The Lord of the Flies how the use of symbolism helps the reader to understand the breakdown of law and order.
Lord of the Flies William Golding's novel "Lord of the Flies" is set in around the 1950s on a small remote island in the Pacific and is about a group of boys who are stuck on this island how easily they descend into savagery. The question I will be asking in this essay is how the use of symbolism helps the reader to understand the breakdown of law and order. The novel begins with a meeting of all the boys who have been stuck on the island after a plane crash. The boys elect Ralph as their leader but Jack is not very happy about this. Next the boys decide to make a fire to alert any ship passing by to rescue them but this fire is quickly allowed to go out when most of the become more interested in hunting pigs. Then a darker side is show of the boys when they become carried away in a tribal style dance and kill Simon the Christ like figure. After this most of the boys decide to form a different tribe so they can concentrate on hunting but become so savage they end up killing Piggy, the fat boy with asthma, and chase after Ralph trying to kill him. Just before Ralph is almost caught a ship arrives to rescue them and suddenly all traces of savagery vanish. The main themes of this novel are good and evil and savagery. The main symbols in the novel are the conch, Piggy's glasses, the Lord of the Flies, painted faces and the Beast in us. At the beginning of the novel the island
Lord of the Flies
"Lord of the Flies is just a children's adventure story." Argue against this statement. It may look as if Lord of the Flies is just a children's adventure story. However, there is also a truth concealed deep inside the novel where Golding uses symbolism effectively so that readers are able to become conscious of certain issues. The issues it concerns are: society, human nature, good vs. evil, ecological balance and cooperation. Lord of the Flies reveals a multifaceted story beneath an effortless storyline. In the novel, Golding takes the time to explicate to readers that man and women are who they are because of their childhood, that if they were not brought up well they will grow to be uncivilized. Take this for example Piggy continuously talks about his auntie saying, 'my auntie-'this and 'my auntie-'that, remembering everything that his auntie told him, what was right and what was wrong and understands that,' grown-ups know things.' This shows that without care and guidance that children receive from parents, guardians, or anyone at all, children will regress back to the roots of savagery of their fellow ancestors. Nonetheless, if you look in-depth into the story there is more than meets the eye. Thus claiming that Lord of the Flies is just a children's adventure story is incorrect, the story exposes a more intricate plot. At the beginning, the boys were ordered and
What is the importance of Simon in 'Lord of the Flies'
What is the importance of Simon in Lord of the Flies? Write about: - The importance of the part Simon plays in the plot - How Simon is different from the other boy's - What Simon might represent - The ways the writer uses Simon to convey his ideas. 'Then one of the boys flopped on his face in the sand and the line broke up.' Even at this point, the very first mention of Simon in The Lord of the Flies, Simon is marked out as something different. Throughout the book, he is the outsider. Inhabiting the 'dubious region' between biguns and littluns - he is singled out for his faints, as Jack says, 'In Gib.; and Addis; and at matins over the precentor,' and, like Piggy, is often the subject of group ridicule. For example, when on page 92 he admits to being out at night, his mumbled excuses are put down with Jack's dismissive 'he was taken short' - and he is crushed by 'the derisive laughter that rose.' He also seeks solitude, not companionship - but somehow is never afraid, unlike the other boys - who are all afraid at one time or another. In due course, as the story progresses, he seems to become even more of a social recluse - even Ralph, who Simon generally seems to support, confides to Jack that 'He's queer. He's funny.' And this is without the one important, most drastic difference between Simon and the others - which only the reader finds out about - Simon's
Why is setting significant in Lord of the Flies?
Why is setting significant in Lord of the Flies? In Lord of the Flies, the setting has an important influence on the story and the actions of the characters in it. As it is set on a deserted Island, isolated away from society and civilisation, it allows a microcosm to be born. A plane crash causes the schoolboys to land on the Island and force them to create civilisation between themselves. The fact that the boys are away from rules and reason give them lease to misbehave and do as they wish, which couldn't be done if they were lost somewhere else, highlighting the importance of the Island's isolation. The idea of being without "grown-ups" seems daunting to Piggy, but for the rest of the group it is more like an adventure. Piggy sometimes seems to be the only one with a mature mindset, and he realises that they could be stuck on the Island forever, while the little un's, choir boys and the rest don't think about the long term. The Island is described as quite like a luxury holiday, "palm terrace" and "white surf flinked on a coral reef", which also shows how the boys only think of their time on the island to be temporary. On the Island, where there are no grown-ups, there are no boundaries. Because all the boys are just children, they have not learnt the proper values of what civilisation means and how it is created, or how to live in peace. Most of the boys did not know
How does William Golding use 'The Beast' in his novel as a whole?
