Symbolism In Lord of the Flies
Symbolism played an important part in the development of story. This narrative
technique is used to give a significance to certain people or objects, which
represent some other figure. The following table lists many of the examples of
symbolism used throughout Golding's book.
Object/Character
Piggy (and
Glasses)
Represents
Clear-sightedness, intelligence. Their state represents the status of
social order.
Ralph, The Conch
Democracy, Order
Simon
Pure Goodness, "Christ Figure"
Roger
Evil, Satan
Jack
Savagery, Anarchy
The Island
A microcosm representing the world
The "Scar"
Man's destruction, destructive forces
The Beast
The evil residing within everyone, the dark side of human nature.
Lord of the Flies
The Devil, great danger or evil
There are many other aspects in the story that may be considered symbolism,
but the several above are probably the most significant. Another good example of
symbolism, brought to my attention by a site visitor, is the shape of the island.
The boat shape of the island is an ancient symbol of civilization. The water
current around the island seems to be "flowing backwards," giving the subtle
impression that civilization may be going backwards for the island or its
inhabitants. Additionally, another reader pointed out that Jack could also
represent Communism or Fascism. Golding was influenced by events during the
time period that the book was written, which was around World War II.
Themes
William Golding presented numerous themes and basic ideas that give the
reader something to think about. One of the most basic and obvious themes is
that society holds everyone together, and without these conditions, our ideals,
values, and the basics of right and wrong are lost. Without society's rigid rules,
anarchy and savagery can come to light.
Golding is also showing that morals come directly from our surroundings, and if
there is no civilization around us, we will lose these values.
Other secondary themes include the following:
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People will abuse power when it's not earned.
When given a chance, people often single out another to degrade to improve their
own security.
You can only cover up inner savagery so long before it breaks out, given the right
situation.
It's better to examine the consequences of a decision before you make it than to
discover them afterward.
The fear of the unknown can be a powerful force, which can turn you to either
insight or hysteria.
Miscellaneous Information
William Golding obviously was influenced by several other authors in his creation
of Lord of the Flies. His references to Coral Island and the use of the names Jack
and Ralph are both derived from Robert Ballantyne's Coral Island. He has also
had influence from the likes of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Jules Verne. Golding,
however, held a much more negative outlook on human nature, which he
expressed in his works, beginning with Lord of the Flies.
Metaphor Analysis
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Beast: The beast, the Lord of the Flies, is seen as a real object on the island which frightens the boys.
Actually the beast is something internal; the Lord of the Flies is in soul and mind of the boys, leading
them to the natural chaos of a society with no reasoning adults. Only Simon understands what the real
beast is, but is killed when he tries to tell the boys about the Lord of the Flies.
Conch: The conch shell symbolizes the law and order of the old adult world which Piggy tries so
desperately to protect. The conch represents all the authority which the boys are so used to obeying.
When Roger destroys the conch, anarchy quickly ensues because any hope of strong, central
leadership has been abandoned. The island society collapses into chaos.
Facepaint: This is the excuse many of the boys use for living as hunting savages, instead of civilized
English citizens. The paint symbolizes the smoke-screen the beast uses to infiltrate the boys’ souls.
Fire/Smoke: The smoke of the signal fire symbolizes the last best hope of the boys being rescued. To
Piggy and Ralph, the fire represents the moral influence of their old life in England. When the fire goes
out, Ralph loses his bearings, unsure of his next move.
The fire is diatonically opposed to hunting, the activity of anarchy on the island.
Island: Golding purposefully picked an island to be the landing place of the crashed plane because an
island is isolated from the rest of society. The boys have no contact with the outside world and must
look to themselves to solve the problems of their own micro-society. In this way, the island, which
symbolizes isolation, serves as a perfect backdrop for the frailties of human nature which eventually
surface.
Glasses: The glasses symbolize the voice of reason and logic among the boys. Piggy defends his
glasses even more than the conch. Piggy, who represents the superego of the boys’ (and society’s)
collective personality, uses his glasses to find solutions to the boys’ problems. The most important
solution the glasses find is the lighting of the fire, the boys’ best chance of being rescued.
The Parachute Man: The dead body flying in the parachute symbolizes the end of adult supervision of
the boys on the island. While the parachute man is flapping back and forth on the island, conjuring up a
powerful image of its prolonged death, the Beast, or Lord of the Flies, is prospering under its new
control over Jack and most of the other boys on the island. So while the law and order of the adult world
is waning, childish chaos is growing exponentially. Simon has a special connection with the parachute
man. He climbs the mountain, subconsciously, to determine whether the parachute man is still alive.
When he finds out that the man is dead and that the Beast is alive, Simon has a nervous breakdown.
The moral confrontation which occurs when Simon has the interview with the Lord of the Flies
symbolizes man’s inability to conquer the evil anarchy of the devil.
The association between the expression "Lord of the Files" and the devil can be traced back to the
Scriptures where the word Baal-zebub/Beelzebub appears. This word was first used in the Old
Testament and in Hebrew the literal meaning of Baal is lord and Zebub is a large destructive fly. In the
New Testament, which was originally written in Greek, Baal-zebub is Beelzebub, or Beelzebul, a name
used in reference to Satan.