Symbolism in Lord of the Flies, by William Golding Essay -- essays res

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies, by William Golding In his classic novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses many elements of symbolism to help the readers gain a greater understanding of his message. Symbolism can be anything, a person, place, or thing, used to portray something beyond its self. It is used to represent or omen the conclusion of the story. As one reads this novel, he or she will nonplus to recognize the way basic civilization is slowly stripped apart from the boys as conflict between civilization and savagery arises.The conch shell represents spring and authority. Whoever has the shell has the power to talk. The conch shows how people use objects to give power, like a crown. "Conch?" "Thats what this shells called. Ill give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when hes mouth (pg.33)." This shows that whoever holds the conch during meetings gets to speak At these meetings a sense of order is instilled because the boys consume to take care until they hold the conch to speak. The conch becomes a powerful symbol of civilization. "By the time Ralph had holy blowing the conch the platform was crowded." (Golding, 32) Ralph shows his leading abilities as he recognizes the use of the conch. Ralph begins to take leadership over the boys by setting rules as using the conch to let everyone have a turn to speak. Another symbol of strength and command is the fire. As long as the fire is well maintained, the b...