Literary Criticism Lord Of The Flies

1075 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The use of symbolism in Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies Literary Criticism

In the book Lord of the Flies, there is a major conflict in who should and who does have the leadership role. Jack and Ralph the two main characters have a constant fight at who is the leader which in turn causes major problems for them and the other kids survival. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the main character, Ralph’s leadership qualities at the beginning of the book are created by the symbolism of the conch shell which indirectly gave him the leadership role throughout the book and in the end once the conch lost its power, it’s dignity, and it’s sign of peace, hope, and freedom, Ralph did too.

The first piece of evidence is at the very first part of the story.They had already began …show more content…

Then at the same time, Jack did too, on page twenty, “ The group of cloaked boys began to scatter from close line. The tall boy shouted at them. “Choir! Stand still!” that was his command to his choir which they obeyed this is showing how Jack also had leadership qualities, how his “boys” followed, and listened to him and then how they supported him. This implied that they had respect for him, which he had to of earned, thus showing he may have had what they were looking for. It all came down to the the symbolism of the shell. On page twenty it went to show how the shell was symbolized when even Jack took notice of it, he …show more content…

On page ninety-nine it said “...Ralph took the conch from where it lay on the polished seat and held it to his lips; but then he hesitated and did not blow. He held the shell up instead and showed it to them and they understood.” This then shows a good bit of symbolism relating to his leadership qualities, by making that specific choice making another could have aroused much more trouble than needed, wanted or, appropriate. This went on to affect how they reacted to the beast’s possibly presence. It showed major leadership and smart thinking on the part of Ralph all of which is symbolized by the shell. In the story the shell represents the bravery, courage, intelligence, skill, and even patience Ralph ahd dealing with the others and surviving on the

Show More
Related

  • Ralph Leadership In Lord Of The Flies Essay

    607 Words  | 2 Pages

    My Essay is about Ralph and and his Motivation’s and did he contribute to the tragedy in any way. Also about if he prevented any of the deaths and what would I have done differently in his situation. I defend Ralph’s actions as leader, He had tried his best but everyone fell apart. Did Ralph contribute to the tragedies? Ralph had tried his best but he was struggling at handling the problems on the island, He was unaware of the boy’s and what was going on. He had tried to contribute to all of the tragedies but there was too much going on around him it was just hard. What was wrong with Ralph too was that jack ignores everything and try’s to do his own thing the whole time instead of working together with everyone. All Jack wants is his way or his way to him there is no other way. So yes Ralph had try to contribute to the tragedies but Jack and other boys had just did what they wanted to do instead of doing what they should have done. So Ralph had really struggled dealing with everybody. In my opinion Ralph was doing a good job, Yes he kind of gave up for a little b...

    Read More

  • Leadership and Denial in Lord of the Flies by William Golding

    678 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Peter Drucker, he claims, “Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.” Leadership is a commitment that is meant to be kept and done accurately. Leading a group or a society can lead to dreadful obstacles, but it’s your responsibility to have a solution to end. Ralph and Jack as a leader cause a majority of downhill for the boys. Affecting themselves and their surroundings to abruptly fall into pieces. Which lead to a mass destruction of the island, Lord of the Flies. The devastating events on this island lead to the massive chaos of Lord of the Flies, blaming Ralph and Jack for denial, lack of cooperation and inefficient leadership.

    Read More

  • Simon Lord Of The Flies Essay

    574 Words  | 2 Pages

    Amongst the boys which have be stranded on the coral island, There is one certain character, a character that is different from the rest of the boys, a character which is wise and understanding but most of all importance a character with a symbol. This character is Simon. He is one of the most symbolic characters from the beginning to end.

    Read More

  • Use of Symbols to Portray the Descent from Civilization to Savagery in Golding's Lord of the Flies

    666 Words  | 2 Pages

    The conch shell represents democracy, power and stability. When Ralph first discovers the conch shell, Piggy proposes to Ralph that they, “…can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come, when they hear us” (16) and that was the birth of the conch shell. Throughout meetings that are held at the beach, the conch is used as a “speaking stick”. After Jack separates himself from the rest of the tribe, Ralph barges into the camp and attempts to use the conch shell to gather up his former tribe mates. The boys say that th...

    Read More

  • The Lord of the Flies as Social Commentary

    2079 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Lord of the Flies is an ultimately pessimistic novel.  In the midst of the cold war and communism scares, this disquieting aura acts as a backdrop to the island.  The Lord of the Flies addresses questions like how do dictators come to power, do democracies always work, and what is the natural state and fate of humanity and society, getting at the heart of human nature in a very male-dominated, conflict-driven way.  The war, the plane shot down, and the boys' concern that the "Reds" will find them before the British, shows Golding's intention of treating the boys' isolated existence as a microcosm of the adult military world.

