Lord of the Flies Literary Analysis

Lord of the Flies Literary Analysis

Lords of the Flies Literary Analysis
Lord of the Flies, A novel written by William Golding in 1954 is a classic tale about young boys stranded on an island. The author uses symbolic object and events in the story which make the story more meaningful and teaches a lesson about hope and friendship. As the story progresses, the boys become more and more savage, symbolic events and objects appear more often and can be read throughout the whole book.
At the beginning of the book, Ralph and Piggy find a conch shell which Ralph blows on to call together all the boys who were scattered throughout the island by the wreck. “… Its ever so valuable!” (15) Piggy says when they find the conch. The boys use the conch to call meeting, speak in turn and to have a sense of leadership on the island. After fights, argument, and sabotage, the boys lose sense of civilization, wearing paint and walking around naked. They get so savage that one of the boys kills Piggy by rolling a giant stone on him, crushing him and the conch, symbolizing the destruction of any last remaining civilized manner or thoughts the boys had.
One of the little boys on the island claims he sees a monster in the jungle and in the water. The story of the beast scares all the boys and brings fear into the group. Jack denies the stories the little one tells. He tells them “… Fear can’t hurt you anymore than a dream.” (82) Jack is right, there is not a beast on the island. The only thing they have to fear is themselves. They are the beasts.
Another symbolic event the author points out is the fire the boys build. The fire symbolizes the hope the boys have to get rescued. At first, everyone helped get the fire started and wanted to keep the fire burning big and bright. Then once the boys separated and fought. It seemed like all hope was lost on the island, and the hunters stopped trying to keep the fire lit. Piggy interrupts the boys while they fight and says ”The fire- rescue.” (151) Ralph and Piggy were...

Similar Essays