What Does The Fire Symbolize In Lord Of The Flies
William Golding 's Lord of the Flies revolves around a group of English schoolboys who get stranded on an uninhabited island after their plane crashes during the peak of World War II. With the absence of adults, chaos erupts as the boys try to survive on their own.
The story opens when a plane of English boys crashes on a deserted island in the Pacific. Two boys, Ralph and Piggy, find a conch shell on the beach and use this to call for all the other survivors of the crash. Once convened, the boys elect Ralph as their leader over another boy, Jack, who is the leader of a group of choir boys. Ralph declares to the others that they must set up a signal fire on top of the mountain to catch the attention of any ships that might be passing by. The boys effectively light a fire on the mountain using Piggy 's glasses; however, they fail to monitor the flames and the fire rapidly spreads to the forest. Piggy notes that one of the youngest boys in the group is missing, most probably having been killed in the fire. Jack volunteers himself and the choirboys to keep the signal fire going and to become the hunters of the group. One day, Ralph …show more content…
and Piggy notice a ship approaching their island; however the ship just passes by. The two boys then realize that the fire on top of the mountain, for which the hunters were responsible, has gone out. Furious, Ralph confronts Jack and the hunters, who have just made their first kill.
Further disorder arises when more and more people start to fear of an unknown "beast" living on the island after the twins, Sam and Eric, claim to have seen it on the mountain. Ralph and Jack decide to investigate and they mistake the silhouette of a corpse attached to an open parachute as the sleeping form of the "beast". Upon confirming the existence of the monster, the boys split into two groups; one group led by Ralph, and the other headed by Jack. Jack 's tribe gradually becomes bigger and bigger until the only ones left on Ralph 's group are Piggy, Simon, Sam and Eric. One night, Simon discovers the corpse that the children mistook for the "beast". He runs to the beach, where the boys are and tries to share the news about the corpse. However, the boys are in the middle of a celebration for a new kill and in the chaos, they mistake Simon for the beast and kill him with their spears. Ralph, Piggy, Sam and Eric, resistant to joining Jack 's tribe, still try to maintain the signal fire in the hopes of being rescued. One night, Jack 's tribe steals Piggy 's glasses, which are instrumental in creating the fire. Livid, the boys decide to go to a place called Castle Rock, where Jack 's tribe resides, and try to get Piggy 's glasses back. In the subsequent battle, Roger, Jack 's right hand man, drops a boulder on Piggy, killing him and shattering the conch in his hands. Sam and Eric are captured and forced into joining the tribe and Ralph has no choice but to escape. The next morning, Jack and his tribe hunt Ralph down and in their attempts, set fire to the island. The smoke catches the attention of an English warship and a naval officer finds the boys on the island. The fight quickly stops and the officer states that he expected better from a group of English boys. The final scene depicts all the boys breaking down in tears.
Firmly rooted in the sociopolitical concerns of World War II, William Golding 's novel, Lord of the Flies, uses its characters and symbolism to show the fragility of society, torn apart as it is fought for control by civilization and the innate evil and savage beast of man. His novel shows that, in this fight for dominance, only the brutality of man wins.
