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The use of symbolism in Lord of the Flies
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For a story to be fascinating, all it needs is the historic battle between good and evil. In each of these battles, the good side usually prevails due to its loyalty to the rules of society. The rules of society force people to remain good through the threat of punishment for bad behavior. However, if the rules of society and the ultimatum of punishment are somehow removed, people tend to turn to evil. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding shows that without the rules of society, it is human nature to slowly pull away from good and turn completely to evil. Through the symbols of the painted mask, the stick sharpened at both ends, and the Lord of the Flies, the boys are encouraged to turn to evil. Because the boys are removed from …show more content…
society due to a plane crash and there are no rules to keep them fighting to remain good, they naturally turn to evil which is a constant theme in the novel Lord of the Flies. With the boys removed from the structure and rules of society, they are at a huge risk for injury due to Jack’s thirst for power and control. With the rules of society, Simon and Piggy would still be alive. Throughout the novel Lord of the Flies, the symbol of the painted mask shows how the boys can do whatever they want, whenever they want because their true identity is hidden behind the mask.
The mask is a way for the boys to become whomever they want to be. It also gives them a disguise so that they will not be punished for anything that they do even if it is evil and wrong. Throughout the novel Jack encourages the other boys to put on the mask and turn to evil. Golding says “...[Jack] capered toward Bill and the mask was a thing of its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness” (Golding 64). He shows that the boys enjoyed being set free by the mask even though the mask would just lead them to evil. This quote is giving an example of a time when the mask starts to control Jack and turn him completely to savagery. They enjoy being set free by the mask because it gives them an alternate persona to be as well as a disguise that allows them to do whatever they want and not be credited with doing it. The boys use the painted mask as a tool that gets them out of trouble and helps them to be able to avoid punishment. Without the mask, life on the island would be a lot easier and the boys would have been more controlled. This would happen because they would be held accountable for their actions. The painted mask removes the guilt that should come with making a bad decision and therefore, all of the good on the
island. In Lord of the Flies William Golding uses the symbol of the stick sharpened at both ends to show that it is human nature to turn to evil when someone is removed from society. The stick sharpened at both ends shows how the boys finally cross the line of killing an animal for food and killing a person to prove your power. The stick sharpened at both ends is a symbol of evil and savagery and is used to kill the pig that becomes the lord of the flies. It is also the weapon that Ralph’s death was planned around. William Golding includes the quote “from the top of the towering rock came the incomprehensible reply, ‘Roger sharpened a stick at both ends’”(Golding 190) to show how evil the boys had become evil and that they would go as far as trying to kill a third person just for power. The stick is a form of savagery because it is a brutal weapon and it promotes turning to evil. The stick sharpened at both ends symbolizes the absence of society and the results of savagery and complete evil that the absence has created. The lord of the flies is the greatest symbol of evil on the island because it was the reason that all of the evil thoughts and actions that lead to the deaths of Simon, Piggy, and the plan for Ralph’s death started. After Jack “creates” the lord of the flies, Simon has a hallucination where the lord of the flies speaks to him and says: “I’m warning you. I’m going to get angry. D’you see? You’re not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So don’t try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else…..”(Golding 144) This quote shows that the lord of the flies controls all aspects of evil on the island. The lord of the flies is able to control the boys and heavily influence their decisions. In the novel Lord of the Flies the lord of the flies is the true representation of evil and savagery on the island. Its main goal is to eliminate all aspects of good on the island to show how brutal and evil the boys can become when removed from society. In conclusion, it is human nature to pull away from good and turn to evil when removed from society. William Golding shows this theme throughout the novel by using the painted mask, the stick sharpened at both ends, and the lord of the flies. The painted mask symbolizes free choice and disguise, the stick sharpened at both ends symbolizes evil and savagery, and the lord of the flies is a symbol of influence and the choice between good and evil. He also uses these symbols to show that Jack has the ability to control the other boys with the element of fear and the stick sharpened at both ends. The novel Lord of the Flies shows the true possibilities of what could happen when a human is removed from society and the ultimatum of punishment.
In William Golding’s “Lord Of The Flies”, a group of boys is stranded on an island that completely changes them. The boys turn totally different from how they act from society as if they were putting on masks. It’s not just the boys that wear masks, but a lot of people try to hide from other people. What a mask does is that it hides a person’s trait and shows something completely different. I have made a mask like one of the boys, Ralph, that tries to show that he’s a leader, but hides a different personality. Here are some of the qualities of my mask.
Throughout the novel, The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the character Jack finds his true identity through a clay mask of his own making. At the beginning of the novel, Jack is unable to kill a pig for food, however, he later puts on a mask in order to blend in with nature and not drive the pigs away. To the contrary, by putting on this mask Jack gains a newfound confidence that was nonexistent in his own skin. For example when Jack first put on the mask he “looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger” (63). By putting on a mask Jack is able to lose his identity a little bit and act and feel like a whole new person. This idea of taking on a whole new role when putting on a mask can be seen in many modern tv shows and movies.
Ralph shouts at Jack for this, saying how the fire was what their rescue depended on, and outlined how he didn't consider that if everyone had finished the shelters and kept to their jobs that more people would be available to hunt. Jack decided to hunt to fulfil the immediate desire for blood and meat. He neglected his responsibilities and ended up letting the whole group down with his selfish actions. The mask allows his inner Id to show, the restraints of the British society they were once apart of no longer apply to him as the story progresses. When Jack starts to gain a following, his hunters and those in his tribe begin to follow suit, simply because their leader is doing it. With the whole tribe wearing masks,it gives them blanket anonymity. If all of the boys look exactly the same, no one can be held accountable for their actions, negating personal responsibility as a group identity is
When viewing the atrocities of today's world on television, the starving children, the wars, the injustices, one cannot help but think that evil is rampant in this day and age. However, people in society must be aware that evil is not an external force embodied in a society but resides within each person. Man has both good qualities and faults. He must come to control these faults in order to be a good person. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding deals with this same evil which exists in all of his characters. With his mastery of such literary tools as structure, syntax, diction and imagery, The author creates a cheerless, sardonic tone to convey his own views of the nature of man and man’s role within society.
