William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, was written in 1954 in the post world war 2 era. This is where Golding drew his inspiration for his novel. One of the major themes, good vs. evil, can be closely tied to the religious allegory and the struggle between good and evil within the war. Religion also plays a major role in the novel because many characters and objects can be thought of as symbols for it. Through Golding’s work the theme of good vs. evil, shown through Jack and Ralph, Simon and LOTF and flies and butterflies, supports the Lord of the Flies as a religious allegory.
Ralph and Jack’s constant conflict throughout the novel can be equated to the constant struggle between God and the Devil or good and evil. Jack is Ralph’s opposite. …show more content…
During the day preceding his death, Simon walks vaguely away and stumbles upon the pig 's head which was left in the sand in order to appease the demonic forces they imagine. “Shaman-like, he holds a silent colloquy with the severed head covered with innumerable flies (Rosenfield 93-101).” The flies around the severed head signify its evil and impurity. “He squatted down, parted the leaves and looked out into the clearing. Nothing moved but a pair of gaudy butterflies that danced around each other in the hot air (47).” The butterflies in this secluded paradise represent the goodness of it in that it is pure and untouched by the evil of mankind, but when the sow is murdered and her head left as an offering the pristine paradise becomes tainted and evil. “The butterflies desert the open place where "the obscene thing grinned and dripped,” but the flies, "black and iridescent green and without number," swarm buzzingly around it (Bufkin 40-57).” The butterflies being replaced by the flies in the area around LOTF signify its evil and represent the devil. When the flies approach the severed head in masses it just shows even further that the LOTF is pure evil. William Golding’s experience with world war two had a major impact on his novel Lord of the Flies. It is from what he got the idea of good and evil, and Ralph and jack representing God and the Devil. It is through the use of many symbols and the theme of good vs. evil, that Golding’s work effectively supports the claim that the novel is a religious
Ralph and Jack’s constant conflict throughout the novel can be equated to the constant struggle between God and the Devil or good and evil. Jack is Ralph’s opposite. …show more content…
During the day preceding his death, Simon walks vaguely away and stumbles upon the pig 's head which was left in the sand in order to appease the demonic forces they imagine. “Shaman-like, he holds a silent colloquy with the severed head covered with innumerable flies (Rosenfield 93-101).” The flies around the severed head signify its evil and impurity. “He squatted down, parted the leaves and looked out into the clearing. Nothing moved but a pair of gaudy butterflies that danced around each other in the hot air (47).” The butterflies in this secluded paradise represent the goodness of it in that it is pure and untouched by the evil of mankind, but when the sow is murdered and her head left as an offering the pristine paradise becomes tainted and evil. “The butterflies desert the open place where "the obscene thing grinned and dripped,” but the flies, "black and iridescent green and without number," swarm buzzingly around it (Bufkin 40-57).” The butterflies being replaced by the flies in the area around LOTF signify its evil and represent the devil. When the flies approach the severed head in masses it just shows even further that the LOTF is pure evil. William Golding’s experience with world war two had a major impact on his novel Lord of the Flies. It is from what he got the idea of good and evil, and Ralph and jack representing God and the Devil. It is through the use of many symbols and the theme of good vs. evil, that Golding’s work effectively supports the claim that the novel is a religious