How does William Golding use 'The Beast' in his novel as a whole? 'The Beast' first comes to life at the start of chapter two. 'The Beast' is brought on to the scene by a small, timid boy with a birthmark on his face. The birthmark makes the boy stand out and makes him unique as if he is a chosen one. The small boy was made to introduce the idea of a "snake thing" by his peers. 'He was a shrimp of a boy, about six years old, and one side of his face was blotted out by a mulberry coloured birthmark...' The older boys mock him, as he asks for the conch the assembly "shouted with laughter" as a result of this the boy is too afraid to speak to the other boys. It would seem that he has already confided in Piggy, so Piggy tells Ralph and the older boys that the 'little uns' have been unsettled by some kind of 'beast', the older boys don't take the matter seriously and simply brush it off. The beast is used as a symbol in the novel, in the imaginations of many of the boys, the beast is a tangible source of evil on the island. However, in reality, it represents the evil naturally present within everyone, which is causing life on the island to deteriorate. Simon begins to realize this even before his encounter with the Lord of the Flies, and during one argument over the existence of a beast, he attempts to share his insight with the others. Simon begins to realize this even before
law and order lord of the flies
Law and Order One of the first characters to emerge as a distinct personality is Piggy, who represents law and order. One of Piggy's first inspirations is brought about by the sight of a conch in a pool. When Ralph retrieves the conch, Piggy realizes that: "We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting". Piggy's first instinct is for organization, and the conch which he spots becomes a symbol of the fragile system of order that the boys create. Piggy is critical of the kind of freedom that leads to disorder and chaos. When the boys agree to build a fire on the mountain to send a smoke signal, the first meeting breaks up as everyone rushes towards the mountain. Like the crowd of boys, the fire quickly gets out of control, and one of the younger boys appears to be missing -probably trapped in the burning jungle. Piggy tells the others that they have acted "like a pack of kids!" and asks, "How can you expect to be rescued if you don't put first things first and act proper?" The only salvation Piggy can envision comes from behaving in an orderly manner. The degree to which he values this vision of order is shown by his reverence for the conch, which he attempts to protect from Jack later on in the book. Even when the majority of the boys have abandoned the original, organized society, Piggy clings to the shell, stubbornly believing that the beauty of order cannot be denied.
Why is the Opening Chapter in Lord of the Flies so Effective?
Why is the opening chapter in 'Lord of the Flies' so effective? Consider character, narrative, themes and imagery I believe that the first chapter of the novel is effective because we are informed about the main characters and we get an idea of their situation. From the characters' brief descriptions, we can almost instantly tell what sort of roll they are going to take on in the rest of the book. Like in many books, the first chapter is the most beneficial and contributes the most information on things such as the themes, characters and narrative of the story. The first chapter also gives you vital information on the characters which will evolve as the story progresses, in a way that will make the reader want to read on. The first character introduced is Ralph, and so we immediately think of him as being the main character who will take charge in the 'new world'. He is described as having worn school uniform when the plain crashed and is first seen dragging his school sweater behind him from one hand, this is almost symbolic that Ralph has abandoned the order of his probably strict upbringing and that he is rebelling against typical British society at that time. Piggy is the second character to be introduced, and is described as '...shorter than the fair boy and very fat.' This shows that Piggy is already an outcast as we learn that he is the only one who is looked down
"The Ideal "Ruler" for Golding's Island Would be a Combination of Ralph, Jack Piggy and Simon" Discuss
The Ideal "Ruler" for Golding's Island Would be a Combination of Ralph, Jack Piggy and Simon * In chapter one, Ralph was given sole responsibility of chief on the island, with Jack becoming his hunters. Throughout the novel, we see things gradually begin to break up on the island, and much of this is down to Ralph's poor leadership and assertive skills. Alone, Ralph was a very poor leader, leading to the break-up and ultimately the destruction of the island. However, if the leader had all of Ralph, Jack, Piggy and Simon's qualities, things could have been very different. * The first quality that an ideal chief should have is intelligence and knowledge. Ralph has never been shown as having much intelligence, or knowledge of the wider world. An example of this is where he is trying to reassure the boys of being rescued and says that the Queen has a huge map and his father in the Navy will be able to rescue them in no time. Piggy has intelligence of adult things, for example he knows what a conch is, and also about rock pools. Jack however has knowledge of practical things, such as how to gut and kill a pig. Both the scientific knowledge that Piggy has, and the practical knowledge that Jack has would help to create a perfect leader * To be a good leader, you must have a lot of assertiveness and be able to enforce the rules to people even when they do not want to
What particular aspects of human nature are explored in Lord of the Flies; and how have the author's techniques and choice of content deepened your understanding of this matter?
What particular aspects of human nature are explored in Lord of the Flies; and how have the author's techniques and choice of content deepened your understanding of the matter? In this essay, I will review the information I have gathered from the novel 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding. The main aspects of human nature explored are: Evil within man, Fear of the unknown, and The need for civilisation. In the story, a group of schoolboys land on a deserted island due to a plane crash. They quickly set up a community and the boys are united in their quest for rescue. However, the lack of civilisation eliminates any common rules or morals, and the group soon starts to break apart. This brings out the evil which is within every human being. The constant fear of the unknown, represented as a 'beast', only increases the magnitude of this problem. Finally, the camp is split into two: The rebellious and 'evil' side, led by Jack; and the civilised and 'good' side led by Ralph, the original chief. The rivalry between Jack and Ralph forces this split, and their different opinions and priorities. This division finally results in the brutal murders of Simon and Piggy, with Ralph escaping narrowly from the clutches of Jack's tribe. William Golding uses characterisation to show the fear of the unknown in real life. The boys seem to have seen, or at least felt the presence of, a
Lord of the flies. How does Golding make Simon such a significant figure in the novel?
How does Golding make Simon such a significant figure in the novel? The Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, details the story of a group of schoolboys stranded on a deserted tropical island and their struggle between the choice of savagery or civilization. In many novels throughout history, characters often take on characteristics of well known religious, political, or historical figures. In Golding's novel, the character Simon actions and words make him a very important and significant character in the novel. There are many biblical parallels in The Lord of the Flies that result in Simon being compared to Jesus Christ. He commits many selfless acts, just as Jesus Christ did. Simon chooses to stay and help Ralph build huts rather than horse play with the other inhabitants. Ralph compliments Simon by saying "Simon. He Helps. All the rest rushed off. He's done as much as I have" this also showing how Simon is a supportive figure in the novel, especially to Ralph. We see this later in the novel when Ralph is left alone with only Simon and Piggy by his side. Golding also presents Simon to be very generous; as he comes to the aid of the hungry littluns, Simon always appears to help in times of crisis. Piggy's glasses have been knocked off by an angry Jack and Simon appears without warning to pick them up and hand them back to Piggy, expecting nothing in return. His
