Symbolism
If the boys in the island stand for a world that has degenerated into an orgy of self-destruction, it is easy to see Ralph as representative of political leadership. His advocacy for the signal fire to be kept alive suggests that civil authority has a religious basis (for, the fire represents the universal metaphysical quest for God). The opposite of this faith or facile hope of salvation (depending on ones perspective) would be existentialism. It is significant that the fire is started through the use of Piggy's eye glasses, suggesting that religion has an intellectual basis. As the French philosopher Voltaire put it: If there were no God there would be the need to invent one. The creepers that burst out of the fire are mistaken by the litl'uns for snakes, in consonance with the universal tendency of religiously-minded persons to pejoratively label any indeterminate spiritistic phenomenon. Pertinently, even the initial fire gets out of control consuming a litl'un. Note also the impulsive rush to the mountain top when the fire-salvation message was given. This is the same haste with which people plunge into visionary movements and end up consuming their fellow man through it, killing in the name of the Lord. Such fervour often dies out as speedily as it did in the novel.
The visionary Simon is associated with butterflies (not flies) and flowers. He is solitary and exudes quiet confidence and faith. He stands for the conscience of mankind. He does not jump to conclusions but desires to prove all things and hold fast to which is true. He journeys alone to the mountain top to discover the truth about the morbid image of the parachutist and, therefore, to unveil the distorted images of religion. His climb represents movement to a higher pedestal of spiritual awareness and, therefore, freedom. At that realm, brutish nature is subdued and conquered.
The opposite of this is base religion, borne of the natural instinct of fear of the unknown. Those trapped in this negative vision mistake the fire's bursting asunder of the fetters of impediment that the creepers are, for the spewing out of deadly snakes. This state of fear is compounded by nightmarish dreams which represent negative imaginary forces that emanate from the dark recesses of the human mind. It is this innate terror that becomes concretized as the beast, the lord of the flies, otherwise known as Beelzebub (Devil). It is a creation of the boys themselves, a pig head planted on a stake as sacrifice to the unknown god (beast) as they try to come to terms with their inner dread. We are all familiar with the many demonic images and imaginations of religions, which, through the ages, have caused indescribable human suffering and kept humanity instinctively away from true worship and love of God. The collection of food, the stoking of the fire, acts basic for survival, are placed in jeopardy by this Fear. The attempt by the boys to vote out fear shows the limits of democracy in creating spiritual grace and faith, despite the many national religious coats of arm. The beast from the air, the parachutist, as an adult, would probably have helped to organize the boys, had he landed safely. Unfortunately, before floating down he was already dead. He hangs above their world like a fallen angel, feared, worshipped but dead (casualty of war) and powerless. Of the war that produced him (the dog-fight in the night sky over the island) we would seem to have several examples in Greek mythology and biblical accounts of war among the spirit beings.
Unfortunately, Simon who came from the mountain top with the truth about the beast is accused of being the beast itself and killed. Holy Prophets, including Christ, have, through the ages, been accused of having demons and martyred. Simon arrives from the mountain top to see, like Moses, a people in orgiastic regression. Simon's truth would have pointed the boys away from scapegoatism so they would be able to see themselves (mankind) as the real problem. There is, however, a gravely disturbing hint of primeval (pre-Adamic) evil in the scar across the island. It is disturbing beause coming to terms with the evil within us is hard enough, not to talk of understanding cosmic evil, which we cannot even see.
There are other levels of interpretation. Jack and his degenerate band of choirboy-hunters stand for military and Police authority. These assert themselves forcefully. Piggy stands for the intellectual and possibly the journalist in society. He receives a lot of attention but is, in reality, ignored, mocked and brutalized. He is slaughtered with his only source of power, the conch, in his clutch. The multi-layered conch stands for the slowly evolved laws of humanity. Although these are reluctantly obeyed, they help subdue the animal spirit in man. The platform stands for parliament, dignity, enlightenment, a more rational level of human existence. It is here the building of huts and a signal fire were legislated upon. The collapse of the huts signifies the failure of the vestiges of civilization. The fire also fails, and significantly, a ship (salvation) passes by while it was out. This shows that carnal pursuits retard mankind's spiritual climb to salvation. Rather than climb into self-consciousness, mankind resorts to primitive rituals designed to mask individual identity and introspection.
The internal logic of the novel makes the naval officer Ralph's father. It is, however, possible to see him as a symbol of extra-terrestrial intelligence (UFOs? Second Coming?) attracted by a nuclear holocaust. The jungle has been argued to stand for the darkness of the human spirit while the sea, it is said, stands for the destructiveness of man. It is significant that the saviour from the sea is a destroyer (gun-boat) involved like Jack and his pack, in hunting down his kind.
A word on style: The language of the boys is aptly childish and realistic. The enjoyment of their exotic environment by the boys and the close description of weather conditions (p.10) are also realistic. Golding effectively captures the psychology of children. His use of an unknown island adds an air of timelessness to this novel which is actually a fable. The characterization of Simon has been faulted as being imbued with adult elements and authorial bias. Simon's philosophical disposition appears unusual for a child of that age. However, Roger, the innately sadistic political thug and assassin (killer), Ralph, the altruistic organizer and Jack, the savage militant, are all effectively realized. Many readers query the possibility of all the children surviving the plane crash. Critics also point out that the convex lenses for Piggy's myopia would have been quite incapable of starting fires. On the positive side, there is a lot of suspense as we wonder whether the boys will survive and whether they will be able to establish contact with external help. Even their conflict helps sustain interest.
Good luck in your examinations. But remember that questions must be very carefully read and re-read before they are attempted. There is no reward for giving a learned response that is not an answer to the question asked.
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