In the beginning of the story, the boys find themselves stranded on an uninhabited island. The boys, as a group, were different even if there were all English, `Their heads clustered above the trunks heads brown, fair, black, chestnut, sandy, mouse-colored ' (pg. 18) The coincidence of them all flying in planes and meeting pertains to the London Blitz event (1940-1941) as children from different cities were evacuated and flown to Canada, Australia and Scotland. Ralph, voted democratically as the Chief, set out the first task that he, Jack, whom he appointed leader of the hunters, and Simon set out to do: find out if the land they 're on really is an island. In their journey, they encounter a pig which ran away because of Jack 's hesitation. The humiliation he feels for not slaying the pig consumes him, and so violently slashes his knife around promising to `kill it-next time. '(pg. 33) Jack shows how he handles humiliation, with violence. His actions reveal the innate beast that has awoken in him which would continue to grow and consume him in the following days. Jack is the sole representation of the innate evil in man and the beast that dwells within him. His actions are cold and cruel, preoccupied with hunting and killing pigs, stated: `Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in. ' (pg. 75) His sadism intensifies throughout the novel, and he eventually turns cruelly on the other boys, especially towards Piggy who is seen to be insightful and wise despite his stature and lack of self-confidence. Jack is found as the oppressor of Piggy, and hates to be embarrassed, especially by someone he deems below him, 'We don 't want you. ' (pg. 24) '... and good riddance. ' (pg. 124) and knows how to manipulate a situation to his advantage. This is evident when he gets scolded by Piggy for leaving the fire unattended and missing a chance of being rescued, because of embarrassment and anger, he beats Piggy up and crushes one side of his glasses. The other boys, seeing this, finds it funny and he uses this time of good spirit to ask for forgiveness, which is given to him by the boys, and reluctantly, by Ralph. This event was foreshadowed by what he told Ralph, that he 'd `All the same... like to catch a pig first. ' (pg. 53) He shows that he is content in staying in the island, forgetting about the rescue. This is seen as he forgets the point of the fire, instead of using it as a rescue signal, uses it as `cooking fire ' instead. He feigns an interest in the rules of order established on the island, but only if they allow him to inflict punishment. His transformation from civilized bully to savage killer has begun. He 's obsessed with hunting at the expense of all else, even rescue, `They knew very well why he hadn 't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood. (pg.31) Jack fears killing the pig at first, a fear he overcomes as he sheds civilization and adopts the way of the savage, but; `He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up. ' (pg.51). He shows his hunger for power as he continually tries to overthrow Ralph in his reign for Chief. Ralph is the embodiment of Democracy- the government of civilization. It 's through his authority that rules are made and tasks and positions were given and distributed. Although it was already established in the beginning that he is chief, one boy, Jack, constantly attempts to overthrow him. This brings to mind a recurring motif in the story: the desire for power which brings about violence. Ralph, as the chief tries to bring about order by establishing rules and keeping the boys civilized while Jack tries to usurp the position of authority consequently, bringing about chaos. Ralph embodies good intentions in the implementation of reason, but ultimately fails to execute these plans soundly. Ralph 's refusal to resort to violence throughout the novel is juxtaposed by Jack 's inherent love of violence. Although Ralph has this calmness and rationality, with sound judgement and a strong moral sensibility he is yet susceptible to the same instinctive influences that make boys, boys. He 's rowdy, reckless and teases Piggy to gain popularity and preserve his authority. He succumbs to the pressure of society. This is demonstrated by his contribution to both Simon 's death and Piggy 's, stated at the end of the novel: Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man 's heart, and the fall through the air of a true and wise friend called Piggy. (pg. 248) He soon loses himself to the savagery he wanted to avoid. He turns into the pig that Jack loved to hunt. Even as he thinks of these enemies as savages, he himself seems to have become consumed by the same aggression and desire to hurt others which they carry. What was the sensible thing to do? There was no Piggy to talk sense. (pg. 179) Without Piggy who had urged him along thus far and