Exploring the Pitfalls of Religion Through Religious Symbolism
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies contains many allusions to the bible. While this heavy use of Christian symbolism in the novel may lead readers to infer that it is a biblical parable, the many inconsistencies within Golding’s own own analogies suggest otherwise. It is true that the novel’s similarities to the bible are intentional on Golding’s part, but these similarities often deviate at important points, suggesting that the Lord of the flies is not so much a confirmation of the bible’s teachings as an ironic criticism of them. Golding warns against the dangers of religion by discrediting the Christian belief in an external force of evil, by demonstrating the dangers of …show more content…
Despite the horrific events occurring atop it, the island itself seems to be a “good island” (34), reminiscent of Eden, with its pleasant scenery, plentiful fruits, and Elysian weather. Appropriately, the first thing Ralph does after landing on the island is to bathe in the water, an act similar to the baptism of Adam and Eve in the old Testament. Golding remains faithful to this edenic metaphor by having the peaceful and civil environment shattered by the presence of the beast, often referred to as the “snake-thing,” (35) Similarly, Adam and Eve were ousted from their paradise through the wicked meddlings of Satan disguised as a wily snake. However, the similarities between the Lord of the Flies and the bible end there. In the bible, Satan is an external force of evil that brings sin unto humans, while the boy’s “snake-thing” represents the inherent evil within human nature. The boy’s remain unaware of this, failing to recognize the evil within themselves and instead considering the beast as a malevolent entity out to hurt them. If they had recognized the beast as their own propensity for wrongdoing instead of a sinister force, their increased self awareness may have led to efforts to keep their savagery in check. Thus, the failure to see the “snake-thing” for what it really was a main reason behind the boys’ descent into savagery. In this way, by distinguishing his “snake-thing” from Eden’s snake, Golding emphasizes the fact that evil already lies dormant within each person, warning against the religious tendency to blame an external force, such as Satan, for one’s own
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies contains many allusions to the bible. While this heavy use of Christian symbolism in the novel may lead readers to infer that it is a biblical parable, the many inconsistencies within Golding’s own own analogies suggest otherwise. It is true that the novel’s similarities to the bible are intentional on Golding’s part, but these similarities often deviate at important points, suggesting that the Lord of the flies is not so much a confirmation of the bible’s teachings as an ironic criticism of them. Golding warns against the dangers of religion by discrediting the Christian belief in an external force of evil, by demonstrating the dangers of …show more content…
Despite the horrific events occurring atop it, the island itself seems to be a “good island” (34), reminiscent of Eden, with its pleasant scenery, plentiful fruits, and Elysian weather. Appropriately, the first thing Ralph does after landing on the island is to bathe in the water, an act similar to the baptism of Adam and Eve in the old Testament. Golding remains faithful to this edenic metaphor by having the peaceful and civil environment shattered by the presence of the beast, often referred to as the “snake-thing,” (35) Similarly, Adam and Eve were ousted from their paradise through the wicked meddlings of Satan disguised as a wily snake. However, the similarities between the Lord of the Flies and the bible end there. In the bible, Satan is an external force of evil that brings sin unto humans, while the boy’s “snake-thing” represents the inherent evil within human nature. The boy’s remain unaware of this, failing to recognize the evil within themselves and instead considering the beast as a malevolent entity out to hurt them. If they had recognized the beast as their own propensity for wrongdoing instead of a sinister force, their increased self awareness may have led to efforts to keep their savagery in check. Thus, the failure to see the “snake-thing” for what it really was a main reason behind the boys’ descent into savagery. In this way, by distinguishing his “snake-thing” from Eden’s snake, Golding emphasizes the fact that evil already lies dormant within each person, warning against the religious tendency to blame an external force, such as Satan, for one’s own