ipl-logo

Summary: Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies

320 Words2 Pages
Nicole Hero
Mrs. Davis
Cultural Foundations
23 December 2015
Symbolism in Lord of the Flies In the adventurous novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, symbolism is used throughout the whole book. A group of boys from Britain were on a plane that was shot down over a deserted island. Soon after leaders were elected, Ralph is in charge and Jack is in charge of the hunters. The conch, Piggy’s glasses and the fire all mean so much in this book. Without them, surviving would not be the same to the boys. In the novel Lord of the Flies symbolism is used to show order, intelligence, and rescue as shown in the conch, Piggy’s glasses, and the fire. The very first symbol that Golding made noticeable was the conch shell. The conch was found by Ralph
Show More
Related
653 Words | 3 Pages

In William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies, the reader comprehends symbols that go throughout the book. These symbols are key factors which determine the importance of the novel. The symbols are a very important part of the literary content. In order to really follow along and understand the story, the reader must understand these symbols for what they mean as well as how they are used. Some of the symbols include the conch, the island itself, and fire.

Read More
641 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel Lord of The Flies by William Golding, symbolism was a frequent and helpful tool used by the author. Symbols are a huge part of the novel in helping the reader understand the plot, conflict, and characters in a deeper way. Physical items such as the conch, Piggy’s specs, and the fire hold deeper meaning and show more insight into the author’s purpose and theme. The conch was introduced at the very beginning of the novel.

Read More
1962 Words | 8 Pages

There are multiple symbols within Lord of the Flies, however, the fourth chapter mainly focuses on Piggy’s spectacles, fire, painted faces, and long hair. It is Piggy’s glasses and their reflection that causes the boys to first create a fire on top of the mountain. Without them, the boys may still remain in the dark before finding an alternative way to spark a flame. This makes the spectacles a key survival tool. Therefore, the spectacles represent the progression of technology on the island and the ability to mold nature to man’s will.

Read More
882 Words | 4 Pages

Symbolism of the Conch in Lord of the Flies by William Golding represents civilization. The novel Lord of the Flies is about a group of boys from England who have been stranded on an island after an airplane crash. They are expected to fend for themselves and are slowly reverting back to their primal savage ways. The group is quickly split into two a savage side and a rational, civilized side. Throughout the novel a key symbol was the conch.

Read More
1951 Words | 8 Pages

In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses items and people to symbolize many different things. These symbolic things include Piggy’s glasses, Simon’s epilepsy, the Lord of the Flies, and arguably the most important symbol, the conch shell. The conch shell was first found in the water by Piggy, who then comes up with the idea of using the conch as a blow horn to call for meetings. Throughout Lord of the Flies, the conch shell becomes not only associated with Ralph and his leadership, but with Piggy and his intuitive and wise ideas and Jack and his dictator-like, irresponsible authority. The conch shell, representing law and order, assisted in the election of Ralph as chief and ultimately determines the future of the island.

Read More
576 Words | 3 Pages

In my project, I depicted the symbolism of Jack and the pig in William Golding’s Lord Of The Flies. In the beginning, Jack names himself a hunter; this illustrates the savage side of human nature. As the novel continues, and the desire to hunt and kill increases, and Jack finds himself not only a hunter but also feeling like he is being hunted. This change represents how fear overpowers hope and fuels the dominance of savagery. In the end of the novel, Jack turns from hunting pigs to hunting Ralph.

Read More
1122 Words | 5 Pages

Everyone will face evil at some point in their lives, but the way the evil is embraced or deflected will differ among every man. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, symbolism is used to communicate the theme of Understanding the Inhumanity/Inherent Evil of Man as represented through the double ended spear, the fire, and the Lord of the Flies. The spear represents the evil inside of humankind and the perception that killing and hurting each other out of anger is acceptable. Fire symbolizes the evil act of stealing to achieve a human wants. Lastly, the Lord of the Flies symbolizes the Inherent Evil of Man through demonstrating that a boy understood that the evil is within them instead of around them, and is not something that could be killed

Read More
2042 Words | 9 Pages

Lord of the Flies remains Golding’s most accredited piece of work. It is an apparently simple but densely layered novel that has been categorized as fiction, fable, a myth, and a tale. Generous use of symbolism in Golding’s work is what distinguishes him with other authors of the same genre. For example, the conch shell, that represents a vulnerable hold of authority which was finally shattered to pieces with Piggy’s death. Secondly, for the other boys, Piggy’s eyeglasses represented the lack of intelligence which was later defeated by superstition and savagery.

