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Lord Of The Flies Character Analysis

Decent Essays

The Demise of Mankind
Lord of the Flies is often claimed to be an allegory of modern society. While this is true, Golding’s intentions in writing this novel are much deeper. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies provides an enlightening insight into the true nature of human beings; along with why people refrain from acting upon the evil that resides within them. He presents these ideas through symbolism within the novel and it proves effective in many ways. Through symbolism, Golding can unfold the excellent plot of his novel, while subsequently sharing his ideas on the relationship of mankind and society. Golding uses the beast, the conch shell, and Piggy’s glasses to symbolize the human impulse towards ‘savagery’ and the social constructs put in place to prevent it. The image of the beast is introduced by Golding as a physical being, however, it is merely a fictional symbol of the darkness within. The beast is immediately associated with the decay of the makeshift society on the island. In chapter five, Jack shares his thoughts on the state of the island during an assembly: “‘Things are breaking up. I don’t understand why. We began well; we were happy. And then-’ He moved the conch gently, looking beyond them at nothing, remembering the beastie, the snake, the fire, the talk of fear. ‘Then people started getting frightened’” (Golding 82). Here, lines are drawn directly between the dilapidation of the island society, and the growing fear within it. This fear of the beast, or

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