Lord of the Flies

In the novel, Golding uses many symbols to represent something deeper within a character or an object. Stating that Lord of the Flies is just a children’s adventure story is mistaken, because even though the novel does seem like one, it isn’t. The conch shell which was discovered by Ralph and Piggy at the start of the novel is used to summon the boys together, this represents order and civilization for the reason that whoever holds the conch holds the right to speak, ‘most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch.’ Therefore, the shell is in fact democratic power and not just a conch shell. As the boys descend into savagery, the conch loses power and influence among them, ‘the conch is gone-‘Furthermore, at castle rock the boulder which plunged down to the conch made, ‘the conch explode into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist,’ which signifies that the civilized nature of the boys have ended. Piggy’s glasses represent the power of science and the signal fire represents the boys’ connection to civilization, ‘the fire- rescue.’ The fire also measures the strength of the civilized instinct which remains on the island due to the fact that when there was a fire, the boys wanted to be rescued, however, when the fire blew out the boys accepted their savage lives on the island. Ironically in the final stages of the novel they get rescued, not with a signal fire but the fire of savagery, which Jack’s gang started in order to help kill Ralph. The Lord of the Flies whom Simon talks to is the symbol of evil, and a Satan figure as well, the very name Lord of the Flies is a literal translation of the biblical name, ‘Beelzebub,’ a powerful demon in hell. When the Lord of the Flies speaks to Simon, telling him that there is evil within us and threatens Simon that he and the others will kill Simon, ‘we are going to have fun on this island. Understand? So don’t try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else we shall do you. See?’ Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel and the characters represent many things. Piggy, who has initiative but is vulnerable, he represents logic, reason and social order because of his organized and nerdy demeanor. Ralph, who represents balance, democracy, order, and is the ‘chief’ of the group, and Jack, who represents constant opposition in the novel, he is also rebellious and a bully. As well as Roger who represents Satan and evil. Civilized boys like Ralph and Simon use their power to protect the littluns whereas savage boys like Roger and Jack use their power to satisfy their own desires, like how Jack told the littluns to, ‘do our dance! Come on! Dance!’ while, ‘the littluns began to run about, screaming.’ Lord of the Flies is not just an effortless novel talking about boys on an island having some adventure, but as you can see, there is more to it than that.

The main idea of this novel is that Golding makes us think about the question: What turns children into savages? This question which is introduced proves that Lord of the Flies isn’t just a children’s adventure story, but a story in which many questions are raised.  Referring to his article, he says that ‘we can be twisted and distorted beyond recognition by the guidance – or lack of it – that we absorb directly from our families.’ As years pass the human mind grows more complex and the world keeps changing, families become separated and children tend to disobey their parents due to the lack of respect and rudeness. Influenced by bad friends who try to lead them into the streets, possibly out of sheer jealousy because they themselves have no home. I believe that if both parents are not absent then children will not go ‘wrong’, parents are our protectors and they provide us with guidance and direction. They teach us how to understand situations, make decisions and stop us from becoming a savage. Nevertheless, if parents are absent then children feel insecure and unloved, therefore having no guidance whatsoever, and children would be lost and in due course join a gang in the streets because they only know one important thing, to survive. ‘Gangs begin to find cohesion merely in the joint fulfillment of their darkest instincts.’ Moreover, this novel shows us that without firm rules then savagery will prevail. Nevertheless, the novel contains complex ideas which explain several questions which would overwhelm or baffle the human mind, which is why Lord of the Flies is not solitarily that simple.

The Lord of Flies reveals a complex story hidden deep within the plot. The novel does not solely talk about children on an island having fun and games because it raises many ideas and questions which leave the reader either perplexed or overwhelmed by the novel. With the lack of guidance and order savagery will come alight and children will be free to explore their primitive part of their nature. Nonetheless, this would leave them to fend for themselves, this allows them to revert back to their savage roots before man was able to think and make decisions. There is evil within all of us, when morality is lost in our minds evil will take over us and cause mayhem and anarchy. Moreover as an allegorical novel it evidently deals with the propensity for evil and the nature of humanity. Savagery comes alight when civilization is lost; the only thing in mind would be what every human being would consider essential, is to survive no matter what the cost. Without ecological balance, cooperation and conditions our ideals, values and the fundamentals of right and wrong will have gone astray. Therefore to believe that Lord of the Flies is merely a simple children’s story is ignoring the fact that there are complexities hidden within Golding’s novel. These complexities are not what children’s adventure stories should be concerned about at all.