Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Analysis

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William Golding is essentially the king of symbolism and covert delineation. The Lord of the Flies is a novel based around a large handful of English schoolboys becoming stranded on an island that will later become a sadistic dystopia. The boys are left unsupervised with only their ill experienced wits to survive and rule. A power struggle breaks out between two of the main characters, Jack and Ralph, Jack being the antagonist and Ralph being the protagonist of the story. In modern pop culture, Jack and Ralph would compare to an event like North Korea versus South Korea. Lord of the Flies is home to many forms of symbolism, including the importance of Piggy 's glasses, the fire on the island, the sow 's head, the beast and the conch shell; all of these items play a huge role in shaping the story, tone and the mood.

The conch shell acts as if a golden artifact among the boys at the island. Whenever one of the boy 's holds the conch shell, only they are permitted to talk at an assembly or gathering. "laid the conch with great care in the grass at his feet" (8.74). "Shut up," said Ralph absently. He lifted the conch. "Seems to me we ought to …show more content…

In order for William Golding to shape a perpetual tone and mood for the Lord of The Flies, outstanding symbolism must be used to inadvertently show the reader a bigger picture. Symbolism is an amazing feat and technique utilized by some authors to get across a larger point, and it proves to be very effective. Many different entities within this novel are used explicitly to explain symbolism and get across a higher point. Piggy 's glasses for control and power as well as necessity, the fire for rescue and destruction, the beast for savagery and illusion, the Lord of the Flies for evil, and the conch for power, civility and society. Remember, even a pair of glasses can mean the world to someone else, so don 't break or steal

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