The symbolism of power
Imagine being trapped on a deserted island and having to make a life on it. In the novel, Lord of the Flies William Golding provides symbolism in many ways to show a hidden message to the reader. It can be seen in many things throughout the book such as the Conch the fire, piggy’s glasses and the impaled pig's head. These symbols explain the hidden message to the reader and show how some of the boys are changing into being civil to savages. Without the symbols and its reminder of order and civilization, the boys become more savage and have the ability to kill.
One of the symbols that have a major effect on the story is the conch. Throughout the story, the conch is shown as a symbol for power, authority, and order. This Symbol means a lot because it not only is used to call meetings but also to set up order when the boys talk, “ We can't have everybody talking at once… he held the conch before his face. I'll give the conch to the next person who speaks”. (pg 33) When Ralph and Piggy call a meeting with the conch it shows
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These symbols appear throughout the novel and play a major role. Piggy's glasses are used to start the fire signal which is hope for getting rescued. “Piggy, for all his ludicrous body, had brains.” (pg 78) he was never appreciated even though he was the only intelligent one. Piggy's glasses stand for knowledge and power, Piggy’s image might be different and be described as fat and lazy but really was the most true person throughout the novel. His glasses were the only hope they had in the beginning. The pig's head is another important symbol in the novel, the head is the opposite of the conch. It represents the evil and savagery that lies within the boys. Only one person, which is Simon, can see that the true beast isn't a monster or a pig's head, rather its evil that is inside each boy, something that the others of the island can not