Lord Of The Flies Symbolism

In literature symbolism is an important device that has many layers of hidden meaning by using an object or action that means more than its literal meaning. William Golding has said that his novel “Lord of the Files” is symbolic from the beginning until the end when the boys are rescued. During the course of the novel these symbols are constantly changing, giving us a new interpretation of the island society. In novel there are three important symbols that evolve in what they mean during the story.

The first symbol is fire, which changes its representation from hope to destruction. The seconded symbol is Piggy’s glasses, which are a symbol that represent innovation, advancement but soon become a symbol that regresses into savagery. The last symbol is the conch shell which, at first, is a symbol of the organization of island society and then it becomes a symbol of the breakdown of society that the boys have tried to create.

Essay Example on Lord Of The Flies Symbolism

In the novel, the use of fire changes when the boys become more and more savage. In the beginning the boys use the fire as a signal for the ships that might pass by. It represents their hope of getting rescued. Ralph suggests the idea of a signal fire and what it cam do for them, “If a ship comes near the island the may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire” (Golding,38).

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Later on when the boys start to forget the purpose of the fire, Ralph reminds them again, “The fire is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don’t keep the fire going?” (Golding,80). These actions demonstrate that the fire is the only hope for the boys to get rescued if not by luck. Keeping the fire going is one of the most important elements to their hope for rescue.

As the story progresses, many of the boys become more wild and savage. They then begin to use the fire in a destructive way. In chapter twelve of the book Jack and his tribe m…