...Levi Wenzel 1/20/2014 Mr. Jackson Period 2 Lord of the Flies Symbolism Symbolism is an object, animal, idea, or a person that stands for itself and something beyond itself. Symbolism is used many times in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The Conch is one example of this symbolism. Another example is the fire and Piggy’s glasses. The Beast is a great example of symbolism. The Conch is used to summon the boys after the crash and later used to call assemblies or meetings. The shell effectively governs the boys’ meetings, for the boy who holds the shell holds the right to speak. In this regard, the shell is more than a symbol: it is a vessel of political legitimacy and democratic power. “Which is better--to have laws and agree, or to hunt and kill?” This quotation states what the conch originally stood for. The conch shell becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order in the novel. As the civilization erodes and the boys descend into savagery, the conch shell loses its power. The boulder that Roger uses to kill Piggy also destroys the conch shell, signifying the demise of the civilized instinct among the boys on the island. One of Ralph’s original ideas to create a signal fire to catch the attention of passing ships. The only way fire can be started is by using Piggy’s glasses. Piggy is the most intelligent, rational boy in the group: his glasses represent the power of science in society. This is clear from the start of the novel; when the boys use the lenses...
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...Leadership and Knowledge Using symbolism, Golding enhances the meaning of the book itself and objects in the book. Many objects or event in the book have a meaning behind them that help to give the book more definition and expand Golding’s intentions. Some objects used in the book to symbolize something more meaningful could be Piggy’s glasses and the conch shell. In the book, Golding has Piggy’s glasses and the conch shell’s symbolism pop up many times. Throughout the book Golding gives certain objects a meaning behind them to make those objects symbolize important things that enhance the meaning of the book. One of the many symbols in the book is Piggy’s glasses. Piggy’s glasses are brought up in the beginning of the book and the symbol...
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...Symbolism in the Lord of the Flies In everyday life, different objects, places, and people symbolize various meanings. In the major motion picture and best selling novel, The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins, the main character, Katniss Everdeen wears a mockingjay pin as a representation of bravery and courage. The mockingjay is an example of a symbol, which according to Random House Webster’s college dictionary is “something used for or regarded as something else.” William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, tells a story about a group of stranded boys on an island and the use of many symbolic items that affect their stay and character. Golding’s use and representation of the conch shell, Piggy’s glasses, and the Beast/Lord of Flies...
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... The Lord Of The Flies Which is better, to have laws and agree, or to hunt and kill? A symbol is something that has great value. William Golding wrote the novel, “Lord of the Flies”. His purpose in using symbolism is to send certain messages to certain people. He wants to send a message to make people realize that you can change for the better or for the worst. I believe the most important symbol in LOTF is the conch. The conch is the most important because it represents leadership and unity. The conch represents leadership. With the help of the conch, Ralph became the tribe’s leader. “But there was a stillness about Ralph…yet most powerfully there was the conch.” (pg.22). This shows that Ralph became leader mostly because of the conch. The conch was powerful to them. Ralph became their leader. In the article, the author states, “Ralph: leadership: order: Civilization.” This shows that Ralph is capable of being a leader. In society, leadership is important because without leaders, there will be no one to lead us to a great change. The conch represents authority. The stranded boys are deciding for a chief. “He lifted the conch. ‘Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things.’” (pg.22) This shows the boys voting for a chief to have order. Anyone who has the conch may speak with no interruptions since it was tumult. On the article, the author states, “…Anyone holding the conch in the meeting could speak his...
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...In the novel, Lord of the Flies, there is an abundance of objects that are used to symbolize power as well as authority and savagery. The conch shell and the sow’s head portray these things indefinitely. In many ways the powers of the objects are different. Lord of the Flies is an allegory for power considering the amount of symbolism within the novel. The boys in this novel routinely used symbols to control the group of boys on the island. In all, there is a plethora of symbols used in this novel to display things like power, authority, and savagery. Symbols in this novel are used to control a group as well as serving as an allegory to the reader. Two of the main symbols are conch shell and the sow’s head. The conch represents power and authority. The sow’s head represents savagery and illustrates the novel Lord of the Flies, because the rotting head is swarming with flies as it sits upon a wooden stake. While both the conch and sow’s head had completely opposite meanings, both of them wield a certain type of power over the boys. The conch’s power over the boys is making them think that they have control over everyone once they have the conch in their possession. However, the sow’s head assists in the assembly of a new opposing tribe. This tribe was cruel to the other boys who solely wanted unity and peace...