Whenever someone is wearing a mask or has a painted face, evil is at large. The very purpose of a mask is for hiding. The boys use the masks to hide their lust for blood, killing, and death from their consciences. When going to hunt for the first time, "Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness" (Golding page #) because he knew that his manner of hunting was evil and would only lead to lascivious killing. While describing that hunt to the boys, Jack was "twitching" and "shuddering" as he talked. He knew it was wrong. Eventually all the savages hid behind their masks when their lust for killing climaxes on the manhunt for Ralph. Throughout the story, all hunting, killing, and shedding of blood was done while the boys faces were hidden by masks.
The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding used a group of British boys beached on a deserted island to illustrate the malicious nature in mankind. Lord of the Flies dealt with the changes the boys underwent as they gradually adapted to the freedom from their society. William Golding's basic philosophy that man was inherently evil was expressed in such instances as the death of Simon, the beast within the boys, and the way Ralph was fervently hunted.
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is tale of a group of young boys who become stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. Intertwined in this classic novel are many themes, most that relate to the inherent evil that exists in all human beings and the malicious nature of mankind. In The Lord of the Flies, Golding shows the boys' gradual transformation from being civilized, well-mannered people to savage, ritualistic beasts.
The main theme of Lord of the Flies is that moral nature is not instinctive in mankind. There is a capacity for evil in all people, and their morality is superficial. Nonetheless, it is this moral integrity that must continue in order for a person to be ethical, for society to be maintained, and to keep society from falling in on itself. Society holds everyone together. Without the rules and the structure, evil in everyone becomes more prominent, and ideals, values, and basics of right and wrong are forgotten. Without society's rigid rules, chaos and savagery come to light. There are also a number of secondary themes in the book such as: people will abuse power when it is not earned; people will degrade others to heighten their own sense of security; the fear of the unknown is powerful; it can make you turn to insight or hysteria. All of the themes are shown using symbolism.
Though a mask may just be a paper cut out, a molded piece of plastic, or in the Lord of the Flies, a painted face, they all have the same ability to create a feeling of freedom from responsibility. They may make they wearer feel more important or powerful and too good for work, leading to a lack of fulfillment of their responsibility. This belief in freedom from responsibility is best exemplified by Jack, the first one on the island to begin wearing a mask. He used a mask because he felt it gave him power and skill, giving him reason to take up hunting as a prime responsibility, opposed to keeping the fire going. In their...
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.
The war paint teaches readers the theme when Jack and his hunters use the paint to mask themselves behind it, giving them a new identity. While attempting to explain the purpose of the war paint, Jack states, “For hunting. Like in war. You know-dazzle paint. Like things trying to look like something else-...” (Golding 63). The hunters use the war paint to remove themselves from civilization, concealing their humanity. When they hide behind masks, they are letting the darkness amongst the island take control of them. In today’s world, people try to hide behind things in order to have a new identity, for example: social media, just as Jack and the Hunters hide behind the paint, in attempt to justify their inhumanity. We also see the war paint used to show darkness and its power when Ralph is considering giving in to the tempting darkness and putting on the paint. While they all enjoyed their meat and the hunters began cheering, “Ralph watched them, envious and resentful” (Golding 75). Darkness of the heart is portrayed as a powerful force, persuading all of the boys to become uncivilized animals, removed from society. Even though Ralph was still slightly angry because the fire was not lit, watching the hunters enjoying their meat and having fun tempted Ralph into giving up his civilized manor and becoming one of them.
In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, the boys who are stranded on the island come in contact with many unique elements that symbolize ideas or concepts. Through the use of symbols such as the beast, the pig's head, and even Piggy's specs, Golding demonstrates that humans, when liberated from society's rules and taboos, allow their natural capacity for evil to dominate their existence.
This paper will explore the three elements of innate evil within William Golding's, Lord of the Flies, the change from civilization to savagery, the beast, and the battle on the island. Golding represents evil through his character's, their actions, and symbolism. The island becomes the biggest representation of evil because it's where the entire novel takes place. The change from civilization to savagery is another representation of how easily people can change from good to evil under unusual circumstances. Golding also explores the evil within all humans though the beast, because it's their only chance for survival and survival instinct takes over. In doing so, this paper will prove that Lord of the Flies exemplifies the innate evil that exists within all humans.
Lord of the Flies provides one with a clear understanding of Golding's view of human nature. Whether this view is right or wrong is a point to be debated. This image Golding paints for the reader, that of humans being inherently bad, is a perspective not all people share. Lord of the Flies is but an abstract tool of Golding's to construct the idea of the inherent evil of human nature in the minds of his readers. To construct this idea of the inherent evil, Golding employs the symbolism of Simon, Ralph, the hunt and the island.
Symbolism is defined as the representation; treatment or interpretation of things as symbolic. In society and in particular, literature, symbolism is a prominent component that helps to illustrate a deeper meaning then perceived by the reader. Symbolism can be anything, a person, place or thing, used to portray something beyond itself. It is used to represent or foreshadow the conclusion of the story. In William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies symbolism of the main characters Ralph, Jack and Simon plays a very important role in helping to show how our society functions and the different types of personalities that exist. An examination of Simon as a symbol of good, Ralph as a symbol of the common man, and Jack as a symbol of evil, clearly illustrates that William Golding uses characters as a symbol of what is really happening in the outside world throughout the novel.