Read More
429 Words | 2 Pages

In Lord of the Flies, William Golding weaves in Biblical ties through characters, actions, and intentional symbolism to better explore mankind. Biblical figures were shown throughout the book with the use of different characters and their actions. Simon, a shy independent boy represents the Messiah Jesus. As told in the Bible, Jesus dies while spreading knowledge to others. Similarly, Simon dies while trying to tell the other boys about the man on the hill.

Read More
1036 Words | 5 Pages

This is an example of how the conch symbolizes the rules within the boys society because the conch is what tells when the boys when they can talk. The rules created by the conch is what led to a lot of the boys disagreements which slowly drove them to become¨beasts¨. Overall the conch is the most symbolic piece in Lord of the Flies because it symbolizes the boys rules, their civilization, and power over the boys. This is important to the theme of the story because the conch helps the boys realize that they are the beast all along. The conch helps the boys to notice this because when it breaks they realize it was controlling them all along and making them the

Read More
969 Words | 4 Pages

Literary Analyses of the Lord of the Flies The Lord of the Flies demonstrates a wide variety of symbolism; from Christ to Satan the children are portrayed in an abstract manner to represent these religious beings, as well as a symbol of great strife for power. Two of the main symbolic devices are used in the form of a mystical Conch and a cumbersome Sow’s head perched atop a stake; however these symbols represent very different ideas. Next the Lord of the Flies demonstrates the burden and struggle of power in multiple ways. William Golding included within this novel the power of symbolism, using inanimate objects, characters, or even landmasses to represent ideals derived from basic human morals and Christian religion that has a major influence

Read More
615 Words | 3 Pages

Golding says “The boys broke into shrill, exciting cheering” (41) in the beginning of the novel, then at the end of the novel says, “A great clamor rose among the savages” (164). William Golding who wrote The Lord of the Flies changes his word choice from “boys” to “savages” to emphasize the fact that the boys change into savage creatures. Three symbols represent civilization and change into chaos over the course of the novel. The three symbols representing change are Piggy’s glasses, The fire, and the conch. These figures demonstrate the important theme that the calm civilization will soon break out into disorder.

Read More
1781 Words | 8 Pages

Lord of the Allegory The novel Lord of the Flies is described as an allegory novel (Carter). An allegory is a text which contains many things which are symbols and have a deeper meaning. Some examples of items in the novel that represent a deeper meaning include the conch shell which represents law and order, the beast which represents the savage instinct within humans and the pig hunts which represent the need for power.

Read More
1295 Words | 6 Pages

William Golding was born September 19, 1911. He was mainly a novelist but his body of work also includes poetry, plays, essays, and short stories. Golding is from England, and the characters in his novel are British. His time in World War II and the Royal Navy gave him the impression that man produces evil. The outcome of his experiences in the war gave him the inspiration for his novel Lord of the Flies, which is full of symbolism and allows Golding to continue on with future work expressing internal struggle and good and evil.

Read More
835 Words | 4 Pages

Symbols are objects, characters, colours or figures that are often used in literature to add a greater meaning to a text. One must comprehend the significance of symbols to fully understand a literary work. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the Conch and the Fire are both important symbols that are presented in the allegory. Nonetheless, it is evident that the Fire is more significant than the Conch when one considers the plot, character and theme. To begin with, the Fire plays a more important role than the Conch because it continues to effectively develop the plot.

Read More

More about Summary: Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies

Related Topics

Open Document