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...How would you survive an island full of rambunctious boys? Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding is an allegorical novella that uses allusions, symbolism, and irony to convey the idea that evil is within us. The story takes place during World War II, when a group of schoolboys are being evacuated from England. They crash on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and have to fight for their lives in a new and strange environment. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy, find a conch and use it to gather the other children in an attempt to form order. The elect Ralph as the leader and they work together as a civilization, at least at first. Unfortunately, some of the elected hunters would rather have fun, hunt, and play savage. This leads to a feud between the boys. Eventually, Jack, the leader of the hunters convinces the majority of the boys that fun...
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...Every now and then, one finds themselves taking a deeper look inside of their soul, often times resulting in the discovery of an inner being. This inner being is perfectly depicted through the lord of the flies. Contrary to the boys’ beliefs, the lord of the flies, or in the novel the symbol of the "beast", is not "something you could hunt and kill" (164), but rather a spirit that dwells inside of a soul, and slowly seduces one into complete and utter savagery. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding gives the reader a glimpse into a society composed of a group of young British boys, all raised in a civilized and orderly manner, that find themselves stranded on a deserted island. Fighting for survival, many of the boys surrender to the Beast that engulfs them. Others, like Ralph, find themselves in a much more complex and compromising battle- one that takes place inside the mind. In his novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the motifs of the pig dance, the conch, and the masks to convey the theme that man becomes a corrupt and savage being without a strict system of order and civilization. By dancing and singing to celebrate the brutal murdering of a pig, the boys enter into a society, or even a cult, surrounded by sadistic and brutal thoughts. The first time the boys perform this ritual, Golding describes their actions as “relieved and excited…making pig-dying noises and shouting” (81). Clearly, the boys feel a rush of exhilaration and excitement when they...
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...beginnings. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies explores the theme of civilization to savagery through the usage of symbolism to portray the premise that children are savages by nature and without adult guidance or supervision; their entire darker side will manifest itself in full force. The consequential regression of the boys from civilization to savagery is symbolized by the use of the conch, fire, and Piggy’s glasses. First of all, the conch shell manages to demonstrate civilization to savagery through its ability to establish order to build a civilization, lose its power and deteriorate civilization, and shatter to eliminate civilization. In the beginning, the conch is used to establish and uphold order and peace on the island, playing a key role in forming and maintaining a civilization. Ralph uses the conch and his leadership to summon the others, have meetings and delegate positions, assign power, and set rules such as: “[Giving] the conch to the next person to speak” (Golding 31). By adhering to the set of rules regarding the conch shell, the boys still maintain their civilized way of living back at home where there is the existence of government and laws to be adhered to regarding to the existence of social order. However, as time passes by, the conch begins to lose its power and significance and boys begin to succumb to savagery. When Ralph tries to convince the other boys to return to his tribe instead of joining Jack’s tribe by appealing the conch shell as a symbol of...
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...Symbolism in Lord of the Flies In William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”, the boys who are stranded on the island encounter many elements that are actually symbols. These symbols are significant to the story and change over the course of the novel. It is important to understand what each of these symbols mean in order to fully understand the novel. The conch shell, Piggy’s glasses, and the island itself are three important symbols in “Lord of the Flies.” The first symbolic element in “Lord of the Flies” is the conch shell. This symbolizes the rule of law and civilization on the island. Ralph uses it as a microphone and calls assemblies with it. Whoever is holding it at the assembly has the right to speak. “Jack stands and reaches for the conch so he can talk. But Ralph refuses to hand it over and Jack sits back down” (Golding, pg 81). Jack’s actions show that even though he might not agree with Ralph, he still respects the rules of civilization. When the conch is broken, Jack exclaims that he can now be chief. That is because without the conch shell, civilization and power is gone....
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...(Simone de Beauvoir). Is William Golding saying anything about the adult world in Lord of The Flies? William Golding says so much about adults it was an adult world he placed the boys in and the boys react in a way that adults very well can react. And In a way the power struggle, mob mentality, fear and violence represented in Lord of The Flies has played out many times over history. William Golding was not just comparing the two worlds they were one and the same represented by boys because really adults can be just as vulnerable and volatile they simply hide behind the idea of maturity which can quickly disintegrate when scared. This of course happened in Lord of The Flies the maturity disintegrated and they descended into savagery. It is simply human nature “I believed that the condition of man was to be morally diseased creation…trace the connection between his diseased nature and the international messes he gets himself into”. (Pg. 253) The symbolism in Lord of The Flies represents so many different aspects of society. The conch represents democracy and power it being the object that brings them together to vote, assemble and speak freely. As long as the conch exists the island is a place of order and fairness and with the conch comes Ralphs reign as chief. But when the boys begin to ignore the conch does Jack gain more power though he is still not equal to Ralph until the conch is destroyed the conch represented Ralphs authority and with it gone the boys no longer registered...