maintained his focus, Ralph is lost. His sense of civilization is lost, and now he 's being hunted down by the boys now known as savages. Although Ralph is the Chief and he has the most conflicts with Jack, Piggy is seen as the representation of civilization. He 's but a little naive and childish, but he gives points and advice on how to run the tribe. Although outcasted, once more was the center of social derision... (pg. 149) Piggy is the link between their old civilization and the new- also the most sensible ones in ideas let 's make a sundial... all we need is a stick! (pg.62) Piggy, being the oppressed, is only confident when away from Jack-away from barbarianism. He finds strength from Ralph, who represents the government or specifically Democracy, and shows through his actions that without the presence of Ralph, the civilization that he represents would be destroyed, ` I know about people. I know about me. And him. He can 't hurt you: but if you stand out of the way he 'd hurt the next thing. And that 's me. ' (pg.93) Piggy soon finds confidence in himself the more Ralph leans on him for support. Piggy is sensitive, conscientious and the intellectualist of the island. His intellectual talent endears him to Ralph in particular, who comes to admire and respect him and make him the Brain Trust. Piggy is dedicated to the idea of civilization and consistently reprimands the other boys for behaving as Savages; `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. ' (pg. 40) Piggy relies on the power of social convention. He believes that holding the conch gives him the right to be heard. Piggy is so intent on preserving some remnant of civilization and order on the island that, after Jack 's tribe attacks Ralph 's group, he assumes the wanted the conch, when, in fact, thee have come for Piggy 's glasses in order to make fire. The conch symbolizes the `rules ' of the society they built, the string that has kept them together and formed as their tangible object of civilization. When Piggy is killed, the conch is smashed into pieces, signalling the order and the onset of chaos. Originally, the conch is portrayed as being very vibrant and colourful, but as the novel progresses, the colors begin to fade, the same way society begins to fade on the island. The pig hunts measure not only the violence and destruction of man but also the bloodlust, mass hysteria and the barbarianism of the children. In their mission to capture and slaughter the sow, they are driven wild by the thought of blood and we see a new viciousness on the thought of the hunt. This later on becomes a ritual for them, wherein a boy acts as the pig and they re-enact their savagery over and over again. Piggy 's glasses represent the power of science and intellectual endeavour in society. Also, they are literally used for seeing through, they also symbolize knowledge. Piggy knows things the other boys don 't, like how to use a conch, and the necessity for laws, rules and order. Part of the reason he gets so upset when they take his glasses is that, without them, he can 't see anything. "Seeing" is Piggy 's greatest attribute; it 's the one reason the boys don 't ostracize him completely; it 's the one way he 's useful. This symbolic significance is clear from the start of the novel, when the boys use the lenses form Piggy 's glasses to focus sunlight and start a fire. The fire itself is a symbol. The fire becomes the boy 's connection to civilization, in the early parts of the novel, the fact that the boys maintain the fire is a sign that they want to be rescued and return to society. When the fire burns low or goes out, we see that the boys have lost the sight of their desire to be rescued and have accepted their savage lives on the island. The next time the fire is started, the fire form Jack 's tribe, is for a completely different reason: to cook their meals. This shows the boys willingness to stay on the island and continue making it their home, completely forgetting about their rescue.
The Beast and Lord of the Flies are the symbols that occur throughout the whole book, not necessarily physically to the boys, but psychologically.
They represent what they fear the most. But what they are truly afraid of are themselves, for The Beast and the Lord of the Flies were the evil beings residing within all of them. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding exposes the true nature of man: corrupt and wicked. The text depicts how man will relapse into its primitive state of barbarism once removed from a system of laws and punishments. It portrays the defect of human nature; the overwhelming desire for power that can cause humans to forget civility and morality. That in the struggle for power and control over the society, the isolated island that represents the world, civilization loses to the evil beast that resides within
man.
