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The use of symbolism in Lord of the Flies
Symbolism of the novel Lord of the flies
Symbolism of the novel Lord of the flies
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William Golding develops numerous symbols in Lord of the Flies, some of which include the conch shell, the fire, and Piggy’s glasses. Each of these symbols presents a key element to the story and represents something far greater than its plain, physical being. For instance the conch shell, which was presented to the characters early on in the story and lasted until nearly the end, seemed to represent the civilization and order of the island. The first action the conch is used for is to call an assembly and to find out if there are others or if they are alone on this island, this occurs on page sixteen where it is said “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us—.” Forever after this initial usage, the …show more content…
His specs represent the power of science and intellectual endeavor in society, and once they are stolen by Jack, Ralph’s group is left helpless. As long as he can remember, Piggy has been wearing glasses, and they are a focal point and representative of his personality as a whole, always grounded to reality and based on facts. The first real use of the specs, other than for Piggy’s sight, is when they are used to start the fire on page 41, “Ralph moved the lenses back and forth, this way and that, till a glossy white image of the declining sun lay on a piece of rotten wood. Almost at once a thin trickle of smoke rose up and made him cough.” After this moment, Piggy’s specs where the key to fire, rescue, and smoke, and whoever possessed them had the power of science, as well as fire, on the island. This need for fire is a crucial part in the story, and the drive of whether to use it as a smoke signal or for cooking is a widely discussed debate among the boys. Eventually, on page 168, the need for fire to cook his meat from hunting becomes too strong and Jack, with his gang, attacks the others for Piggy’s glasses, “The chief led then, trotting steadily, exulting in his achievement. He was a chief now in truth; he made stabbing motions with his spear. From his left hand dangled Piggy’s broken
The Pigman by Paul Zindel is a book that has many symbols, and means of those symbols can be explained to the farthest extent. This will talk about some of the many symbols that are used in this story.
When Piggy’s glasses break in half, it symbolizes the boy's descent into savageness. Glasses, by definition¹, are “a pair of lenses used to correct or assist defective eyesight for an individual with vision problems.” Obviously, these glasses are only effective when the lenses are not broken, and this principle also applies in The Lord of the Flies. In The Lord of the Flies, the goal of the boys is to survive, and get rescued off of the island. To get rescued off of the island and therefore survive, Ralph decides that the boys need a fire, to make a smoke signal so passing ships or planes can spot them. They use the lenses of Piggy’s glasses to start this fire. When Jack lets this fire go out when he is out hunting for a pig, Ralph gets very angry, because the passing ship could have rescued them. This leads to the first fight as a result of the boy's’ newfound savageness. This fight leads to Piggy’s glasses breaking for the first time. Piggy’s glasses break again when Jack’s group steals them in a bid to start a fire of their own. “I just take the conch to say this. I can’t see no more and I got to get my glasses back.
Piggy is the only one on the island who can see clearly, his glasses portray that for him. Piggy’s glasses do not only help him literally see, but they also help with clarity and staying focused on the task at hand, “Ralph remember what we came for. The fire. My specs” (Golding 177). Piggy is reminding Ralph of their task at Castle Rock, to get the specs and the fire back. Piggy is focused on the task at hand and wants to get the job done the way he in visions it. He wants to get the job done and he wants to get out of there. Piggy is bringing clarity to the boys, “Which is better-to be a pack of painted indians like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is? ...rules and agree or hunt and kill? ...law and rescue or hunting and breaking things up?” (Golding 180). Piggy is trying to talk sense into the savages and he is making them reflect on their actions comparing them to both camps. He is trying to bring common sense back into the boys. He is helping them see what they have done because their vision is a little blurred from being on the island for so long. Piggy realizes the situation is getting tense and tells his camp and Ralph that it is time to take care of the situation. Piggy takes over at the assembly and puts jack in his place , “I just take the conch to say this. I can’t see no more and I got to get my glasses back. Awful things has been done on this island. I voted for you for chief. He’s the only one who ever got anything done. So now you speak, Ralph, and tell us what. Or else –” (Golding 170). The da...
The first symbol in Lord of the Flies is the conch. In the beginning of the novel, the conch was used to get everybody’s attention. Ralph and Piggy found the conch in the lagoon. Piggy remembered and said, “A conch he called it. He used to blow it and then his mum would come. It’s ever so
In the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding the meaning behind symbols pivot throughout the story. The conch first representing civilization and order becomes meaningless and is destroyed, while Piggy’s specs originally standing for the capability of fire and escape shifts into a symbol of power. Finally, the rescue fire began as a beacon of hope for escape, but is molded by Jack into a weapon of mass destruction. These symbolic values all change due to Jack’s manipulation of the boys’ mindset. The boys regress from wanting to return into civilization to embracing
"A conch he called it. He used to blow it and his mum would come. It's ever so valuable" Piggy, Lord of the Flies. The novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is about an island of stranded young boys and their acts of survival among other events. In the book, there are many objects that symbolize a certain trait or idea. The conch, first written on page fifteen of chapter one, has a much larger symbol then most readers know. In fact, it can symbolize many things, such as power and order among the island of boys. This conch can be classified as a character all its own. As you read Lord of the Flies, the symbol of the conch can be unclear, for it actually has many symbols, as do main characters such as Ralph and Jack. The conch is an important object in the novel Lord of the Flies.
