Fire In Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Essay

The author William Golding is able to indirectly ridicule human nature and point out how thin the fabric that makes up modern society really is. He does this in his allegorical book The Lord of the Flies through the use of symbols and metaphors.
One of the first symbols introduced in Goldings book was the conch. This shell is what first brings the group together when Ralph blew it. Later the shell was used to decide who could talk during a meeting on the island. The shell represents the law and order and how it brings us together and keeps things organized in society. During the first half of the book nearly everyone respects the rules regarding the conch, but as the book goes on, the group rejects the conch and therefore rejects law and order

This book can be interpreted to see fire as a symbol for wants and desires. The fire was a very important in the beginning of the book as a way to call for help and escape the island. Later, after the group splits into two separate tribes the fire becomes so important that Jack leads an attack on the others to attain the fire and Piggy’s glasses which are used to make it. Early in the book the fire also gets out of hand and kills the boy with the mulberry mark. This shows how people can often times let their desires consume them. A symbol which is introduced later in the book was the parachutist. He is seen as a threat to the boys who think that he is trying to kill them. The parachutist represents the fear of the unknown. This fear of the unknown adds to the tension already building within the boys and ultimately leads to the slipping of the group. This is similar to how the fear of the unknown can wreak havoc on people and relationships in the real world. The final symbol in this book was the officer who saved the boys at the end of the book. The officer represents civilization and the return of order. The officer is the first adult that the boys have seen since being stranded on the island. He has come from the outside world onto the island and is able to take the boys off the island and return them to