References
Burris, S.H. (1999). What makes things break up like they do: Alternative explanations for the societal breakdown in William Golding 's Lord of the Flies. Retrieved from http://www.rbhs.w-cook.k12.il.us/Mancoff/lofancient.htm
Golding, W. (2006). Lord of the Flies. New York, N.Y.: Perigee Book
Lord of the Flies. (2012). In Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. Retrieved 20 February 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies
Lord of the Flies Summary. (2012). In GradeSavers. Retrieved 20 February 2012, from http://www.gradesaver.com/lord-of-the-flies/study-guide/short-summary/
Proyect, L. (2004). Lord of the Flies [Web log]. Retrieved from http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2004/09/07/lord-of-the-flies/
Shmoop Editorial Team. (November 11, 2008).Lord of the Flies Analysis. Retrieved 20 February 2012, from http://www.shmoop.com/lord-of-the-flies/literary-devices.html
Shmoop Editorial Team. (November 11, 2008).Lord of the Flies Themes. Retrieved 20 February 2012, from http://www.shmoop.com/lord-of-the-flies/themes.html
SparkNotes Editors. (2007). SparkNote on Lord of the Flies. Retrieved 20 February 2012, from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/
The story opens when a plane of English boys crashes on a deserted island in the Pacific. Two boys, Ralph and Piggy, find a conch shell on the beach and use this to call for all the other survivors of the crash. Once convened, the boys elect Ralph as their leader over another boy, Jack, who is the leader of a group of choir boys. Ralph declares to the others that they must set up a signal fire on top of the mountain to catch the attention of any ships that might be passing by. The boys effectively light a fire on the mountain using Piggy 's glasses; however, they fail to monitor the flames and the fire rapidly spreads to the forest. Piggy notes that one of the youngest boys in the group is missing, most probably having been killed in the fire. Jack volunteers himself and the choirboys to keep the signal fire going and to become the hunters of the group. One day, Ralph …show more content…
and Piggy notice a ship approaching their island; however the ship just passes by. The two boys then realize that the fire on top of the mountain, for which the hunters were responsible, has gone out. Furious, Ralph confronts Jack and the hunters, who have just made their first kill.
Further disorder arises when more and more people start to fear of an unknown "beast" living on the island after the twins, Sam and Eric, claim to have seen it on the mountain. Ralph and Jack decide to investigate and they mistake the silhouette of a corpse attached to an open parachute as the sleeping form of the "beast". Upon confirming the existence of the monster, the boys split into two groups; one group led by Ralph, and the other headed by Jack. Jack 's tribe gradually becomes bigger and bigger until the only ones left on Ralph 's group are Piggy, Simon, Sam and Eric. One night, Simon discovers the corpse that the children mistook for the "beast". He runs to the beach, where the boys are and tries to share the news about the corpse. However, the boys are in the middle of a celebration for a new kill and in the chaos, they mistake Simon for the beast and kill him with their spears. Ralph, Piggy, Sam and Eric, resistant to joining Jack 's tribe, still try to maintain the signal fire in the hopes of being rescued. One night, Jack 's tribe steals Piggy 's glasses, which are instrumental in creating the fire. Livid, the boys decide to go to a place called Castle Rock, where Jack 's tribe resides, and try to get Piggy 's glasses back. In the subsequent battle, Roger, Jack 's right hand man, drops a boulder on Piggy, killing him and shattering the conch in his hands. Sam and Eric are captured and forced into joining the tribe and Ralph has no choice but to escape. The next morning, Jack and his tribe hunt Ralph down and in their attempts, set fire to the island. The smoke catches the attention of an English warship and a naval officer finds the boys on the island. The fight quickly stops and the officer states that he expected better from a group of English boys. The final scene depicts all the boys breaking down in tears.
Firmly rooted in the sociopolitical concerns of World War II, William Golding 's novel, Lord of the Flies, uses its characters and symbolism to show the fragility of society, torn apart as it is fought for control by civilization and the innate evil and savage beast of man. His novel shows that, in this fight for dominance, only the brutality of man wins.
