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Lord of the Flies Essay
English Studies
High School - Canada
• 10High School - Canada
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Symbols That Deteriorated Civilization and Order
Symbolism is any concrete person, place or object that represents a more abstract idea. Some meanings of symbols may develop and improve or they may deteriorate and become worse. In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, symbolism is a main idea that makes up the theme. Symbols appear everywhere in the novel. In the beginning, all of these symbols had a significant and positive meaning but as the novel progresses, the meanings deteriorate civilization and order. Three symbolic components on the island that represent civilization and order are the important conch, the fires made on the island and Piggy’s glasses. The first and main object that is a symbolic force on the island is the conch. The conch is a powerful force as it represents law and order. At the beginning, when Ralph finds the conch near the lagoon and “Ralph continued to blow short penetrating blasts” (Golding 14) to call all the boys on the island over to the beach shore. This demonstrates order to the island. Soon after that, they established the rule that the only person who was holding the conch was able to speak at the meetings. Ralph declares “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking” (Golding 31). This establishes that the conch represents law and order. The boys are civilized and everything goes well until the boys start to disrespect the conch and what it stood for. This was strong foreshadowing into what was to come. After the tribes had separated, Jack makes it clear that the conch did not matter on his side of the island
(Castle Rock), symbolizing that he did not want rules and regulations. Climatically, “the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (Golding 200) alongside Piggy. The destruction of the conch symbolizes, the beginning of the end of Ralph and the full transition to savagery of the boys. For that reason, the conch was a representation that helped illustrate to the reader the deterioration of civilization and order on the island. The second object that is a symbolic element on the island is the fire. In the beginning, Ralph is determined to keep a signal fire going as a rescue aid as he says “There’s another thing. We can help them to find us. If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire” (Golding 37). The signal fire demonstrates that the boys are trying to maintain social order from the outside world, so they attempt to keep the fire going. It was not long until some of the boys became more vicious and savage. While Jack and his hunters were going to hunt a pig, the signal fire went out, and a ship had passed. Ralph and Piggy got into an argument with Jack. The author says “This from Piggy, and the wails of agreement from some of the hunters drove Jack to violence. The bolting look came into his blue eyes. He took a step, and able to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggy’s stomach” (75). The boys have lost their desire to be rescued and have accepted their savagery lives as Jack becomes violent without care. Ironically, at the end of the novel, a fire does what it was originally suppose to do and rescued the boys on the island, but it was not a signal fire. Instead the fire was from Jack’s tribe, the author says
broken by savagery. Piggy’s glasses are a symbol of intelligence and technology for the foundation of a civilized society. When the glasses break, the last link the boys had to their past society is broken. In conclusion, the symbols that appeared throughout the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, helped to develop the theme of the novel. The conch, all the fires and Piggy’s glasses were all important symbolic components that helped to develop the theme of being civilized to savage. Symbolism made a big impact on what had happened throughout the time of the boys being on the island. In the beginning, they had rules and regulations and followed the laws and orders that had been established. However, as the novel continues, everything they ever had as a symbol of civilization and order start to break down and their original meanings deteriorate.
Lord of the Flies Essay
Subject: English Studies
High School - Canada
• 10
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