Preview

William Golding's Lord Of The Flies

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
418 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
William Golding's Lord Of The Flies
Essay on William Golding's Lord of the Flies

In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, a group of English boys is trapped on an island with no grown-ups. At first, this seems like the perfect place to relax. However, when the innate fear takes over the boys' lives, they destroy what seemed to be a paradise. Golding develops a main theme in the novel, being civilization versus savagery, by using items that underline this theme. The first important item in the novel is the conch, used to assemble the boys, the symbol of order. Later in the story, Golding uses Piggy's glasses as a symbol of wisdom, fire as a symbol of hope of rescue and the pig's head, being the Lord of the Flies, as a symbol of evil in mankind. In the novel, Golding makes

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Lord of the Flies by William Golding tells the story about a group of English boys who are stranded on an island after a plane that they were on was shot down. On this island the boys have the freedom of living without adults. They must find a way to set up a society that is livable in and that maintains order. However as time passes the characters see that those tasks are easier said than done. In Lord of the Flies, there are many different characters that show development and growth. Characters like Piggy, Ralph, and Jack all show signs of maturing and growth near the end of the book. Some of the characters were humane and try to maintain order, but other characters fall into the savagery that is within everyone. This statement is best depicted…

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In William Golding's 'Lord of the Flies', a group of schoolboys find themselves on a deserted island alone after a plane crash. They attempt to form a society and elect a 'chief', however this fades and the boys begin to destroy the island and each other. Ralph, the main character and 'chief' of the society the boys initially form, is a character who drastically changes throughout the narrative.…

    • 926 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Secondly, conflict is a big factor in the process of one losing innocence, for it causes not only physical damage, but psychological damage as well. The conflict between Ralph and Jack is clear from the beginning of the novel. Jack is clearly jealous when Ralph is chosen to be chief instead of him, but he still tries to gain power by becoming the head of the hunters. The readers see the struggle of Jack keeping himself in check during meetings. He always takes the conch away from the other boys and speaks without the conch. Jack is the centre of most of the conflict in the book. He is the one who feels like he is a better leader than Ralph and makes a whole new tribe to prove the statement. He constantly bashes on Ralph’s leading styles and…

    • 327 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph realizes that the savages would not know when they crossed the line because the broken conch and “the deaths of Piggy and Simon lay over the island like a vapour.” The deaths deluded Ralph’s mind making him think that there was no hope for the savages. The author implies that Ralph could not mentally deal with all the disasters that happened and lost all hope in the other boys.…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Conch Symbolism

    • 297 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In William Golding novel Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys crash land in a deserted tropical island with no adults or supervision. Throughout the novel many symbols are revealed to the reader. The conch, beast, and Piggy's eyeglasses are the most important symbols that are expressed in this novel. These three symbols show how the children adapt to their environment and find their own ways to survive. They also assist in the development of each character’s personality and traits.…

    • 297 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There is no end to fear, no one can be saved from it, and nothing can make it forgotten. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, a group of young, British schoolboys’ plane crashes on a deserted island during a war, leaving these young boys to fend for themselves with no adults. Throughout the book, the boys are driven by their fears of the island, eventually leading them to savagery. The boys become beasts within themselves as they tear and burn the island down to ash. Once the boys have lost all sense of humanity, and they stand amongst a burning civilization, a naval officer arrives on the island to rescue them. Realizing there is no true end to the fears they have all experienced, the boys break down, sobbing as the officer stands, waiting to take them all back to a war stricken world. By looking at the conclusion of Lord of the Flies, one can see how Golding uses it to show the effect of fear on the boys’ personalities; this is important because fear is the driving factor of society’s dismay.…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The rules!” Shouted Ralph “You’re breaking the rules!” Who needs rules when we can’t even have a proper meal. And why is Ralph leading anyways? Jack thought. All he has is a stupid shell that makes sound. “Who cares?” Retorted Jack. “Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got!” Said Ralph. That was the argument that was constantly replaying in his mind. Stupid conch! Stupid fire! Stupid Ralph! “Who needs them anyways?” Ralph muttered to himself, “And it’s not like they’ll miss me or anything.” It was only an hour ago since he had left; “Hands up,” Jack yelled, “whoever wants Ralph not to be chief?” He shook in surprise, no one held up their hand. A combination of rage and embarrassment flowed through Jack. “How many think...” Jack stuttered. He wasn’t able to finish his sentence, and it was clear no one would agree with him. “All right then.” Jack said. “I’m not going to play any longer. Not with you.” He continued furiously, “I’m not going to be part of Ralph’s lot.” He stormed out of the area. Jack phased out of the flashback. He had…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In Lord of the Flies, several symbols are used to illustrate important ideas that are crucial to the plot and meaning of the book. One of these symbols is the conch: this rare shell is not only a precious and expensive in the world of merchandise; it also holds a dark and mysterious power over a group of English boys, lost on an island with no adults, clues, or means of escape. The boys set up a civilization and try to live in the society they have set up. This system works for a while, aided by the power of the conch. However, as the story advances, the civilized way of life that the boys have set up starts falling apart, and savagery starts luring certain boys outside of the safe and rational walls of civilization. William Golding intertwines the fast-paced, enticing story of the boys’ plight on the island and the descent into savagery with the powerful and deeply meaningful symbolism of the conch.…