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies Literary Analysis Essay

    1004 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lord of the Flies is a novel written by William Golding in 1954 about a group of young British boys who have been stranded alone together on an island with no adults. During the novel the diverse group of boys struggle to create structure within a society that they constructed by themselves. Golding uses many unique literary devices including characterization, imagery, symbolism and many more. The three main characters, Ralph, Piggy, and Jack are each representative of the three main literary devices, ethos, logos, and pathos. Beyond the characterization the novel stands out because of Golding’s dramatic use of objective symbolism, throughout the novel he uses symbols like the conch, fire, and Piggy’s glasses to represent how power has evolved and to show how civilized or uncivilized the boys are acting. It is almost inarguable that the entire novel is one big allegory in itself, the way that Golding portrays the development of savagery among the boys is a clear representation of how society was changing during the time the novel was published. Golding is writing during

    Read More

  • Lord of the flies essay - excellent

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lord of the Flies: Final Essay Exam. Are the defects of society traced back to the defects of human nature? The defects of society, and how it relates to the defects of human nature, can be explained with the savagery that drives the defects of society and the same savagery that drives the defects of human nature. In this story, Lord of the Flies, Golding shows the id, ego, and superego within the characters in the book. Golding represents the id with Jack, whereas the id says “I want, and I want it now,” and Jack constantly wants and needs power, and wants his way in every situation.

    Read More

  • Ralph is the Best Leader in Lord of the Flies

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    In a group, there are always people who prove to have better leadership skills then others. The strongest of these people can often influence the weaker people into following them. However, the strongest person is not necessarily the best leader as it is proven in William Golding's book, The Lord of the Flies. Although Ralph is the weaker person, he is still able to show a better understanding of people than Jack who is stronger. Ralph demonstrates his excellent leadership skills throughout the book by keeping the group in line, treating everyone with respect, and staying focused on getting rescued.

    Read More

  • Why Is Piggy A Good Leader

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although, Piggy and Jack have some leadership qualities, Ralph is the best leader. This is shown all throughout the novel, Lord of the Flies, by Williams Golding. Piggy is portrayed as the wisest of them all and understands priorities; however he lacks confidence from time to time. This makes him a good leader but not the best. Jack on the other hand, is egotistic but has his good qualities as well, such as knowledge and courage. This makes him a potential leader like Piggy, but not the best. Ralph however shows the most positive qualities of being a leader. He is optimistic, committed and knows his priorities, thus making him the best leader on the island. From the day we were born, we were governed by a set of rules that influenced our behaviour. Would the story have been different if civilization was maintained on the island?

    Read More

  • Criticism on Lord of the Flies

    3555 Words  | 8 Pages

    Jack, who, when he can't have his own way, won't play any more and goes

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies, An Analysis

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    People are privileged to live in an advanced stage of development known as civilization. In a civilization, one’s life is bound by rules that are meant to tame its savage natures. A humans possesses better qualities because the laws that we must follow instill order and stability within society. This observation, made by William Golding, dictates itself as one of the most important themes of Lord of the Flies. The novel demonstrates the great need for civilization ion in life because without it, people revert back to animalistic natures.

    Read More

  • Lord of the Flies essay

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    Leadership is something that stands out in people. In a group, people tend to look to the strongest person to follow. However, the strongest person may not be the best choice to follow. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Ralph and Jack each have leadership qualities. Jack is probably the stronger of the two; however, Ralph is a better leader. He has a better understanding for the boys. He also has more common sense and treats the boys better than Jack.

    Read More

  • The Importance of Leadership in Lord of the Flies

    1082 Words  | 3 Pages

    In William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies Ralph though not the stronger person, demonstrates a better understanding of people than Jack which gives him better leadership qualities.  Ralph displays these useful human qualities as a leader by working towards the betterment of the boys' society.  He knows the boys need stability and order if they are to survive on the island.  He creates rules and a simple form of government to achieve this order.  Jack does not treat the boys with dignity as Ralph does.  Ralph understands that the boys, particularly Piggy, have to be given respect and must be treated as equals.  This makes Ralph a better leader as he is able to acknowledge that he was not superior to any of the other boys.  Ralph's wisdom and ability to look to the future also make him a superior leader.  Ralph has the sense to keep his focus on getting off the island.  He insists on keeping the fire burning as a distress signal.  Ralph's leadership provides peace and order to the island while Jack's leadership makes chaos.

    Read More

  • The Conch Shell In Lord Of The Flies

    1097 Words  | 3 Pages

    The shell drops and shatters into dozens of pieces, and so does Ralph’s group. Ralph’s tribe has always represented responsibility through rules and ideas of civilization so it shows what the shell represents when Jack says, “‘See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I mean that! There isn’t a tribe for you anymore! The conch is gone—‘“ (181). As soon as the conch shell is destroyed Jack says that there is not a tribe left due to only the conch breaking. It shows the relationship between the more sophisticated culture of Ralph’s tribe and the conch shell. And it is true, his tribe did end when he lost his piece of influence. But the conch shell also relates to another character, Piggy. When thinking of the shell Ralph can be easily brought to mind, but Piggy and the conch almost represent each other. Piggy is a civil thinker with a responsible mind that stayed by Ralph and respected the conch. So knowing that they represent each other it is important to note that at the exact moment Piggy dies, the shell shatters. As if at that very moment all order and civility on the island died. Looking at what happens next it is clear that savagery does take over, Ralph classifies everyone as savages, everybody is trying to hunt Ralph, and the entire inland of the island is torched to smoke him out. The savagery takes over the second the conch shell is gone, the order on the island died.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of First Chapters in Lord Of The Flies

    1125 Words  | 3 Pages

    From the beginning of Lord of the Flies by William Golding up until the very last punctuation mark, it is instinctively known that this is one of the very best reads you will ever encounter in your lifetime.

    Read More

More about Literary Criticism Lord Of The Flies

Open Document