Lord_of_the_Flies

In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding tells the story of a group of young, British boys who are on a deserted island, left to survive by themselves. When the plane full of these boys crashes on the island, it doesn't take long for their civil ways to deteriorate. Lord of the Flies contains many symbols to illustrate how the boys are acclimatizing to the island as well as how they are slowly becoming savage - like. Through the use of symbols such as the conch shell, the two different sides of the island, and Piggy, Golding demonstrates the decline of the civility on the island. A conch shell is an imperative symbol which author William Golding provides in Lord of the Flies. This symbol demonstrates order, speech, and the laws of society to the boys on the island and is used to govern their meetings. The rule is that no boy may speak unless he is holding the conch and once the conch is in his hands, he cannot be interrupted. Ralph stated, “And another thing. We can’t have everybody talking at once. We’ll have to have ‘Hands up’ like at school” (Golding 25). This quote illustrates that the boys have decided to act like an ordered society when meetings are called. Because the conch shell is destroyed, Jack shows anarchy is taking over and he tries to become chief leader for the reason that the conch is not able to provide the order the boys once had. Through the course of the novel, society on the abandoned island shows the transition from carefully organized reasoning to unlawful decisions. The two sides of the island denote the difference between the two civilizations that exist. Ralph's side, the lagoon, was calm and tranquil whereas Jack's side was tumultuous and rough, which symbolizes civilized vs. uncivilized. Jack announces to Ralph and his followers, "Me and my hunters, we're living along the beach by a flat rock. We hunt and feast and have fun. If you want to join my tribe, come and see us" (Golding 125). This quote shows the differences between the island; Ralph's camp is more concerned about order and getting off the island and Jack's tribe is worried about the hunts and destroying Ralph and Piggy. With the two different sides, Jack and Ralph show that the civilization of the boys change throughout. A final, but important symbol is Piggy who represents insight, innovation, and knowledge. He tries to lead Ralph to the reason – oriented side of life, like the conch had demonstrated. For example, the morning after Ralph's camp is attacked by Jack and Piggy's glasses are stolen, Piggy tries to reason with Ralph that their only option is to go to Castle Rock and demand the glasses back. Along with that, Piggy also represents order and civilization. When Piggy is trying to think of ways to get rescued he says, “If only we could make a radio! Or a plane, or a boat!" (Golding 145) This quote exhibits the innovation that Piggy has for trying to invent a way for the boys to get rescued. Even though Piggy died before rescue came, his innovative mind got the boys off the island. In conclusion, many diverse objects used such as the conch shell, the two sides of the island, and Piggy symbolize the theme of a weakening society. Those objects would be insignificant in real life but in Lord of the Flies, each of the mentioned symbols are vital to the story's premise. The book was written during the first two years of the Cold War and the Atomic Age. This is relevant because the central theme of Lord of the Flies is how humans can be their own worst enemy, causing disarray and downfall. This piece of literature applies to my life because in a way, I feel like I am fighting myself to keep order in my life. With schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and my horses, I'm in my own "battle" to keep my life organized and keep everything tidy.