Lord Of The Flies Essay

Lord of the Flies Symbolism The definition of a symbol is a thing that represents or stands for something else. The symbols in the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding are very deep and meaningful and everyone can learn from them. Lord of the Flies is the story of a group of British boys stranded on an island and it contains a lot of symbolism about people and life in general.
Three objects in Lord of the Flies that symbolize something greater than just their functional purpose are the conch shell, the beast, and the Lord of the Flies.
First, one object that symbolizes something greater is the conch shell. The conch represents civilization and order. For example, the conch governs meetings between the boys and whoever is holding it has the power to speak. Throughout the novel, as the boys become more savagelike the conch starts to lose its power, as the boys lose order. “If I blow the conch and they don’t come back; then we’ve had it. We shan’t keep the fire going. We’ll be like animals. We’ll never be rescued” (Golding 92). Here Ralph is talking to Piggy right after some of the boys stormed off out of anger. Ralph won’t blow the conch because he knows the boys won’t respond to it and it will lose all power. The conch is able to uphold its power throughout most of the novel, even when the boys have separated off and are against each other. The moment the conch is crushed all hell breaks lose and all means of order and civilization are lost. This little shell meant so much and now that it is gone the boys don’t have to obey it. The conch is a great symbol of civilization and order in Lord of the Flies.
Next, an object that symbolizes something greater is the beast. The beast represents the savagery and evil within the boys and within all human beings. For instance, in the beginning of the novel the young boys start talking about monsters and a beast in the forest

and no one is really afraid of it. Later on when the boys become more savagely they begin to fear the beast more and believe it is real. “Maybe.. there is a beast...what I mean is..maybe it’s only us” (Golding 89). Here the boys are discussing the beast and whether or not it really exists. Simon makes a point that maybe the beast they are fearing is within themselves, and each other is all they really have to be afraid of. The boys brush off Simon’s comment but as the story continues and as the boys become more and more like savages, the more they believe in and almost worship “the beast”. The more savagelike the boys act, the more real the beast becomes and they are obsessed with it. The boys fear the beast and believe in it because it is inside each of them. The beast is a great symbol for savagery and evil in Lord of the Flies.
Finally, but most importantly, an object that symbolizes something greater is the Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies is a symbol for the power of evil and evoking “the beast” within us all. For example, when Simon finds a flycovered pigs head (the Lord of the Flies) on a stake in a clearing he starts hallucinating and the pig starts talking

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