Symbolism – LOTF
The conch
- The conch is a tool to build up a
civilization on the island. Through the
power of the conch Ralph is able to make
meetings. Without the conch it would have
been very difficult to get things organized
and to get to know who is on the island. It
is even a symbol of the group outside the
choir because Ralph is the owner of the
conch, a means of power. Then there is also
the choir, which represents the other group.
The boys make use of the conch to elect a
leader. Therefore the conch also stands for
democracy. Ralph is chosen on account of
most votes, but compromises with Jack, the
leader of the choir, by power-sharing. The
conch even stands for justice and equality
because everybody has the right to state his
opinion through the conch. Soon their
meetings can be regarded as a kind of
“Parliament” in which they talk about
problems and discuss possible
improvements. They boys come from an
English school and now attempt to
continue their ideals of law and order on
the island. But soon things are
deteriorating. Jack is not satisfied with his
position and wants to dominate all the
children. He is the one longing for the
conch to fulfill his will. Principles like
justice and equality become blurred more
and more (e.g. Piggy is not allowed to use
the conch).
The sea
The sea is
the barrier
between
civilization
and the
seclusion on
the island.
In the poetic
depiction of
Simon’s
death, it also
represents
an almost
supernatural
power far
beyond the
limited
scope of the
island
community.
The island
The island represents good and evil. It stands for
a new independent life without any adults who
rule the children’s’ life. So it is like treasure
island at first glance. The island is full of life there are animals and lots of fruits to make food
of. It has an idyllic effect which, however, is
deceptive. - The fruits cause diarrhea and
stomach-aches. There is also the heat which is
overwhelming. Some “littluns” are afraid of the
island because of its alleged beasties, and
therefore have nightmares. One part of the island
is the jungle which shows the dangerous side of
the island. The “boy with a mark”, presumably
the first dead corpse, goes missing after he was
last seen entering it. - The “good” and the “evil”
sides of the island are representative of human
beings. Golding’s intention is “to reveal the
potentiality of evil in any society and to show the
end of innocence and the darkness of man’s
heart.” - The island shows that besides mankind,
nature can also change its face. But often changes
in nature are caused by mankind. They boys make
a fire in order to be rescued, but they do not
notice that they destroy nature. Only Piggy is
aware of the importance of nature and its
relationship with human beings. - The island can
also be seen as a location of an experiment. The
children have to build up a society without adults,
so they are dependent on themselves. But the
experiment fails. Jack, once chapter chorister in
the choir, becomes a cruel murderer with features
which are similar to a dictator’s.
The fire
The fire is the most
important thing on
the island. It is a
possibility to be
rescued, and
therefore a medium
to communicate,
and represents at
the same time the
origin of mankind.
The fire is even a
tool to prepare
food, and gives
protection and
comfort at night.
But there is also
something negative
about the fire. It
shows the intention
of humans to
control nature by
destroying it.
Through harming
the island
surrounding, they
destroy their own
habitat (no fruits,
animals,…) and
cause damage to
themselves.
Symbolism – LOTF
The pig
The pig is a recurring motif in
“Lord of the Flies”. It
illustrates the line of aggression
which becomes more and more
dominant in the course of
events. So it is a symbol of
Jack’s leadership. The pig-runs
and the dances around the fire
show the upcoming madness
which leads to the slaying of
innocents in the boys’ mystic
rituals. It even anticipates
Piggy’s death. His nickname
Piggy contains the syllable
“pig” and apparently bears
symbolic meaning. He is killed
by the hunters like a pig in one
of their cruel “feasts”.
The beast
The extreme unusual situation
on the island leads the boys to
fear and terror of the beast.
Simon’s recognition that there
is no real beast means that there
is only the power of the boys’
fear. Jack makes use of this fear
to gain more and more
supporters. In truth he is the
one being a beast by building
up a reign of terror. His
behaviour has to be regarded as
the evil in every mankind, the
“beasty side”.
The Lord of the Flies
The Lord of the Flies is
connected with the symbol of
the pig (or rather, the head of a
pig). It is the prince of the
devils and a symbolic
dramatization of human evil.
The head is called “Lord of the
Flies” which is a translation of
the word Beelzebub (name of
the devil in the Bible). In its
“speech” in front of Simon it
says: “You knew, didn’t you?
I’m part of you? Close, close,
close! I’m the reason why it’s
no go?…” So it is probably
Golding’s intention to
emphasize the existence of evil
inside man and its part in the
human condition. He describes
the fight between good and evil
which is inside every human
being. Therefore he puts
Simon, the good one, and the
Lord of the Flies, the evil one,
together in this mystical scene.
Golding’s intention
William Golding wrote “Lord
of the Flies” after the events of
the Second World War. He
wanted to show that it is wrong
to believe that evil only lives in
other nations. Many believe
that after a war everything bad
is destroyed. But Golding
points out the existence of evil
in all of us. He thinks about the
events in Germany and is sure
that it can happen in any
country. - That is the reason
why every symbol in “Lord of
the Flies” has a good and an
evil side (e.g. the island). The
struggle between good and evil
still goes on, and will continue
to do so…