What Is An Allegory In Lord Of The Flies

In the novel, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, there are two levels to the story. The two levels are very much different. one level consists of a simple story about young boys getting stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere, but the other is a symbolic story of struggle for power, knowledge, leadership, and fear. Based on being an allegory, Golding reveals how he feels about human nature through the use of symbols, Specific diction, and character development.

An allegory is when a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one, it can also be defined as a story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for a political

or historical situation, Golding’s novel can be interpreted as an allegory because there are multiple symbols throughout the story, each character is a symbol. Ralph symbolizes democracy, Jack represents authoritarian, Piggy’s glasses represent knowledge, the conch represents order. Through the use of these symbols Golding paints an alternate picture to the simple story about young boys it seems to be on the surface.
A major symbol that reveals the author's feelings about human nature throughout the story is the beast.

The beast began as a dream the little ones had night after night, something the big kids didnt think much of, because they were just little kids. Not long after a disappearance, most of the boys begin to believe that the beast is a real being that either comes down from the sky during the night or emerges from the ocean while they sleep. The majority of the boys accept this as truth. But simon denies it, stating, "Maybe […] there is a beast… What I mean is . . . Maybe it's only us . . ." (Golding 89) Simon does not believe there is a physical beast, but that the beast lies within each of our hearts. Which is the point Golding wants to get across. Golding uses the beast as a symbol to reveal his beliefs about mankind's true intentions. Golding reveals that humans are evil, that without rules and civil behavior that has been set in place by society already, we are all truly savages, and that the further we drift from society, the more savagery there is. Although simon was correct in his assumption,he did not confirm this until he comes face to face with the lord of the flies himself, "Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's a no go? Why things are what they are?" (143) Although this is true, the other boys laughed in his face, and their belief in the beast continues

to grow stronger. Even though it seems clears the beast only lurks within their hearts, they get further from rational thought, so they cannot see the truth.
Specific diction used to describe humans, and what is said by them throughout the novel, also reveals the author's feelings about human nature. As the group became more savage they started chanting "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in” While viciously killing pigs, showing how evilly humans are viewed by Golding when they do not follow the social normalities. When describing the
children later in the book, they were not described as one would normally see a child anymore, for example, "He could see a striped savage moving hastily out of the green tangle, and coming toward the
mat where he hid, a savage who carried a spear." (198) Here the author directly characterizes a boy who was once a young, civilized, child, as a savage. He describes him as if he was a bloodthirsty animal, which at this point, he may have been. Goldings ability to characterize a young boy as such shows that no matter what age, everyone has a capacity for evil and wrong. Overall Golding’s ideas on human nature show that everyone has a capacity for evil, specifically when there are no longer rules and regulations to keep us in place.
Character development is a huge factor in the novel, and one of the most obvious changes that occurs. In the beginning of the book, All of the boys are described innocently, laughing, playing, all forgetful of where they are and what could happen in the soon future. Ralph, the main character, is described as the “fair boy” which is quite different than how he would be described later on. The group of boys went from being a group of young boys, passing around a conch to share their ideas, to a group of savages with painted faces, yielding spears, dancing, and chanting while killing pigs.
In this allegory, Golding tells a story of young stranded boys who turn into savages, while telling another story of symbols at the time. He shares what he believes is true anout human nature, that we all have the capacity for evil, and that the only thing keeping us grounded are regulations. Based on being an allegory, Golding reveals how he feels about human nature through the use of symbols, Specific diction, and character development.