LotF Symbolism
The Conch
The glasses
The Parachutist
The fire
The beast
The LotF
A powerful symbol of order and civilisation. It governs the meetings as the boy who holds the shell has the right to speak.
It is an actual vessel of political legitimacy and democratic power
As savagery begins to overtake civilisation, the conch begins to lose its power and influence over the boys.
Ralph clutches the conch firmly as he speaks about his role in the murder of Simon as though he was grasping what is left of his humanity
Later, the other boys ignore Ralph and throw stones at him when he attempts to blow the conch in Jack’s camp.
The boulder that Roger rolls onto Piggy also crushes the conch shell, signifying the end of civilisation and the power of savagery.
The glasses represent the power of science and intellectual endeavour in society. This symbolic significance is clear from the start when the boys use the lenses from Piggy’s glasses to focus the sunlight and start a fire.
When Jack’s hunters steal the glasses, they effectively take the power to make fire, leaving Ralph’s group helpless and most importantly Piggy.
The beast that frightens all the boys symbolises the primal instinct of savagery that exists within all human beings.
- The signal fire burns on the mountain, and later on the beach, to attract the notice of passing ships that might be able to rescue the boys.
- The signal fire becomes a barometer of the boys’ connection to civilization.
- The boys maintain the fire in the beginning, this is a sign that they want to be rescued and return to society. When the fire burns low or goes out, we realise that the boys have lost sight of their desire to be rescued and have accepted their savage lives on the island.
- The signal fire therefore, acts as a measuring instrument of the civilisation on the island.
- Ironically, at the end of the novel, a fire finally attracts a ship, but not the signal fire. Instead, it is the fire of savagery—the forest fire started to kill Ralph.
Simon reaches the realisation that they fear the beast because it exists within each of them. As the boys grow more savage, their belief in the beast grows stronger.
By the end of the novel, the boys are leaving it sacrifices and treating it as a god.
The boys’ behaviour is what brings the beast into existence, so the more savagely the boys act, the more real the beast seems to become.
- This symbol becomes the most important image in the novel when Simon confronts the head and it speaks to him.
- Lord of the Flies becomes a physical example of the beast and a Satan figure who evokes the beast within every human.
- Looking at the novel in the context of biblical parallels, the Lord of the Flies recalls the devil, just as Simon recalls Jesus.
- It tells him that evil lies within every human heart and promises to have “fun” with him - Foreshadows the 'fun' the boys have during Simon's death.
The civilisation the boys have been cut off from:
He come from the outside world. He could be seen as a contrast between what the boys are living and the advanced modern day technology.
Characters: the book is an allegorical novel meaning all characters symbolise different ideas / themes
Piggy
Ralph
Roger
Jack
Order, leadership, and civilisation
Uncontrolled savagery and the desire for power.
Scientific and intellectual aspects of civilisation
Brutality and bloodlust at the most extreme
Simon
Natural human goodness
Littl'uns
The common people
older boys
The ruling class / political leaders
- Civilised boys like Ralph and Simon use their power to protect the younger boys and advance the good of the group; savage boys like Jack and Roger use their power to gratify their own desires, treating the littler boys as objects for their own amusement.
Adult: He symbolises order, mastery, authority -- all contrast with the boys' immaturity
On a deeper level: He could symbolise the essence of the beast + LOTF, savage and evil in action. His corpse is the outcome of a battle; a product of war. The war in the outside world started due to the same primal instincts as that of the war on the island. Civilisation is proved to be threatened everywhere, you cannot escape what lies within.