William Golding, the author of the well-known classic, Lord of the Flies, an exciting book that touches upon themes of civility, savagery and human goodness, illustrates his higher level storytelling that keeps readers wanting more. He is able to develop an interesting plot around the idea of boys stranded on an island attempting to work together and the eventual end to their teamwork. Symbols are used throughout to depict unsaid aspects of their time on the island and represent the boys themselves. With the continual use of the pig head on a stick as a symbol, referred to as the Lord of the Flies, Golding implies that without civilization, civility begins to deteriorate.
As soon as Jack and the other boys who are hunting kill a sow feeding …show more content…
Ralph first sees the Lord of the Flies after he is the only boy left who hasn’t joined Jack’s savages, “...he saw the white face was bone and that the pig’s skull grinned at him from the top of a stick…” (185). Ralph’s view of the pig as a skeleton of what it once was symbolizes the complete lack of civility the boys are left with by this point in their time on the island. When they first arrived, they tried to work together, bonding over a shared goal of survival and eventually being rescued. Now, with chances of rescue seeming bleak, their desperation has taken hold of their civility and most of the boys have resorted very primitive behavior. Ralph like the other boys sees the pig as having an aspect of authority and omniscience to it. “The skull regarded Ralph like one who knows all the answers and won’t tell” (185). Golding’s use of the Lord of the Flies as a symbol represents the deterioration of the civility of the boys along with view the boys have of it as a presence or idol that somehow knows more than they do about their
As soon as Jack and the other boys who are hunting kill a sow feeding …show more content…
Ralph first sees the Lord of the Flies after he is the only boy left who hasn’t joined Jack’s savages, “...he saw the white face was bone and that the pig’s skull grinned at him from the top of a stick…” (185). Ralph’s view of the pig as a skeleton of what it once was symbolizes the complete lack of civility the boys are left with by this point in their time on the island. When they first arrived, they tried to work together, bonding over a shared goal of survival and eventually being rescued. Now, with chances of rescue seeming bleak, their desperation has taken hold of their civility and most of the boys have resorted very primitive behavior. Ralph like the other boys sees the pig as having an aspect of authority and omniscience to it. “The skull regarded Ralph like one who knows all the answers and won’t tell” (185). Golding’s use of the Lord of the Flies as a symbol represents the deterioration of the civility of the boys along with view the boys have of it as a presence or idol that somehow knows more than they do about their