In the beginning of the story, the boys find themselves stranded on an uninhabited island. The boys, as a group, were different even if there were all English, `Their heads clustered above the trunks heads brown, fair, black, chestnut, sandy, mouse-colored ' (pg. 18) The coincidence of them all flying in planes and meeting pertains to the London Blitz event (1940-1941) as children from different cities were evacuated and flown to Canada, Australia and Scotland. Ralph, voted democratically as the Chief, set out the first task that he, Jack, whom he appointed leader of the hunters, and Simon set out to do: find out if the land they 're on really is an island. In their journey, they encounter a pig which ran away because of Jack 's hesitation. The humiliation he feels for not slaying the pig consumes him, and so violently slashes his knife around promising to `kill it-next time. '(pg. 33) Jack shows how he handles humiliation, with violence. His actions reveal the innate beast that has awoken in him which would continue to grow and consume him in the following days. Jack is the sole representation of the innate evil in man and the beast that dwells within him. His actions are cold and cruel, preoccupied with hunting and killing pigs, stated: `Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in. ' (pg. 75) His sadism intensifies throughout the novel, and he eventually turns cruelly on the other boys, especially towards Piggy who is seen to be insightful and wise despite his stature and lack of self-confidence. Jack is found as the oppressor of Piggy, and hates to be embarrassed, especially by someone he deems below him, 'We don 't want you. ' (pg. 24) '... and good riddance. ' (pg. 124) and knows how to manipulate a situation to his advantage. This is evident when he gets scolded by Piggy for leaving the fire unattended and missing a chance of being rescued, because of embarrassment and anger, he beats Piggy up and crushes one side of his glasses. The other boys, seeing this, finds it funny and he uses this time of good spirit to ask for forgiveness, which is given to him by the boys, and reluctantly, by Ralph. This event was foreshadowed by what he told Ralph, that he 'd `All the same... like to catch a pig first. ' (pg. 53) He shows that he is content in staying in the island, forgetting about the rescue. This is seen as he forgets the point of the fire, instead of using it as a rescue signal, uses it as `cooking fire ' instead. He feigns an interest in the rules of order established on the island, but only if they allow him to inflict punishment. His transformation from civilized bully to savage killer has begun. He 's obsessed with hunting at the expense of all else, even rescue, `They knew very well why he hadn 't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood. (pg.31) Jack fears killing the pig at first, a fear he overcomes as he sheds civilization and adopts the way of the savage, but; `He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up. ' (pg.51). He shows his hunger for power as he continually tries to overthrow Ralph in his reign for Chief. Ralph is the embodiment of Democracy- the government of civilization. It 's through his authority that rules are made and tasks and positions were given and distributed. Although it was already established in the beginning that he is chief, one boy, Jack, constantly attempts to overthrow him. This brings to mind a recurring motif in the story: the desire for power which brings about violence. Ralph, as the chief tries to bring about order by establishing rules and keeping the boys civilized while Jack tries to usurp the position of authority consequently, bringing about chaos. Ralph embodies good intentions in the implementation of reason, but ultimately fails to execute these plans soundly. Ralph 's refusal to resort to violence throughout the novel is juxtaposed by Jack 's inherent love of violence. Although Ralph has this calmness and rationality, with sound judgement and a strong moral sensibility he is yet susceptible to the same instinctive influences that make boys, boys. He 's rowdy, reckless and teases Piggy to gain popularity and preserve his authority. He succumbs to the pressure of society. This is demonstrated by his contribution to both Simon 's death and Piggy 's, stated at the end of the novel: Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man 's heart, and the fall through the air of a true and wise friend called Piggy. (pg. 248) He soon loses himself to the savagery he wanted to avoid. He turns into the pig that Jack loved to hunt. Even as he thinks of these enemies as savages, he himself seems to have become consumed by the same aggression and desire to hurt others which they carry. What was the sensible thing to do? There was no Piggy to talk sense. (pg. 179) Without Piggy who had urged him along thus far and maintained his focus, Ralph is lost. His sense of civilization is lost, and now he 's being hunted down by the boys now known as savages. Although Ralph is the Chief and he has the most conflicts with Jack, Piggy is seen as the representation of civilization. He 's but a little naive and childish, but he gives points and advice on how to run the tribe. Although outcasted, once more was the center of social derision... (pg. 149) Piggy is the link between their old civilization and the new- also the most sensible ones in ideas let 's make a sundial... all we need is a stick! (pg.62) Piggy, being the oppressed, is