In William Golding’s novel The Lord of the Flies the characters symbolize distinctive human traits to allow the reader to foreshadow conflict. The author combined these two literary elements to allow the reader to find deeper connections to the novel. This is shown in the main characters Ralph, Jack, and Piggy who are young boys deserted on an inhabited island away from any adults or means of civilization. Ralph and Jack oppose one another in conflict throughout the story line, and it is somewhat ironic that their symbols also are opposite to each other.
The charismatic protagonist Ralph is the original leader of the island, and he symbolizes civilization and democracy. His dedication to the boys led him to create a civilized utopia on the island, by making rules (Li & W, 2009, p. 119 &120). When he says …show more content…
Piggy represents logic and wisdom, taking a more scientific and rational approach to situations on the island. When Ralph finds the conch, it is Piggy that tells him how to use it, and he also comes up with the idea to build a sundial, so they can know what time it is (Golding, 1999). Almost immediately, Piggy is seen as the voice of reason, realizing the seriousness of being on the island (Li & W, 2009, p. 120). Looking at Piggy, there is not really any major foreshadowing regarding his traits, however there are a few small examples that relate to his death. From the very beginning, the boys hated and teased him because they thought him to be undesirable (Golding, 1999). This could very easily relate to the concept of young children bullying each other for being geeks. When Piggy says “He can’t hurt you, but if you stand out of the way he’d hurt the next thing and that’s me” he’s saying if Ralph was out of the way, Jack would hurt Piggy (Golding, 1999, p.81). Near the end of the novel, Ralph is over ruled and essentially out of the way, which foreshadows Piggy’s
The charismatic protagonist Ralph is the original leader of the island, and he symbolizes civilization and democracy. His dedication to the boys led him to create a civilized utopia on the island, by making rules (Li & W, 2009, p. 119 &120). When he says …show more content…
Piggy represents logic and wisdom, taking a more scientific and rational approach to situations on the island. When Ralph finds the conch, it is Piggy that tells him how to use it, and he also comes up with the idea to build a sundial, so they can know what time it is (Golding, 1999). Almost immediately, Piggy is seen as the voice of reason, realizing the seriousness of being on the island (Li & W, 2009, p. 120). Looking at Piggy, there is not really any major foreshadowing regarding his traits, however there are a few small examples that relate to his death. From the very beginning, the boys hated and teased him because they thought him to be undesirable (Golding, 1999). This could very easily relate to the concept of young children bullying each other for being geeks. When Piggy says “He can’t hurt you, but if you stand out of the way he’d hurt the next thing and that’s me” he’s saying if Ralph was out of the way, Jack would hurt Piggy (Golding, 1999, p.81). Near the end of the novel, Ralph is over ruled and essentially out of the way, which foreshadows Piggy’s