Symbolism in Lord of The Flies
Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense .Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another to give it an entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant .The novel Lord of the Flies is an allegory which means that the characters, the objects, the settings all have one literal meaning, and one figurative meaning. The author uses a tangible object to represent an intangible idea.
The first symbol is the Conch - Ralph and Piggy find the conch shortly after landing on the island. It soon becomes the symbol of authority and law and order, so conch is used to call assemblies and only the person holding the conch could speak at the meetings. If we take a look at the book, it says, “That’s what this shell is called. I’ll give the conch the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.” So the shell comes to represent this idea that the boys need rules and laws in order to survive on the island. They all decide in the very beginning of the book that they’re going to use the shell as part of the first rule . Ralph and especially Piggy respected the symbol of the conch until it is smashed to bits by Roger, one of Jack's followers. The destruction of the conch symbolizes the destruction of what little civilization the boys possessed.
The second symbol shown is Piggy's Glasses - The glasses symbolized the ability to see and understand things clearly. Piggy is the only boy, besides Jack, who really sees how things should be done. The cracking of the first lens symbolizes the boys losing sight of what they need to do. The glasses are also important in so much as they are needed to start the fire.
On a more figurative level however, we come to see the glasses as representing rescue. They are the means by which the boys start the fire, and the smoke from the fire that...