Lord of the Flies Literary Analysis Essay example

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Symbolism is a very important factor in many books. The use of symbolism in William Golding’s novel The Lord of the Flies is the most essential aspect to the function of the story. At first glance you may not think the symbols are very important, but with some in-depth thought you can see how it is necessary to explain the microcosm of an island. The conch shell is the opening symbol in the novel and lasts roughly to the very end of the story. The conch is found by Ralph and Piggy, which they use to summon the boys together after the crash. “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us—" (Golding 16). The conch represents civilization and order on the island. In the start the conch is given to a boy …show more content…
"'We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything'" (Golding 42). They start out not being savages and not believing in the beast but while they do more and more destructive deeds, the savageness in them builds up creating the beast. As they grow more savage, the belief in the beast grows stronger. “[The hunters' thoughts were] crowded with memories...of the knowledge... that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink” (Golding 70). In the beginning of the novel they are well behaved civilized little boys and as the book continues they become vicious and bloodthirsty except for a couple of them. The reason as to why they become vicious is because the beast is inside of them; it is not an actual living creature. “Maybe there is a beast….maybe it’s only in us” (Golding 89). The fear in them causes the beast, which in turn causes the savagery of the boys on the island. Without fear there would be no savagery. The lord of the flies is the most important symbol in the novel. When Simon confronts the sow head it tells him that evil lies within every human heart. He than tells Simon he is going to have “fun” with him, which foreshadows Simons death in the next chapter. The lord of the flies becomes both the physical manifestation of the beast, symbol of the power of evil, and a Satan
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