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Lord Of The Flies Fire Symbolism Analysis

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Destruction and Salvation According to Wikipedia, a symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow us to go beyond what is known or seen by creating links between concepts and experiences. They help create a better understanding of the plot, theme, or characters in literature. For example, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding consists of several symbols. The novel is about a group of British boys who are stranded on an island with nothing but their knowledge of human civilization. They try to create a society of their own, but it begins to subside as they descend into savagery. Symbols like the conch, the beast, or the painted masks help reveal their true nature. However, the most important symbol is the fire. Golding uses the fire to paradoxically represent savagery, destruction and most significantly hope of rescue. He describes the fire as technology that menaces destruction if it gets out of control, yet ironically it also symbolizes the boys’ connection to human civilization. The fire is the most important symbol in Lord of the Flies because it helps readers understand the plot and the theme that destruction can be found in hope. Golding stresses the importance of the fire as Ralph repeatedly mentions how, “The fire is the most important thing on the island”(80). This symbol helps build up the plot because it is mentioned almost entirely throughout the whole entire novel. For example, the exposition is when Ralph first points out that the boys will be able to get rescued if they make a signal fire on top of the mountain. The rising action is when jobs were assigned and Jack and his hunters were in charge of keeping the fire going but failed to do so. The climax is when Jack and his tribe “stole” the fire. The falling action is when Jack and his tribe set the jungle on fire as a quicker and efficient way to find Ralph. Lastly, the resolution is when the boys ironically get rescued by a naval officer because of the fire they lit. Near the end of chapter five, “Beast from Water,” Piggy exclaims “what are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages?...Going off hunting pigs-letting fires out...”(91). This correlates to the

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