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...Lord of the Flies written by, William Golding, is a wonderful survival story about a group of young boys ranging from the ages of 6 through 12 years old. William Golding had many symbolic objects/ entities in the book. Symbolic objects like the Conch Shell, “The Beast”, and Piggy The Conch Shell stood as a center of attention for its “creamy color” and the fact that it was used in the beginning to call all the other boys on the island toward the blower of the conch. When held, the speaker could speak above any other who was not holding the conch. The Conch was by far the most valuable object on the island. It gave the user power over any other boy, and it was looked to as “ever so expensive” meaning it was the object with the most value on the island that the boys could have in their grasp. Also the Conch was often times the object that was fought over, through reasons of jealousy and greed....
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...Golding's Lord of the Flies is the struggle between Society and Savagery. The boys' first intention on the island is to create a society based on the one they had in the adult world: one with rules, limitations and order. But at the same time, they want to have fun. As time progresses, they start ignoring the rules that they had originally set. Instead of using the designated lavatory stones for bathroom purposes, they start using the bathroom wherever they want, even near their special meeting place. The shelters that they all intended on helping to build end up being built by only a few of the boys and therefore, are not as sturdy as they could have been. According to Henri Talon, "[The boys] planned order and allowed disorder to settle" (Talon). The longer they stayed on the island, the more they lost touch with the boundaries set by society, and they eventually started to resort to primitive behavior. Throughout the novel, each of the boys struggles to keep remnants of society in tact, while their primitive nature tries to reel them into savagery. Some of the boys give into their primitive behavior very quickly, while others strive to hold on to their civility as long as possible. This struggle is portrayed masterfully by Golding who uses symbolism to enhance the reader's understanding of it. The first prominent symbol of society that we see is the conch shell that Ralph finds near the shore at the beginning of the novel. Upon Piggy's suggestion, Ralph blows the conch in order...
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...Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is one of the most symbolic books of its time. Golding employs symbolism so freely in the story that nearly everything in the book has a deeper meaning than one would think. From the conch shell used to call meetings together, to piggy’s glasses, to The Beast, to the dreadful Lord of the Flies himself; all of these things are symbols of much deeper aspects of humanity. Even many of the characters are symbols of deeper things, of carnal desires or raw emotions unexpressed by most. Overall, Golding out did himself with this book, managing to create a world where everything means something deeper. A big symbol in the story is the Conch Shell, the magical item that is used to summon the other boys to meetings, and grants the holder the right to speak. This shell becomes a powerful symbol of civility and order in the novel, and effectively governs all the boy’s meetings, as whoever holds it holds the power to speak. When the shell is being used, the boys are generally calm and orderly, highlighting Golding’s intent in putting the shell in the novel, which is to have a symbol of the civility of the outside world. As the novel progresses and the island community descends into total anarchy, the shell loses all power over the boys, thus their sense of order is vanquished. This is symbolized when the boulder that crushes piggy also crushes the shell, signifying the demise of the civilized instinct of most of the boys on the island. Another powerful...
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...In the book Lord Of The Flies, a group of British schoolboys are stranded on a tropical island when their plane is shot down during World War II. William Golding, the author of the novel uses literary devices to describe how humanity can be destroyed over such a short period of time. Three of those devices are allusion, symbolism and metaphor. They each illustrate Goldings views on religion, democracy, and civilization. A literary device that was used in Lord Of The Flies was allusion. An allusion is a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication. “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea” (Revelations 13:1) coincides with the title of chapter 5, Beast from Water. In this quote it is referencing an allusion towards revelations 13:1. Revelations 13:1 “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.” As you can tell in the book and in the bible the quotes are similar, meaning that the quote in the book is referencing a religious allusion....
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...30 boys, ages 6 - 12, trapped on an island in the middle of the sea with no adults around for miles. What would happen? That is what happened to Ralph, Piggy, Jack, and the others. During WWII they were being transported from their boarding school to a safe location, then their plane got shot down. In his novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the conch (civilization) and Ralph (leadership) to create symbolism in the novel in order to prove that humans must have rules in order to create a safe environment. In his novel, Golding uses items, like the conch, to symbolize things like order. To show that order must be established, Golding first establishes the conch as a symbol for order. When the boys have all gathered together for their...
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