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Lord of the flies characters analysis essay
Lord of the flies characters analysis essay
Uses Of Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies
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Humans, for many years, have been considered a superior species, although this may not be accurate. In the book, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, Golding’s personal opinion of the evil and savagery in human nature is delivered to the reader all throughout the book. The story is about a group of boys who got stranded on an island following a plane crash. At first they tried to create a stable society in which they could live peacefully. This did not last though, as there was friction between Jack and Ralph over who would become leader. Eventually, Jack created his own group which tended to act violently. Throughout the book the children acted more and more violently, and there were three deaths on the island before they were rescued. …show more content…
Within the story, Golding tried to persuade readers of his opinion that the savage nature of humans is revealed when society is not present by using rhetorical devices such as similes, metaphors, and symbolism. Golding’s use of similes allowed him to persuade readers that humans are naturally evil beings. The first example is when Jack, one of the main characters, had an obsession with hunting and killing a pig. While trying to catch the pig, Jack acted more animalistic than human. Golding explained his action, saying he moved “dog-like uncomfortably on all fours” (48). By comparing Jack to a dog through a simile, Golding portrayed Jack’s character as more animalistic. Golding’s purpose was to show how Jack was beginning to transform from a polite British boy into a savage. Later in the story, when Piggy tried to get his specs back after they were stolen, Jack’s group became violent, which ultimately ended in Piggy’s death. “Piggy's arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pig's after it has been killed" (Golding 181). Golding used a simile to compare Piggy to a pig, which has two strong effects on the reader. First, the comparison dehumanized Piggy and reveals absolutely no remorse or sadness for his death among the boys, which expressed the savagery of the children. Secondly, it showed how the kids in Jack’s tribe saw the death; insignificant and no different than the death of an animal. In conclusion, the use of similes throughout the book allowed Golding to persuade readers that the actions of human beings outside of society is evil, violent and savage. Golding also used metaphors to make comparisons to further his ideas of savagery in all humans. Early in the story, Golding began to paint a picture of the boys through a metaphor. When the children arrived after Ralph blew the conch, Golding said, “The creature was a party of boys” (19). By comparing the group of boys to a creature, Golding foreshadowed the actions of violence to come in the book. This comparison also displayed the kids in a negative light in order to help Golding express his opinions of savagery in humans more easily and effectively throughout the story. Afterwards, Golding used this technique when Ralph went to Jack’s tribe in an attempt to get Piggy’s specs back. Jack refused to return them and decided to tie up Samneric, causing Ralph to brake. Ralph screamed, “‘You’re a beast and a swine and a bloody, bloody thief”’ (Golding 179)! The comparison between Jack and a beast and a swine is used by Golding to show that Jack has become completely savage. This was important because it provided emphasis for the transformation of Jack’s character from child to savage. All in all, Golding used these similes continued to build on his opinion that all humans are evil beings who, without society’s influence, will act violently. The final important device which Golding utilized to convince readers of his opinion of human nature is symbolism.
During his search for the beast, Simon was surprised by what he found. The beast was not really a physical creature, but something very different. Simon mutters in his shock, “‘Pig’s head on a stick,” and later the beast said, “‘You knew didn’t you? I’m part of you” (Golding 143)? The pig’s head on a stick, or the Lord of the Flies, is symbolic of the evil nature within the boys. The use of a pigs head on a stick is symbolic because savage nature is what sparked Jack’s desire to brutally kill a pig, and the murdered pig later became the being which represented that same savage nature. The symbolism in the Lord of the Flies was also important in advancing the plot of the story, by teaching the reader and Simon that the “beast”, which was referred to all throughout the story, is really just the nature of the children. Another symbolic item that was important during the story was the conch. Early in the story, when the children were trying to peacefully settle into their new environment, they decided that the conch will be their alternative to raising hands. Ralph said, “‘I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking”’ (Golding 33). Golding used the conch to symbolize the boys’ connection back to society. Later in the book, when the conch was destroyed, Golding made the kids act even more savage and violent because they had lost all ties back to regular society. This symbolism showed how good human behavior is strongly connected with society. By symbolically creating a pig’s head on a stick and a conch to represent much bigger ideas in the lives of the kids, Golding helps the reader to understand his belief that without society, humans’ savage nature would be
revealed. By using rhetorical devices, specifically similes, metaphors, and symbolism, Golding attempted to persuade his readers that all human being are inheritably violent and evil creatures. Golding compared the children to animals with many of his similes and metaphors, which was very important to expressing his ideas. He also created different symbolic objects, representing savage nature and society, to persuade readers of his opinions. These rhetorical devices were very important for understanding the message of savagery in human nature that Golding expresses in this book.
That symbol represents the evil within the boys because that is a symbol of a violent death of a pig. It represents how Simon saw how people thought it was the beast but really the idea of the beast was inside all of them and the evil they thought was in the island was inside everyone. When Simon goes to tell everyone that there is no beast, they kill him. Golding also states that “They were black and iridescent green and without number; and in front of Simon, the Lord of the Flies hung on his stick and grinned.” This quote shows the evil within man through the Lord of the Flies because the pig head is black. Black is usually a color that represents evil and darkness. Simon saw the evil right in front of him in the form of a pig’s head. The Lord of the Flies tells Simon that he is not wanted in the island. Golding shows in this quote, ‘“Simon’s body was arched and stiff. The Lord of the Flies spoke in the voice of a schoolmaster. “This has gone quite far enough. My poor, misguided child, do you think you know better than I do?”There was a pause. “I’m warning you. I’m going to get angry. D’you see? You’re not wanted.’ The Lord of the Flies thinks that Simon is not wanted with and that Simon isn’t as smart as the Lord of the
and applies this to the origin of human nature. Seeing the boys lose their innocence throughout the novel, the reader is reminded of humanity’s capacity of evil and how man made moral systems and codes are superficial. The central symbol in ‘Lord of the Flies’ is the pigs head on the stick, which represents the destruction, demoralisation and decay in humanity. The continuing motif of falling is seen in the “fall of human kind”, and the “fall of reason” as Piggy’s glasses are broken and the boys lose their
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.
