Symbolism in Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay Example for Free

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay A book that makes a person think is always more interesting than a book that does not. Lord of the Flies by William Golding does just that! Golding, using symbolism, shows his readers ideas about human nature that are rarely thought about in society. In this allegorical piece of literature he uses objects and characters as symbols. Each important object in the book is closely related to a character in the book. For example, the conch and Ralph are closely connected, also Piggy and his glasses are directly associated. Lastly, the Lord of the Flies, which could be a character or an object, has a great affect on Simon and Jack. William Goldings symbolism creates tension that keeps his readers wondering what will happen as this group of once civilized boys turn to their instincts. One can easily see the symbolism in the conch, with Ralph representing all of the same things. Like the conch, Ralph symbolizes authority, order, respect and leadership. The conch can be seen as a simple object, but it is more fascinating to look at it as a tool used by Ralph. At the beginning of Lord of the Flies the great shell symbolizes power and authority. Ralph, the conchs first possessor, has the power to call an assembly. When Ralph blows the conch, all the boys come running to him. When the boys come to the first assembly, the conch is a symbol of order. The person who holds it is the only one that can speak. Without the conch everyone would be talking at once and there would be no organization. The conch commands respect. As the boys join the assembly they all show respect to Ralph, who is eventually voted chief because of the boys respect for him. The conch is a symbol of leadership. Ralph is the first possessor of the conch and he is the chief. The little bit of leadership given to the person with the conch is shown in that persons right to talk. Throughout the book, the conch represents the evolution of the boys on the island. It shows the change from a utopian society where everyones needs are met, to a dystopian society in which everything is disastrous and out of order. At the beginning of the book, the shell is almost perfect. The one imperfection is a small scratch, which is a foreshadowing of what will eventually happen to the boys society. The conch gets more and more scratched up, it loses its beautiful pink shade; and right before Piggys death the conch is shattered, symbolizing the complete loss of order in society. Ralph changes as the conch does. Ralph starts off believing that he is living in a perfect place where everything is wonderful. By the end he is running for his life. If he hadnt been rescued at that exact moment, then he probably would have been overcome by the evil instincts that unconsciously imprisoned the other boys. Like Ralph and the conch, Piggy and his glasses fundamentally are symbolic of the same thing. The glasses, when possessed by Piggy, represent the knowledge to see what is right, or what is best. In the Bible, in the story of Abraham, Abraham is constantly referred to as a seer, or the one who sees. Piggy is the prophet; he is the seer and visionary of this story. He is obviously the smartest of the boys; he always knows what needs to be done, he sees what is right. He and Ralph are the two that know the fire is the most important priority, because fire leads to rescue. Sometimes even Ralph forgets this very important priority. But Piggys knowledge of what is best is never lost, and is always shown through his glasses. As Piggys glasses slowly become destroyed, the boys slowly begin to lose the vision of what is right, and what needs to be done. The boys choose hunting and savagery over being rescued. The total loss to see what is right is shown when the glasses are broken and Piggy is killed. The most important symbol in the Lord of the Flies is obviously the Lord of the Flies, the Sows head on the end of a stick; it is the title of the book! The Lord of the Flies comes from death and killing, (of the sow) which shows its evil. It is the dark side of people; it is peoples evil nature. This unusual demon inhabits the souls of the young boys and corrupts them. As the boys are oblivious to everything, the demon turns the boys into savages with evil instincts that are uncontrollable. The evil spirit has the greatest effect on Jack, who already overflowing with emotion cannot handle his feelings and becomes a savage beast. The only character who is aware of the Lord of the Flies is Simon. Simon is connected with his true feelings. He sees a once perfect society being changed into hell. Simon finally meets the devil of this hellhole, and sees that his enemy is undefeatable, uncontrollable, and unbearable. It seems as if he almost commits suicide as he is slaughtered by the savage boys who are anxious for a kill. The Lord of the Flies is important because it shows that Golding believes in the evil nature that all human beings possess. Ralph has authority with his conch, Piggy can see with his glasses, and Simon has a revelation with a devil. These characters and their vital objects are symbols as well as important pieces of the story. Golding uses symbolism to add tension to a book already overflowing with thought and emotion that keeps his readers on the edge of their seats.