How Does Golding Use Symbols In Lord Of The Flies

1509 Words7 Pages

“Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?”(176). A group of English schoolboys are marooned on a jungle island with no adults after their plane is shot down in the middle of a war, so the boys set up rules to govern themselves, but Ralph becomes frustrated when no one helps him build shelters. Lots of boys goof off, while Jack obsesses about hunting and takes every opportunity to mock Piggy, who is smart but weak. Several themes can be detected within Lord of the FLies including, human nature, civilization, savagery, and religion. Golding addresses these topics through symbolism, conflict, irony, and …show more content…

Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. A symbol is an object, person, place, or an event that stands both for itself and--through association--for something beyond itself. Symbols appear throughout Lord of the flies, for example, The tropical island,with its gorgeous terrain and plentiful resources, symbolizes paradise. It is like the Garden of Eden in which the boys can try to build a society from nothing. The "Lord of the Flies," the head of a pig which the boys mounted on a stake in the ground. It symbolizes the evil that lies deep within every person. The phrase "lord of the flies" is a translation of the Greek "Beelzebub," a devil mentioned in the New Testament. In the Bible, Beelzebub seems to represent Satan himself. The conch shell symbolizes civilization, law, and organization.