How can one symbol represent two completely opposite ideas? Just such a representation can be seen in Lord of the Flies, where fire changes from a useful way to get rescued to a destructive instrument used to brutally murder each other. As nuclear war rages, a group of English boys are shot down while flying over the Pacific Ocean and find themselves abandoned with no adults or any sign of authority. The boys are forced to create a liveable society until they can be rescued. As the boys remained on the island they began to lose hope of ever getting rescued and start to fear nonexistent beasts. Throughout the novel Lord of the flies, by William Golding, the role of fire alternates from a means of salvation to a means of death.
In the beginning, …show more content…
After Jack and his followers hunt down a pig, they break out into a savage like fire dance and run around like animals around the fire, “He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling” (64). Furthermore, they even paint themselves like wild beasts, “He made one cheek and one eye-socket white, then he rubbed red over the other half of his face and slashed a black bar of charcoal across from right ear to to left jaw.” (63). In their quest to use fire in the ways that they want, the boys feel justified in violating the rights of others. For example, the boys go to the top of the mountain to start their fire but after they prepare the spot to start the fire, they realize they have no way to start a fire, “His specs- use them as burning glasses.” (40). Jack also brings his followers and attacks Ralph’s group while they are sleeping. Ralph and the boys thought they were coming to steal the conch which represented order in a society, “They didn't take the conch” (168) and then realized that instead Jack had stolen Piggy’s glasses, the only source of fire, “From his left hand dangled Piggy’s broken glasses” (168). Jack convinces the young naive boys to be immoral and use fire obtained by negative …show more content…
After Jack and his savage group turn the island into complete chaos by brutally murdering two of the last signs of civilization, Simon and Piggy, they try to kill the last remaining boy who taught order and morals, Ralph. The boys were unable to reach and kill Ralph because he was hiding in a thicket, “It would take them a week to break a path through the thicket” (192). Jack decided the only way to get him out was to trap him using fire, “Smoke was seeping through the branches in white and and yellow wisps, the patch of blues sky overhead turned to the color of storm cloud, and then the smoke billowed round him.” (195). Furthermore, the only reason the boys were ever stranded on the island is because of fire. The English boys were traveling by plane when they were attacked and their wing caught fire, “when we was coming down I looked through one of them windows. I saw the other part of the plane. There were flames coming out of it” (8). Moreover, the fire was not only a symbol of lost civilization and morals but it also caused danger by killing one of the boys. After the boys made their first fire, Piggy realized that the boy with the birthmark was missing, “that littl ‘un--” gasped piggy-- “him with the mark on his face, I don’t see him. Where is he know?” (46) and then they realized he was stranded in the fire and was killed. Jack takes the positive symbol of fire created by Ralph and
In the beginning, …show more content…
After Jack and his followers hunt down a pig, they break out into a savage like fire dance and run around like animals around the fire, “He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling” (64). Furthermore, they even paint themselves like wild beasts, “He made one cheek and one eye-socket white, then he rubbed red over the other half of his face and slashed a black bar of charcoal across from right ear to to left jaw.” (63). In their quest to use fire in the ways that they want, the boys feel justified in violating the rights of others. For example, the boys go to the top of the mountain to start their fire but after they prepare the spot to start the fire, they realize they have no way to start a fire, “His specs- use them as burning glasses.” (40). Jack also brings his followers and attacks Ralph’s group while they are sleeping. Ralph and the boys thought they were coming to steal the conch which represented order in a society, “They didn't take the conch” (168) and then realized that instead Jack had stolen Piggy’s glasses, the only source of fire, “From his left hand dangled Piggy’s broken glasses” (168). Jack convinces the young naive boys to be immoral and use fire obtained by negative …show more content…
After Jack and his savage group turn the island into complete chaos by brutally murdering two of the last signs of civilization, Simon and Piggy, they try to kill the last remaining boy who taught order and morals, Ralph. The boys were unable to reach and kill Ralph because he was hiding in a thicket, “It would take them a week to break a path through the thicket” (192). Jack decided the only way to get him out was to trap him using fire, “Smoke was seeping through the branches in white and and yellow wisps, the patch of blues sky overhead turned to the color of storm cloud, and then the smoke billowed round him.” (195). Furthermore, the only reason the boys were ever stranded on the island is because of fire. The English boys were traveling by plane when they were attacked and their wing caught fire, “when we was coming down I looked through one of them windows. I saw the other part of the plane. There were flames coming out of it” (8). Moreover, the fire was not only a symbol of lost civilization and morals but it also caused danger by killing one of the boys. After the boys made their first fire, Piggy realized that the boy with the birthmark was missing, “that littl ‘un--” gasped piggy-- “him with the mark on his face, I don’t see him. Where is he know?” (46) and then they realized he was stranded in the fire and was killed. Jack takes the positive symbol of fire created by Ralph and