Symbols In Lord Of The Flies Research Paper

Still, the symbolic significance of this mundane yet, elegant object is overwhelming. It holds so much importance and has immense value in the hearts of the boys and the readers. As it breaks, it feels as, if not one, but two characters have been lost. Honestly, there is no true abstract concept that can completely explain the symbolism of the conch shell. Of course, people can try to write about what it means and what it has taught them, but truthfully nobody can quite put it into words how important this shell is. It is such a thought-provoking and influential source of inspiration and hope of rescue, that it is almost forgotten it is a conch shell that holds no real

In the novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding the kids that are stranded on the island manage to survive even with all the obstacles they face. Certain objects in this novel hold certain meanings. Some of these main symbols were first, the conch, secondly Piggy's glasses, and thirdly, the fire. Each object had a meaning which would then change into something else, some even changed dramatically. These symbols that have different meanings throughout the book such the conch standing for their togetherness or government or the fire as their hope of survival or rescue.

There are symbols everywhere. A flag is just a piece of fabric to some, but to others it symbolizes freedom and patriotism. Some books, such as the Lord of the Flies show a vast amount of examples of what symbols are. This story, the Lord of the Flies, has a lot of symbols, such as the glasses or the conch. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding the conch shell symbolizes authority, which is derived from the structure and security within society.

The shell becomes the backbone of the boys’ meetings, because the boy who holds the shell shall have the right to speak. In this context, the shell transforms into becoming a direct use of democratic power. As the island civilization withers into oblivion, and the boys descend into savagery, the conch shell loses its power and influence among them. This is prominent in the Lord of the Flies, as shown through, “At once half the boys were on their feet. Jack clamoured among them, the conch forgotten.”

Their only hope is for a nearby ship to see the smoke of the fire they had lit, one of the only things that keeps them sane. When they start to fear that the fire will die out, they begin to make senseless choices. William Golding uses the signal fire to show that the fear of losing something can cause people to act irrationally. At the beginning of the book, the fear of not being rescued is realized when the signal fire goes out for the first time.

One of the most important situations of power in the book is the constant power struggle between Ralph and Jack. Jack is always trying to top Ralph, and Ralph always has to keep him in a lower position. One of the most most notable symbols in the book, the conch shell plays an exceptional role in deciding who gets leads the island, and how. The conch shell, in general, represents Ralph’s power of order, and his authority over other. Whenever Ralph holds a meaningful assembly, he starts it by blowing the conch, then controls the assembly afterwards with the conch itself, by limiting others’ right to speak. He uses the power the conch has during assemblies to weaken Jack’s struggle for power, and maintain his authority. The main time Ralph actually loses power, while on the other side of the island at Jack’s celebration, Ralph left the conch behind, and even Jack knew that himself. He lost his symbol of power, and thus had none.

The fire symbolizes hope of rescue and getting back home. It is arguably the most important resource the boys have. As Ralph states in the beginning of the book,”If a ship comes near the island it may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire.” Golding used this statement to emphasize the symbolism relating the fire to hope. Although as the book goes on, the boys lose sight of the real importance of the fire. The first sign of this is the hunters letting the fire go out. That in itself symbolises the boys becoming more savage. As the book carries on, however, the importance of the fire degrades quickly. Often Ralph will even forget why they need it. In the end, however, the fire is used against all the boys and causes complete chaos, showing how out of hand and careless the situation is. Ironically, the fire does grab the attention of rescue and with that they are compared to society. Golding makes a strong statement that without supervision and intelligence, humans are careless and overtime will slowly degrade into savagery and madness. He demonstrates this with the timeline he set

The boys use it to get everyone on the island together after the crash separates them. The conch shell becomes a symbol of civilization, power and order. The shell is the biggest part of the boys meetings, whoever holds the shell has the right to speak. They agree that only the boy holding the conch may speak at meetings to and voice their opinion. The conch also brings the boys together for an assembly when blown. Ralph becomes the leader of the conch and the boys on the island when he is elected by the other boys. The boys deciding on a leader shows their humanity. However, Jack starts to challenge Ralph for the power which leads their society to fall apart. When the boys start to lose their humanity, they begin to act like savages. As the islands civilization is being destroyed, the boys begin to

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.

In the Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses symbolism throughout the book. Symbolism is the way an object is used to portray an idea or quality by having a symbolic meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the word. Some examples that are seen throughout the book include: Piggy’s glasses, the conch, and the scar.

For example, throughout the entirety of Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses symbols to advance the plot of the novel. These symbols, whether they are characters, objects, or ideas, hold the power and ability to change the course of the story. The symbols can hold many different meanings and can conflict with one another, with this new issues arise which further develops the plot of the story. As said before, Mr. Golding uses symbols in his story Lord of the Flies to control the destiny of the boys.

The duality of the fire’s purpose and its importance represents the boys’ shift from civilization to savagery. At first, the fire was a signal fire to get rescued. One of their main tasks after arriving on the island was to get rescued. After Ralph was elected chief, he suggested that they should create a signal fire to notify passing ships that there are people on this island; "There's another thing. We can help them to find us. If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire" (38). To create the fire, they used Piggy’s glasses: "His specs--use them as burning glasses!" (40). The boys’ connections with civilization were still strong as it hasn’t been a long time since their isolation from society.

All of these symbols are apart of the allegorical story within the Lord of The Flies. Each symbol tells more parts of the second story in depth. The allegorical story has a deeper meaning than the island and speaks on the morals we humans have and questions our character. It has us question whether we're all savage or not. Goulding does a great to portray the allegorical story through these symbols. He gives his input on the world through these meaningful symbols creating a astounding

What do symbols illustrate in novels? In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, symbols are illustrated through people, objects, and colors. In this novel, a group of children are faced with the difficulty of living isolated from society after their plane crashes on a deserted island. With no formal civilization, parents, or rules, the kids have the freedom to do as they choose. Throughout the novel, the boys find and use objects on the island that symbolize something of different importance. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses different objects to symbolize the difference between civilization and savagery.

When the fire is maintained, the boys want to be rescued. However, when the fire burns low or goes out it symbolizes how the boys have lost sight of their desire to be saved, and how they have accepted savagery into their lives. The signal fire also symbolizes the measurement of the strength of the civilized instinct and hope remaining on the island.