Symbols In Lord Of The Flies Essay

Symbols of Lord of the Flies In literature, objects, places, and even people often embody more than just themselves. Authors find ways to weave simple objects or characters into symbolic players that create a deeper story within the novel. How these symbols act and affect each other is how the author can communicate to the reader. William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies, uses symbols to illustrate his opinion on the stories of boys overcoming outrageous odds. Unlike other books, Lord of the Flies shows a darker perspective of what could happen; Instead of heroically defeating the beast or creating a successful society to master the environment, the boys of this novel fall prey to the fear and evil within themselves. They become savages, …show more content…
When the boys first land on the island and Ralph discovers the conch, Golding’s description of the conch is in direct relation to the current state of democracy on the island: pretty, fragile, and delicate. Shortly after Ralph calls the other boys with the conch, they vote him, the boy who holds the conch, chief. Ralph “tries to establish and preserve an orderly, rational society; he takes as his totem the conch, making it the symbol of rational, orderly discussion” (Hynes). The first rule set upon the island is that no one, save for Ralph and the holder of the conch, can speak in an assembly. The conch governs the island until a shift in power takes place. The spear has been growing since the discovery of the first pig. It, unlike the conch, has changed physically; it has been given barbs to inflict more damage to its target. With this deadlier spear, the hunters are incited to hunt more frequently, to the point where they willingly abandon rescue for the primal joy of hunting another creature. The spear’s most heinous act is creating of the Lord of the Flies. The boys, fueled by bloodlust, torture a mother pig, slaughter her, and hang her head on a pike. “The meat pretext is dropped; the [boys’] real objective is to work their will on other living things” (Slayton). This head became known as the Lord of the Flies, a literal devil on the island. The final confrontation between these symbols is when the spear armed boys face Ralph, Samneric, and Piggy. As Piggy speaks, drawing a line between savagery and order, Roger, standing watch on a cliff overhead, sets loose a boulder that crashes down on the boys, smashes the conch, and crushes Piggy’s skull (Carter). The spear’s sadistic influences allow Roger to release the rock and, not only kill Piggy, but also shatter the symbolic the