Allusions In Lord Of The Flies

In literature, many people do not realize the effort put forth in selecting a title. Readers are usually able to find a reference to a novel’s title somewhere in the book, but do not grasp its full significance. Authors, however, often use symbols, characters, and allusions to explain the meaning. Through these muted clues, a title’s significance is gradually revealed to the reader. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the title of the novel holds great significance, which is progressively developed through symbols, characters, and allusions. The novel, Lord of the Flies, has several interesting symbols throughout the story. A major symbol, which is not directly expressed, is the likeness of the island to the Garden of Eden in the Bible. Just like this biblical garden, the island on which the boys are stranded comes equipped with all of the necessities to ensure the boys’ survival. Another important symbol in the novel is the Lord of the Flies himself. He is revealed to the reader in the form of the slaughtered sow’s head, impaled and held up by a stick in the ground. It is literally called the Lord of the Flies because of the flies which gather around the decaying head of the sow. Lord of the Flies, in Hebrew, can be translated to “Beelzubub,” which can further be translated to “Satan.” Just …show more content…
Many symbols in Lord of the Flies can be seen as allusions to the Bible. As stated earlier, the phrase “Lord of the Flies,” translates to “Satan.” On this island, which is comparable to the Garden of Eden, the Lord of the Flies represents an inherent evil within each individual. The boys experience a fall in character as time progresses, just as Adam and Eve did in the Bible when they gave in to inner desires, which ultimately destroyed them. Once the reader is able to make these connections, it is then that the title Lord of the Flies is