Lord of the Flies Symbolism essays

Lord of the Flies Symbolism essays Man is a fallen being. He is gripped by original sin. His nature is sinful, and this leads to chaotic consequences. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding presents the theme of mans capacity for evil and its effects on the deterioration of society. This idea is displayed through symbols in the novel, especially objects and the characters. The characters, which serve as allegorical symbols for various human types, begin a descent into primitive and bloodthirsty savagery. Instead of being presented as well-rounded individuals, they each display specific qualities that are found in every man. Ralph, the protagonist, expresses rational thought and ethical behavior under the unsupervised circumstances. He portrays the role of government in any modern society. While he wants to satisfy the wishes of the public, he also realizes that certain rules of conduct must be followed in order to prevent anarchy. Jack is Ralphs antithesis who represents anarchy and savagery. Piggy is Ralphs stabilizing force; he is the intellectual power of the society. Simon, representing intuitive insight and self-awareness, is a mystic who understands that the beast is really the evil inside the boys. The pigs head, the most striking symbol in the novel, represents the uncontrollable dark side of humankind. Originally, it was left as a sacrifice to the beast. However, the pigs head tells Simon that it is the beast itself, and the boys were foolish for thinking the beast was something they could hunt and kill. This fear of the beast is implanted into the boys minds, thus disrupting the unity of their system. Fear of the unknown begins the boys lapse into irrational thinking and behavior. The conch shell is a key symbol in the island civilization and its fall. The conch is used by Ralph to summon meetings, and it represents order and civilization. At the first assembly ...