In the novel Lord of the Flies William Golding uses many forms of symbolism to point out the underlying conflicts in their society. By using these symbols he makes the reader not only think about the problems that arise in the book, but also hints towards problems in our society today. The story uses the conch, fire, and the glasses to reference other meanings in the story. These symbols play a crucial part in the story in which they provide the reader with information that isn’t directly stated but is inferred.
Piggy's glasses, or “specs” as they are referred to in the story, contribute in many ways to both the plot and character development/descriptions, but their contribution to the boys' survival is probably the most important. Upon discovering themselves on the island, Piggy, and eventually almost all the other boys, realize the necessity for a signal to alert any adults in the area of their presence. After understanding this,they further recognize that they need a signal fire to aid in their discovery. The only problem with this ingenious plan is the lack of fire-starting equipment. Jack points to Piggy's glasses, and exclaims that they should "use them as burning glasses!" (Golding, pg 52). The problem with this newly created fire, however, is that it gives Jack and his band of hunters a reason to hunt (for the meat). They would be unable to cook the pigs otherwise. This is in a way ironic, as the fire is supposed to save the children, but the hunting that derives from it is the cause of a...
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.
Traditionally, conch shells are used to create trumpeting sounds when blown into correctly. However, in The Lord of the Flies written by William Golding, their found conch shell turns into so much more than just a call or sound. From the beginning of the novel, the conch is shown in many strong ways and affects each character differently. Mainly Jack, Ralph, and Piggy each change because of what the conch symbolizes to the boys. The symbol of the conch shell impacts different aspects of Ralph, Jack and Piggy including; power, importance, envy, and downfall. Piggy is influenced by the impact of the conch on Ralph and grows to be more confident in feeling more important with the conch by his side. Ralph was able to line his own leadership power by making the conch such an important object on the island, and Jack while once wanting all the
In his novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding presents a conch shell representing the order of civilization. He uses this symbol to effectively portray the theme that humans are inherently evil and have savage desires, shown through the decline from discipline and peace among the boys on the deserted island. In the novel, civilization directly correlates to the boys’ past lives in England. Before coming to the island, there were adults present who maintained order by enforcing rules and punishing those who did not follow them. However on the island, the conch, representing this society, is a powerful object that demands the respect of the boys in a similar way that the adults do.
William Golding’s use of symbolism in The Lord of the Flies creates an allegory in which the conch represents democratic rule and order. At the beginning of the novel, the conch is respected and helps keep order. As Jack gains more power, the conch loses its effect. When the conch is ultimately destroyed, the boys’ descent to savagery is complete. The conch shell’s power and loss of power represent the conflict of civilization versus savagery in the novel. When the conch is broken, savagery and the innate human capacity for evil win out.
William Golding once said, "Anyone who moved through those years without understanding that man produces evil as a bee produces honey, must have been blind or wrong in the head." He describes humankind to be malicious after his experiences in World War II. His excessive lack of faith in humanity allowed him to express this theme in a book about proper British schoolboys. This proclamation was portrayed as the major theme in the Lord of the Flies. Throughout this allegorical novel, Golding uses a major symbol, the conch shell, to express this theme. Golding's usage of the conch shell at first as a tool to govern the boys' meetings symbolizes order and democratic power. As
Imagine a group of young boys who have just crash-landed on a deserted tropical island with no adults or supervision. William Golding showed in his ground breaking novel Lord of the Flies, what may happen in just those circumstances. In his very complicated and diverse novel Golding brings out many ideas and uses many literary devices. Above all others though comes symbolism of three main important objects being the conch, fire, and "Piggy's" eyeglasses. Through each of these three symbols Golding shows how the boys adapt and change throughout the novel. These symbols also help to show each of the boy's ideals on a variety of elements from human nature to society and its controls. All three of these symbols also change and are one of the most important elements of the story.
The conch shell was an object that Ralph found in the lagoon and was used to call assemblies. The sow’s head is a pig’s head that was chopped off and put on to a stick for the "beast". The conch is a symbol of the powers involved with civilized leadership. In the beginning of the Lord of the Flies, the boys valued the conch and the rules that came with it. The conch serves as an object that represents the sense of public law and power.