Use of Allegory and Symbols in William Goldging's Lord of the Flies
William Golding's Lord of the Flies allegorically shows the good and evil that co-exists in every human being. Each character and symbol renders this possible by what it represents. Ralph and Jack allegorically represent opposing political forces: Jack as the dictator or fascist and Ralph as the prototype of a democratic leader. The island represents the archetypal garden and the conch shell represents power. Golding uses British schoolboys to show progressive degeneration and to prove that a little bit of evil exists in all of us. Each of these symbols aid in proving that we all have some evil in our hearts.
Ralph begins the story as a carefree boy who does not understand the tragedy befallen upon the boys. Ralph soon realizes a need for authority and becomes the true leader of the boys. He represents a democratic leader and a traditional form of government. To enforce a parliamentary procedure, he uses to conch shell. It symbolizes power and authority. No boys are aloud to speak at a meeting without holding the conch. He symbolizes the exact opposite of Jack; his evil and rage remain well hidden which aides in keeping peace on the island for most of the time. In one scene, when Jack and Ralph are brought together physically after Jack refuses to help build the huts, Golding seems to prepare the way for a larger contrast of two life-views as he opposes Jack-the-hunter to Ralph-the-builder. Ralph also helps to bridge the world of his common sense and Piggy's intelligence. Golding's comparisons are reminiscent of moral allegories. Ralph could not defend civilized ideals without his sidekick Piggy's insightful ideas.
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... parachutist symbolizes as the past, the legacy taught by history, which the older generation always expects the younger generation to accept and follow. It could also represent the wellspring of evil, which becomes manifest most obviously in the act of one man killing another. Perhaps it represents fallen man, whom Simon later redeems or sets free.
Lord of the Flies teaches many valuable lessons about evil and its impact on human behavior. Golding uses allegory effectively to remind us of this potential hazard. Recent events in Afghanistan and New York City painfully remind us of this flaw in human nature. Hopefully, this powerful novel will open people's eyes to the evil inside of them so they will not make the mistakes made by the characters in this book.
Works Cited:
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Putnam Publishing, 1954.
General William Techumseh Sherman’s March through Georgia and South Carolina was the turning point in the American Civil War. After heavy fighting in Tennessee and Kentucky General Sherman requested permission to take a large force of men on a campaign to the Atlantic Ocean through North and South Carolina, Georgia, then turning North back through the Carolinas and Virginia. The goal of the campaign was to divide the Confederate states by going through the middle of them and destroying anything of military value. General Sherman’s March did achieve its goal from a military standpoint but the manner his army accomplished its goal was ethically improper. Perhaps the most famous portion of Sherman’s March was his campaign from Atlanta to Savannah and then to Colombia, South Carolina.
Ulysses S. Grant was an American general and 18th president of the United States. Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio, on April 27, 1822, the son of Hannah Simpson and Jesse Grant, the owner of a tannery. Taken to nearby Georgetown at the age of one, he was educated in local and boarding schools. In 1839, under the name of Ulysses Simpson instead of his original Hiram Ulysses, he was appointed to West Point. Graduating 21st in a class of 39 in 1843, he was assigned to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. There he met Julia Dent, a local planter's daughter, whom he married after the Mexican War.
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Known to be one of the most merciless Generals in U.S history, William Sherman was born to a prominent family in Lancaster, Ohio, on February, 8, 1820, one of 11 children. His father, Charles, was a very successful lawyer and Ohio Supreme Court justice. Sadly, when William was only 9 years old, his father died, leaving the family devastated and with no money. Thankfully, the Sherman was cared to by a family friend, Thomas Ewing, a senator and prominent member of the Whig Party. William was said to have received his middle name, Tecumseh, from the Shawnee Indians, who partially raised him.
Robert E. Lee has been regarded by many historians as one of the greatest American generals and military engineers in U.S. history. He revolutionized the tactic of trench warfare that would be widely used in World War I. Also, Lee was able to defeat much larger Union armies with command of a much smaller force of troops using astute military tactics and strategies.
...r his tactics. Historians and other officials have given credit to Sherman, for his tactics. He changed the face of war forever, and described it for what it is, “War is Hell!”
The Lord of the Flies by author William Golding is a tale of a group of boys who have been stranded on a deserted island as a result of a plane crash. The boys are faced with plenty of challenges that they all choose to make different choices for such as turning towards savagery for Jack and towards civility for Ralph, which ultimately brings the entire groups sanity to the edge. Within the novel there are plenty of themes, and most of them relate to the inherent evil that exists in all humans as well as the savage nature of mankind. In The Lord of the Flies, Golding shows these boys’ transformation from being a civilized group of boys to savage beasts due to their adaption to the freedom that they have in their new society, which connects
Ulysses S. Grant shows great leadership skills throughout the Civil War and his effect on the war is tremendous. In fact without him, the Union army may not have won. Grant will be forever remembered in history and he carries the legacy of being one of the greatest military commanders.
Golding uses many symbols in the novel, Lord of the Flies, to represent good and evil in society. He uses Simon to represent the peacefulness of life and the kindness of a good heart, while Piggy represents the civilization on the island and the adult viewpoint of the children. The conch symbolizes order and also adult behavior. It is a symbol of strength and knowledge as well, as the evil of the beast represents the fear in the boys. All of these symbols change as the story goes on, some changes are less obvious and are the result of the readers new perspective while others undergo dramatic, and quite obvious, change.
Jefferson Davis was born on June 3, 1808 in a portion of christian county, Kentucky. His father was a Revolutionary soldier in 1776. Jefferson's three brothers, which are all older than him, fought in the War of 1812. As a boy Jefferson Davis recieved his academic education and then was sent to Transylvania University in Kentucky. He remained at the University until he was 16 years old.
Robert E Lee is very quick and smart. He knows how to improve the quality of troops and to nullify the Union’s advantage. Lee is willing to make bold and risky moves, and does not let his defeats hinder his performance. General Lee has great relations with his soldiers, and uses his engineering experience to his advantage.
William Shakespeare is clouded with mystery. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England in 1564. "Although his exact birth date is not know, there is a record of his baptism on April 26, 1954" (Kay 13). "His date of birth would have fallen shortly before that day is traditionally considered to be April 23, 1954" (Campbell and Quinn 755). He was born to John Shakespeare and his wife, Mary Arden and was the oldest of three sons. He also had four sisters. "Little is known of Shakespeare's early life, although it is likely that he received an education at the good local grammar school" (Lawall 2110). Other than that, there really is not much known about Shakespeare's youth. The next concrete piece of evidence about Shakespeare's life is his marriage to Anne Hathaway in November 1582, when he was just eighteen years old. It was a marriage of inconvenience. Anne was eight years older than he was and pregnant at the time so they had no choice but to marry. Their first daughter, Susanna, was born in 1583 and twins Hamnet and Judith were born in 1585. Sha...
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is tale of a group of young boys who become stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. Intertwined in this classic novel are many themes, most that relate to the inherent evil that exists in all human beings and the malicious nature of mankind. In The Lord of the Flies, Golding shows the boys' gradual transformation from being civilized, well-mannered people to savage, ritualistic beasts.
When viewing the atrocities of today's world on television, the starving children, the wars, the injustices, one cannot help but think that evil is rampant in this day and age. However, people in society must be aware that evil is not an external force embodied in a society but resides within each person. Man has both good qualities and faults. He must come to control these faults in order to be a good person. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding deals with this same evil which exists in all of his characters. With his mastery of such literary tools as structure, syntax, diction and imagery, The author creates a cheerless, sardonic tone to convey his own views of the nature of man and man’s role within society.