Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Analysis

Jillian Baker

Mrs. Kokan

CP English III

8 May 2014

Symbolic Elements in Lord of the Flies

“A symbol is literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone. Symbolism is using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning” (Literary-Devices). A symbol can be anything imaginable, such as a conch shell, signal fire, or even a pair of glasses. A symbol can represent things such as authority and power, connection to reality, vision, and knowledge. Having the capabilities of changing something that would seem to be so trivial and hollow, a symbol can morph into one of the most important elements of a work. William Golding uses symbolic elements in his book Lord of the Flies to depict themes throughout the work. Golding uses symbolism to portray the many themes throughout the book.

One of Golding’s most recognizable symbols is the conch shell that Ralph and Piggy found positioned in the sand. The conch shell represents power and authority. After trial and error, Ralph figures out how to make the shell to fabricate that infamous noise that he has heard so much about. The boys think of how the noise-making shell could be to their advantage. The conch shell is “used to call the children to assemblies” (Cox 170). Throughout the day, the boys could be found all around the island because they are gathering firewood, food, or just fooling around. Whenever Ralph wants to call the boys together, he needs a device that can be heard at each end of the island; when the boys hear the conch, they go to their camp. Once the boys were trained, when they heard the ...

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...s” (Telgen 180). Piggy’s glasses allow him to see things that his peers are blind to, and also represent his understanding of the functionality of uncommon objects.

In conclusion, William Golding uses inanimate objects to help develop the themes in Lord of the Flies. The conch shell represents power and authority; the shell has control over the boys and represents the force the shell has on them. Connecting the boys to reality, the signal fire became important and also represents the boys’ desire to be rescued. The boys recognize that fire is a necessity to survival and so is the smoke the fire emits. If the fire were to extinguish, so would their hope to be rescued by a passing by ship. Representing his knowledge and vision, Piggy’s glasses are symbolic of Piggy’s ability to see things the other boys cannot and also his vast understanding of how things function.