What is the importance of symbolism in ‘Lord of the Flies’? Throughout the book there is a vast amount of symbols that Golding uses to represent other less obvious items. ‘Lord of the Flies’ has the theme of how everyone is a savage inside and that everyone can change regardless of etiquette. The book starts off as a book about a group of stranded boys, but gradually it is effectively monitoring human nature when we are left in certain conditions and how it changes. I will be discussing a few of the, in my opinion, most important symbols in the book.
This story also shows Odysseus’ resourceful attribute when he uses the rams for concealment. In the story of the Sirens he uses the wax from the ship to block the ears of his comrades, which shows resourcefulness. Additionally, the story of the Sirens shows that Odysseus is unable to endure the temptations of the sirens, as he struggles and calls to be released. From surviving this ultimate test of forbearance, Odysseus learns endurance and later, when he returns to Ithaca he will need this skill. His temper during these four books can be ungovernable, as he says: ‘Now when Eurylochus said that, I considered drawing the long sword from my sturdy side and lopping his head off to roll in the dust, but my men held me back and calmed me down’1.
This is because it keeps them calm and cool, as long as they have the conch they will be in order and under control. In addition, they don’t want everybody talking at once as said “we’ll have to have ‘hands up’ like at school.” Page (33). I think it’s great they established rules and using their minds to claim the conch as their symbol of order. Golding also includes Beelzebub in order to show that the darkness is in everyone’s heart. For example, he talks to Simon and predicts that the boys will kill him later.
William Golding uses symbolism in the form of the conch to represents the concept of society. The boys’ evolving relationship with the conch illustrates Golding’s theme that humans, when removed form the pressures of civilized authority, will become evil. In the beginning, the boys view the conch as an important symbol that unites them and gives them the power to deal with their difficult situation. When the conch is first found and blown, it brings everyone together: “Ralph found his breath and blew a series of short blasts. Piggy exclaimed, ‘There’s one!’” (Golding 16).
The conch is what represents rules and order in The Lord of the Flies. It is used for calling assemblies in which the boys attempt to make group decisions democratically. It is also used as a type of talking stick, only the person holding the conch is allowed to talk at an assembly, although this is not always the case. The shattering of the conch is a climatic point in the novel. It represents the loss of a leader and the destruction of democracy and society.
This quote displays the importance of discipline to the boys on the island. The boys value discipline a lot. They created rules for everyone to follow, however, if there is anyone who dares refuses to listen, they will be punished. For example, Ralph, the chief, first created the rule where whoever wishes to speak, the will hold the conch shell. “That’s what this shell is called.
This aspect of the human condition is expressed through the differences of Jack and Ralph’s interests and the struggle between the two sides of the boys’ nature, which soon leads to conflicts between good vs. evil and civilisation vs. savagery. When the boys first assemble together on the island, Ralph and Jack appear to be friends and allies; however the tension between them becomes more palpable as we read on. Ralph and Jack epitomises the two different representations of humans. Ralph focuses on safety, organisation and rescue. He stresses the important of keeping a signal fire and building shelters.
Thus, he was the boy has a conch .The leadership was the key of all trouble faced them. . The first trouble begins when the boys fears from the “beast” somewhere on the island so , they decide to make a fire to signal any passing ships. To doing that they use the glasses of Piggy. Jack was jealous of Ralph’s power.
Unlike Ralph's peaceful, democratic leadership, Jack believes in violence as a way to rule. Jack uses anarchism, the absence of government, as his method of winning over the boys and convincing them to leave Ralph. When Jack is originally unsuccessful as convincing the boys to convert over to his own methods, he resorts to savagery in order to become successful in gaining power and sovereignty over the boys. Jack's disrespect, desire to hunt, and violent tendencies are all ways in which he gains and maintains power over the converted boys. Most importantly, Jack's disrespect towards the other boys makes him fearful to the others, and therefore the boys feel obligated to follow his orders if they want to avoid consequences.
What role does Simon play in Lord of the Flies, discuss Word count: 1028 excluding the title Lord of the Flies is a novel about a group of boys trying to establish civilisation on an island, but with disastrous result which involves two deaths. It is written by William Golding and has caused much controversy over its theories of human nature. It is generally accepted that Ralph and Jack, two prominent leaders in the story, represent civilisation and savagery. However Simon, the second boy to die in the story, puzzles not only the characters in the book, but also the general readers. So what role does Simon play in this book?