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| Essay 3 |
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Literary Analysis: Lord of the Flies The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is a novel that relies heavily on symbolism to tell a story. There are many examples of symbolism in this book. Some of the examples play a major role in the story while other symbols play a minor role. A major symbol in this book is the conch shell. It is the first important discovery on the island. The shell is discovered by Piggy and Ralph at the beginning of the book. They use the shell to call assemblies. The conch shell soon becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order. During an assembly, the boy who has possession of the shell is given the right to speak. The shell has a great influence on the boys by being a symbol of civilization. Ralph uses the shell when he talks about the murder of Simon. When Piggy is murdered the conch shell is destroyed. This event is significant in the novel, because Piggy's murder marks the end of civilized behavior for the boys. Since the conch shell is destroyed at the same time Piggy is murdered, the destruction symbolizes the end of civilized behavior on the island. Another symbol in this book is the signal fire. The fire originally burns on top of the mountain. The boys later move the fire to the beach. The purpose of the fire is to get the attention of passing ships so the boys can be rescued. The fire becomes a symbol of the boys' connection to civilization. When the boys keep the fire burning brightly, they have great hope to be rescued. When the fire gets low or burns out, The boys do not care if they are rescued. At the end of the novel, the boys build a fire to help them hunt Ralph. This fire burns out of control, and its flame signal a ship which comes to the island. Ironically, the fire of savagery brings the ship to the island, not the signal fire. The Beast is one of the most important symbols in the novel. The beast is not actually real. The boys' fear of the Beast proves that savagery exists within all human beings. Simon is the only one who knows the Beast is not real. Simon realizes that the boys are afraid of the Beast because it exists inside all of them. Each day their belief in the Beast grows stronger. By the end, the boys are worshipping the Beast like a god. The Beast came out in the boys' behavior, so the worse they act, the more realistic the Beast becomes. The Lord of the Flies is another major symbol in this book. A grotesque pig's head represents it. Jack offers the pig's head to the Beast as a sacrifice. The symbolism comes into place when Simon confronts it and actually seems to talk to it. The Beast tells Simon that the real evil is within the boys. It also promises Simon that it will have some "fun" with him. The "fun" foreshadows Simon's death. The Lord of the Flies is a symbol of power and evil and is a manifestation of the Beast. The Lord of the Flies represents the devil, just as Simon represents Christ. "Lord of the Flies" is a translation of Beelzebub in Biblical terms. Beelzebub is a powerful demon in hell often thought to be the devil. Symbolism plays a major role in the book. Without symbolism, the message of the book would not be strong. |