ralph first discovers the conch shell, Piggy proposes to Ralph that they, “…can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come, when they hear us” (16) and that was the birth of the conch shell. Throughout meetings that are held at the beach, the conch is used as a “speaking stick”. 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 th...
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.
His concern for the individuals in the group is pertinent from the beginning: he conveys to Jack the necessity of shelters “as a sort of [home]”, upon noticing the distress of the younger children (pg. 58). It is seen that Ralph’s problems are not his own; he assumes the role of leader to bring orderly forces of civilization to all. By approaching circumstances with logistics rather than emotion, Ralph does not lose sight of himself in the face of adversity. Despite this, he is later forced to act irrationally in order to preserve his status. When confronted with the evidence of the beast, Ralph is hesitant to hunt it; he is only manipulated into doing so when Jack “[sneers]” and questions him if he is “frightened” (pg. 100). However, Ralph does not respond out of his spite or self-pride as he understands that he must retain his status among the boys. If he does not remain chief, Jack will secure the position, bearing the notion that there will always be individuals working against altruism for their own benefit. Ralph sacrifices his morals by becoming subservient to Jack’s ego, yet does so in order to preserve civility within the group. On the day of the boys’ rescue, Ralph understands that his efforts to preserve peace and order are all for naught. Man’s destructive forces overwhelm him as “[he weeps] for … the darkness of man’s
Symbolism pervades throughout the entire narrative of Lord of the Flies and is used to illustrate the fears and tensions that exist within the boys trapped on the island. One of the novel's strength is that it weaves these vivid symbols together to assist its themes and ideas rather than labour them.
Imagine a group of young boys who have just crash-landed on a deserted tropical island with no adults or supervision. William Golding showed in his ground breaking novel Lord of the Flies, what may happen in just those circumstances. In his very complicated and diverse novel Golding brings out many ideas and uses many literary devices. Above all others though comes symbolism of three main important objects being the conch, fire, and "Piggy's" eyeglasses. Through each of these three symbols Golding shows how the boys adapt and change throughout the novel. These symbols also help to show each of the boy's ideals on a variety of elements from human nature to society and its controls. All three of these symbols also change and are one of the most important elements of the story.
One of the most important themes running through the whole story in Lord of the Flies by William Golding is the power of different symbols. Golding frequently uses symbolism, which is the practice of using symbols, especially by investing in things with a symbolic meaning. The main point of each symbol is its use and its effect on each of the characters. They help shape who the characters are and what they will be. The symbols weave their way throughout the story and are more powerful than they first seem.
A fire! Make a fire!”(Golding 38). Golding's use of word choice “if” and “we can”, shows how hopeful Ralph is to be rescued off the island. Ralph is very hopeful that the fire will work on getting them all rescued because of the smoke it will give off. Ralph and the littluns are eager to set a fire; thus having the fire represent the hope of being rescued. However the symbolism for the fire that represented the hope of being rescued, now represents
In the Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses a variety of symbols to represent ideas, or abstract notions or conceptions about people, places, and things. A symbol, according to the Webster's Dictionary, is an object that stands for something in addition to its literal meaning. In the book, there is a continual breakdown of society and civilization on the island. During this breakdown, Golding uses symbolism to further explain the process. Some of the things he symbolizes in the novel are the island itself, the conch, the boys clothing, and the violence.
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.