Symbolism in Lord of The Flies

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 Represents
Clear-sightedness, intelligence. Their state represents the status of
Piggy (and Glasses)
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:

 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.

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What are some of the symbols used in Lord of the Flies and what do they represent?

What are some of the themes explored in Lord of the Flies?

Symbolism In Lord of the Flies

Symbolism played an important part in the development of story. This

Golding is also showing that morals come directly from our

Other secondary themes include the following:

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