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What Does The Fire Symbolize In Lord Of The Flies

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In the Lord of the Flies, there are many significant symbols some of the most important ones being The fire, The beast, and The conch. The fire represents hope as the boys hope to be rescued and brought back to civilization. The beast represents the boy's fear and the darkness inside them. The conch represents the order and power that the boys had on the island. At first, these symbols were normal, good things but over time as the boys fell into the darkness they ruined the meaning of these symbols. These symbols represent the boy's journey throughout the story, their development, and how the boys slowly go from sweet and innocent to dark, savage, and out of control.
The boys being away from civilization need to try to start their own and to do …show more content…

From the beginning of the novel, the boys are afraid of the beast, even though they do not know what exactly the beast is. They believe at first that it is a physical creature that was on the island, waiting to attack them. However, as the story progresses, it becomes clear that the beast is not real, but instead a manifestation of the boys' own fears and the darkness within them. As Simon says, "Maybe there is a beast...maybe it's only us" (“Golding” 80). This quote shows how the boys' fears turned into reality and that the beast is a representation of the darkness within themselves. The boys are scared of the beast because they are scared of themselves and what they have become living on the island. As the story progresses, the idea of the beast becomes more and more powerful, fueling the boys' fears and driving them to violence. Jack and his tribe use the idea of the beast to justify their savage behavior and start hunting and killing animals. The beast becomes a powerful symbol of darkness and fear, driving the boys further and further away from civilization and closer to complete

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