Through the progression of William Golding's Lord of the Flies and the article, “Are Humans Good or Evil” by Clancy Martin and Alan Strudler, a multitude of undeniable evidence is provided to prove that humans are in fact inherently wicked. In Lord of the Flies, a human being’s savage nature and primal instincts are effectively portrayed through the development of Jack, the lead hunter in a group that gets meat for the boys. Little Jack Merridew, who seems to be nothing but a naive and obnoxious chorister, becomes one of the most malicious and violent boys on the island. Jack's wilder side shows itself the most when he goes hunting. Making one his first kills brought such exhilaration, satisfaction, and pure bloodlust, that it drove him to insane limits,
Humans, by nature, are genuinely good people who show compassion and concern for others, right? Well true, if we all lived in a utopian land. Unfortunately, humans are, in fact, evil and easily corrupted by others. In William Golding’s 1954 published Lord of the Flies, the boy’s on the island learn that a peaceful civilization is easily destroyed without cooperation or agreement. The frustration manifested itself, making a transformation of the boys into meat hungry, hunters, who even try to hunt the other boys who don’t follow the pack. Golding analyzes the flaws of human society, directly related to human nature.
Humans are intricate. They have built civilizations and invented the concept of society, moving accordingly from savage primal instincts to disciplined behaviour. William Golding, however, does not praise humanity in his pessimistic novel, Lord of The Flies, which tells the story of a group of British schoolboys who are stranded on an uninhabited tropical island without any adults – a dystopia. Golding evidently expresses three views of humanity in this novel. He suggests that, without the rules and restrictions on which societies and civilizations are built, humans are intrinsically selfish, impulsive and violent.
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 and most obvious symbols in Lord of the Flies is the object that gives the novel its name, the pig's head. Golding's description of the slaughtered animal's head on a spear is very graphic and even frightening. The pig's head is depicted as "dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth," and the "obscene thing" is covered with a "black blob of flies" that "tickled under his nostrils" (William Golding, Lord of the Flies, New York, Putnam Publishing Group, 1954, p. 137, 138). As a result of this detailed, striking image, the reader becomes aware of the great evil and darkness represented by the Lord of the Flies, and when Simon begins to converse with the seemingly inanimate, devil-like object, the source of that wickedness is revealed. Even though the conversation may be entirely a hallucination, Simon learns that the beast, which has long since frightened the other boys on the island, is not an external force. In fact, the head of the slain pig tells him, "Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill! Ö You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?" (p. 143). That is to say, the evil, epitomized by the pig's head, that is causing the boys' island society to decline is that which is inherently present within man. At the end of this scene, the immense evil represented by this powerful symbol can once again be seen as Simon faints after looking into the wide mouth of the pig and seeing "blackness within, a blackness that spread" (p. 144).
Golding drives the point that the instinctual evil within man is inescapable. At one point in the book, when the Lord of the Flies is representing all evil, this theory is stated as, "The Lord of the Flies was expanding like a balloon" (Golding 130). Along with this idea is the religious symbolism that is used for ineffectively confronting the evil. At a point in the book, Golding has Simon, symbolic of Jesus Christ, confront the Lord of the Flies. This is a pig's head on a stick that is imagined to talk and represent the evil in all humans. Simon tries to act and spread the knowledge of this evil to others but is killed. This is a direct reference to the death of Christ, alluding to the Holy Bible.
Lord of the Flies is a novel that is all about symbols that have different powers which is used on the boys. Two of the symbols which are the conch and the sow’s head contain powers that are opposite of each other and they have a great affect on the boys. Lord of the Flies would be a different story without symbols. The conch has the powers that lead to civilization and order. It represents the authority that the boys will need to get rescued from the island. The sow’s head on the other hand represents the evil powers to lead the boys to total chaos and savagery which is created by Jack. Jack has used one of the sow’s head’s symbolism which is the beast to control his group. The conch has a power that is used for order and civilization, while the sow’s head has a power to control evil and savagery.
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.
When the conch broke in the Lord of the Flies, it manifests the collapsing of order and civilization by savagery on the island. The sow’s head is a symbol of savagery, evil and authoritarian government. The power that the sow’s head has is fear and threats. These are two things that the character Jack used to control the other boys. It is also is known as the‘Lord of the Flies”, it is a manifestation inside the character Simon’s head. It serves as a push to get Simon to reveal the truths to the other boys.
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.
There are myriad symbols in the novel which incompass human nature.The beast in the novel represents the religious aspect all societies ability to generate a common fear.The need for fear is one of the most powerful tools in development due to the way in can hold a generalized accountability. Jack 's reign reflects the very depths of human instinct and how humans are inevitably malicious. He used the fear of the beast to control all of the people that followed him. On the other end of the spectrum the conch represents order, which is broken as soon as they let fear govern their morals. The lord of the flies is a sow 's head that jack impales on a stake which is used to symbolize the devil just as simon alludes a christ like figure. The sow 's head makes the reader visualize a palpable evil in the novel. The behavior of the boys in general determines that environment directly regulates
In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, symbolism and allegories were used to show how the children who are stranded on an island have a huge struggle with civilization and savagery. Ralph, Piggy, Jack, and Simon are the ones in the novel that struggle with this the most.