only confident when away from Jack-away from barbarianism. He finds strength from Ralph, who represents the government or specifically Democracy, and shows through his actions that without the presence of Ralph, the civilization that he represents would be destroyed, ` I know about people. I know about me. And him. He can 't hurt you: but if you stand out of the way he 'd hurt the next thing. And that 's me. ' (pg.93) Piggy soon finds confidence in himself the more Ralph leans on him for support. Piggy is sensitive, conscientious and the intellectualist of the island. His intellectual talent endears him to Ralph in particular, who comes to admire and respect him and make him the Brain Trust. Piggy is dedicated to the idea of civilization and consistently reprimands the other boys for behaving as Savages; `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. ' (pg. 40) Piggy relies on the power of social convention. He believes that holding the conch gives him the right to be heard. Piggy is so intent on preserving some remnant of civilization and order on the island that, after Jack 's tribe attacks Ralph 's group, he assumes the wanted the conch, when, in fact, thee have come for Piggy 's glasses in order to make fire. The conch symbolizes the `rules ' of the society they built, the string that has kept them together and formed as their tangible object of civilization. When Piggy is killed, the conch is smashed into pieces, signalling the order and the onset of chaos. Originally, the conch is portrayed as being very vibrant and colourful, but as the novel progresses, the colors begin to fade, the same way society begins to fade on the island. The pig hunts measure not only the violence and destruction of man but also the bloodlust, mass hysteria and the barbarianism of the children. In their mission to capture and slaughter the sow, they are driven wild by the thought of blood and we see a new viciousness on the thought of the hunt. This later on becomes a ritual for them, wherein a boy acts as the pig and they re-enact their savagery over and over again. Piggy 's glasses represent the power of science and intellectual endeavour in society. Also, they are literally used for seeing through, they also symbolize knowledge. Piggy knows things the other boys don 't, like how to use a conch, and the necessity for laws, rules and order. Part of the reason he gets so upset when they take his glasses is that, without them, he can 't see anything. "Seeing" is Piggy 's greatest attribute; it 's the one reason the boys don 't ostracize him completely; it 's the one way he 's useful. This symbolic significance is clear from the start of the novel, when the boys use the lenses form Piggy 's glasses to focus sunlight and start a fire. The fire itself is a symbol. The fire becomes the boy 's connection to civilization, in the early parts of the novel, the fact that the boys maintain the fire is a sign that they want to be rescued and return to society. When the fire burns low or goes out, we see that the boys have lost the sight of their desire to be rescued and have accepted their savage lives on the island. The next time the fire is started, the fire form Jack 's tribe, is for a completely different reason: to cook their meals. This shows the boys willingness to stay on the island and continue making it their home, completely forgetting about their rescue.
The Beast and Lord of the Flies are the symbols that occur throughout the whole book, not necessarily physically to the boys, but psychologically.
They represent what they fear the most. But what they are truly afraid of are themselves, for The Beast and the Lord of the Flies were the evil beings residing within all of them. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding exposes the true nature of man: corrupt and wicked. The text depicts how man will relapse into its primitive state of barbarism once removed from a system of laws and punishments. It portrays the defect of human nature; the overwhelming desire for power that can cause humans to forget civility and morality. That in the struggle for power and control over the society, the isolated island that represents the world, civilization loses to the evil beast that resides within
man.
References
Burris, S.H. (1999). What makes things break up like they do: Alternative explanations for the societal breakdown in William Golding 's Lord of the Flies. Retrieved from http://www.rbhs.w-cook.k12.il.us/Mancoff/lofancient.htm
Golding, W. (2006). Lord of the Flies. New York, N.Y.: Perigee Book
Lord of the Flies. (2012). In Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. Retrieved 20 February 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies
Lord of the Flies Summary. (2012). In GradeSavers. Retrieved 20 February 2012, from http://www.gradesaver.com/lord-of-the-flies/study-guide/short-summary/
Proyect, L. (2004). Lord of the Flies [Web log]. Retrieved from http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2004/09/07/lord-of-the-flies/
Shmoop Editorial Team. (November 11, 2008).Lord of the Flies Analysis. Retrieved 20 February 2012, from http://www.shmoop.com/lord-of-the-flies/literary-devices.html
Shmoop Editorial Team. (November 11, 2008).Lord of the Flies Themes. Retrieved 20 February 2012, from http://www.shmoop.com/lord-of-the-flies/themes.html
SparkNotes Editors. (2007). SparkNote on Lord of the Flies. Retrieved 20 February 2012, from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/