    • 1086 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Often in our lives other people affect us in both negative and positive ways. In the case of Lord of the Flies, the kids influence one another while on the island, in mostly negative ways. These influences cause for mental changes in the brain. Most of the time, mental changes affect physical changes. However, in some rare occasions it is the other way around. While on the island the boys go through numerous physical and mental changes. Although mental changes are somewhat more significant than physical changes, physical changes are still very much apparent and can sometimes cause for mental change.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fire Symbolism

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is renowned for having unique symbolism within the text. Piggy’s glasses, the conch, and the fire all have a deeper meaning than what is displayed on page. As the book continues, and the boys descend into savagery, the context of Piggy’s glasses, the conch, and the fire are changed into symbols of things the boys once had. Piggy’s glasses became a symbol for intelligence and innovation on the island, the conch was a symbol of order and unity, and the signal fire was symbolic for the boys’ connection with…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The fire continuously causes conflict creating a survival of the fittest over power between egocentrism and responsibility where civility is all that keeps them from ravaging each other. The Author tells you,“They were savages, it was true, but they were human.”, showing how the situation and need for power drove everyone over the edge of society.(Pg.185, William Golding) Part of the reason things got so out of control so fast was Jack having the backing of roger who being the sadistic boy he is decided to make sure everyone was kept in line and if they didn’t stay in line he tortured them. There is also the fact that the island is covered with ignorance except for a singular place of knowledge which is completely destroyed by Jack and his tribe showing how egocentrism and sadism make a very dangerous combination. Ralph boldly says,"You voted me for chief. Now you do what I say.", even though this may seem egotistical he only says this trying to maintain a sense of…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Lord of the Flies William Golding uses allegories to illustrate the human psyche. Different characters are used to represent different parts of an individual 's mental structure: the impulses of the Id, the rationality of the Ego, and the moral understanding of the Superego. Golding carefully describes each character 's actions to coincide with each part of the psyche. Jack, Piggy, Simon, and Ralph are characters in the story that represent the psyche.…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    tyemnd

    • 1345 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding makes heavy use of symbols to present the themes and dramatic conflicts of the novel. In this chapter, for instance, Golding introduces the bespectacled Piggy as a representative of the scientific and intellectual aspects of civilization. Piggy thinks critically about the conch shell and determines a productive use for it—summoning the other boys to the beach. The conch shell itself is one of the most important symbols in the novel. The conch shell represents law, order, and political legitimacy, as it summons the boys from their scattered positions on the island and grants its holder the right to speak in front of the group. Later in the novel, Golding sharply contrasts the conch shell with another natural object—the sinister pig’s head known as the Lord of the Flies, which comes to symbolize primordial chaos and terror.…

    • 1345 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Lord of the Flies, William Golding utilizes thunder as a herald of an impending victory for savagery. Golding employs the power of this roaring natural phenomenon as a subtle nod to how nature supports the savagery the boys begin to express. He does this through depicting the booming thunder immediately before events that revert the boys’ learned goodness.…

    • 340 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Lord Of The Flies William Golding shows many different interesting ways of symbolism.During a time of war,a plane carrying a group of British boys who are still kids were shot down over the pacific.The pilot got killed,but many of the kids survived the crash and found themselves deserted on an uninhabited island where they were alone with no adults to supervise them.Furthermore,They had to survive by themselves and make life.In transition,in Lord Of The Flies,the fire,the conch as well as the island are symbols that convey the belief that human nature is evil and it can destroy the environment,but it can also be used in a helpful way.In addition,the conch is used to call all the meetings,so it symbolises civilization as well as rule of law.Furthermore,the island symbolizes an untouched beauty,also paradise it is like the Garden Of Eden in which the boys try to create a good society from the beginning and stay civilized.Finally,the fire is like something destroying the environment around the boys.For example,when the fire is out of control.…

    • 745 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays