Throughout the novel Golding relates the life of the boys to the real world as an allegory. The changes experienced by one character differ from those endured by another, and this is attributable to the physical and mental differences between them. Although all the characterisation helps to convey the novel’s message, it is the three main characters that appear to have been well symbolised to represent different aspects of society, such as dictators, the public and academia of the world.
Ralph acts as the democratic politics in society, representing law, order, organized society and moral integrity. He looks out for others and tries to make the society function properly by making everyone’s opinions heard: “give him the conch”. He has a sense of responsibility although he undergoes changes that are difficult for him to comprehend.
“Ralph was puzzled by the shutter that flickered in his brain. There was something he wanted to say; then the shutter had come down” Chapter 8
This shows the way that he begins to feel confused and lost in the environment. The other boys become less convinced in the reliability of Ralph and so order and society deteriorates. Towards the end of the novel, Ralph is forced into independence and his more responsible behaviour sets him apart from the other savage boys and makes it difficult for him to realize and accept the changes they are undergoing.
Conversely to Ralph, there is Jack.
“There was the brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill; and there was the world of longing and baffled commonsense.”
Chapter 4(Taken from the point in the story when Jack has been hunting and let the fire out, and at the same time a ship has been seen on the horizon)
This depicts clearly where the difference between Jack and Ralph lies. Jack and his tribe epitomise anarchy. The way in which Jack changes throughout the novel signifies the ways in which mankind can change to be immoral. His characteristics reveal him as a military figure. The freedom offered to Jack by the island allows him to express the darker sides of his personality that were reserved by the principles of his past environment. His malicious and arrogant personality makes it possible for him to quickly degenerate into a savage.
The third character used to symbolise the different types of mankind is Piggy. He is indisputably the academic, with a good understanding of their situation on the island. Piggy is able to think clearly and plan ahead with caution so that even in the freedom of their unregulated world, his wisdom and his isolation from the savage boys keeps him from giving into the evil that so easily consumed Jack and his followers. This resulting cruelty Jack inflicts upon him teaches Piggy how much more pain there is in the world.
The author has used the different characters to portray various types of people found in our society. The “little-uns” can be interpreted as the general public who play no major part in the running of society but are like a workforce. The hierarchy of society is therefore complete. These changes experienced by the boys, and the detailed second meanings of their characteristics, show the evil nature of man successfully, although other symbolism in the novel also helps.
Not only are the characters symbolised, but also Golding has successfully symbolised diverse objects to stress the malicious nature of mankind. Some are more obvious than others although, all in all they are all significant and relevant to the novel’s message.
The most obvious symbols tend to be those related to Ralph. The high hand of authority seems to be the imagery associated with the conch. For the most part, the boys respect it, but in the end, when it is destroyed, authority on the island is gone, and Ralph is left to fend for himself. Other allegory used from early on in the novel includes the signal fire. It is a representation of commonsense and rescue from immorality. When the fire can no longer be lit, due to Jack’s theft of Piggy’s specs that were used to light it, its beacon of hope and knowledge is no longer present to guide Ralph.
Although not a clear symbol in the book, Piggy’s specs show a slow and inescapable descent into anarchy and evil. This is done through their first being broken and then stolen by Jack. Evil that is found within man however is shown through the beast. Even though the children were all aware that such a beast exists, none of them, with the exception of Simon realise that it lies within them. The beast is manifested in three forms throughout the story, and constantly frightens the littleuns. The Lord of the Flies represents the beast’s danger and power. In the story the panic and decay that takes place is symbolised by the pig’s head.
The novel’s message is effectively created to make the book a fable, by using a wide range of symbolism and hidden meanings throughout the book. We are shown in the book that not everyone has so much evil hidden inside them as to become complete savages when released from the boundaries of our society. The isolation of the island allowed for changes and for their true selves to be revealed. From all three characters we can see that under the same circumstances, different individuals can develop in different ways depending on factors within themselves. However, above all, the novel’s message is successfully stressed to the reader as being the malicious nature of mankind.