To say that ‘Lord of the Flies’ is an allegorical novel means that Golding conveys many of his main ideas and themes through symbolic characters and objects. He represents the conflict between civilization and savagery in the conflict between the novel’s two main characters: Ralph, the protagonist, who represents order and leadership; and Jack, the antagonist, who represents savagery and the desire for power. Or put in other words, it means that the book contains certain symbols which, while having a place in the story, symbolise something far deeper, the conflict between savagery and civilisation, of human nature and welfare versus the common good in the human mind and consciousness.
They also symbolise Golding’s pessimistic view: human nature is inherently corruptible and wicked, thus the nineteenth century ideals of progress and education are baseless, as they only work in a controlled environment. Although the boys had been taught social skills, their desire to kill is unleashed when there are no strict rules of the English public-school system to control their behaviour.
As the boys on the island progress from well-behaved, orderly children longing for rescue to cruel, bloodthirsty hunters who have no desire to return to civilization, they naturally lose the sense of innocence that they possessed at the beginning of the novel. The painted savages in Chapter 12 who have hunted, tortured, and killed animals and human beings are a far cry from the guileless children swimming in the lagoon in Chapter 3.
However, Golding does not portray this loss of innocence as something that is done to the children; rather, it results naturally from their increasing openness to the innate evil and savagery that has always existed within them. Golding implies that civilization can mitigate but never wipe out the innate evil that exists within all human beings. The forest glade in which Simon sits in Chapter 3 symbolizes this loss of innocence. At first, it is a place of natural beauty and peace, but when Simon returns later in the novel, he discovers the bloody sow’s head impaled upon a stake in the middle of the clearing. The bloody offering to the beast has disrupted the paradise that existed before—a powerful, allegorical symbol Golding uses to represent Satan in modern society and of innate human evil disrupting childhood innocence.
As the boys on the island progress from well-behaved, orderly children longing for rescue to cruel, bloodthirsty hunters who have no desire to return to civilization, they naturally lose the sense of innocence that they possessed at the beginning of the novel. The painted savages in Chapter 12 who have hunted, tortured, and killed animals and human beings are a far cry from the guileless children swimming in the lagoon in Chapter 3.
However, Golding does not portray this loss of innocence as something that is done to the children; rather, it results naturally from their increasing openness to the innate evil and savagery that has always existed within them. Golding implies that civilization can mitigate but never wipe out the innate evil that exists within all human beings. The forest glade in which Simon sits in Chapter 3 symbolizes this loss of innocence. At first, it is a place of natural beauty and peace, but when Simon returns later in the novel, he discovers the bloody sow’s head impaled upon a stake in the middle of the clearing. The bloody offering to the beast has disrupted the paradise that existed before—a powerful, allegorical symbol Golding uses to represent Satan in modern society and of innate human evil disrupting childhood innocence.
There are many such symbols throughout the book, through which Golding also explores the themes and ideas of his novel. One such idea is the theme of Good and Evil, the central theme that runs through Lord of the Flies. Two of the characters, Ralph and Jack are an example of this due to their constant struggle for dominant power. Further examples include the conch shell, Piggy’s glasses, the signal fire, the beast and the characters themselves.
Ralph and Piggy discover the conch shell on the beach at the start of the novel and use it to summon the boys together after the crash separates them. Used in this capacity, the conch shell becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order in the novel. The shell effectively governs the boys’ meetings, for the boy who holds the shell holds the right to speak. In this regard, the shell is more than a symbol—it is an actual vessel of political legitimacy and democratic power. As the island civilization erodes and the boys descend into savagery, the conch shell loses its power and influence among them. Ralph clutches the shell desperately when he talks about his role in murdering Simon. Later, the other boys ignore Ralph and throw stones at him when he attempts to blow the conch in Jack’s camp. The boulder that Roger rolls onto Piggy also crushes the conch shell, signifying the demise of the civilized instinct among almost all the boys on the island.
Piggy is the most intelligent, rational boy in the group, and his glasses represent the power of science and intellectual endeavor in society. This symbolic significance is clear from the start of the novel, when the boys use the lenses from Piggy’s glasses to focus the sunlight and start a fire. When Jack’s hunters raid Ralph’s camp and steal the glasses, the savages effectively take the power to make fire, leaving Ralph’s group helpless.
The signal fire burns on the mountain, and later on the beach, to attract the notice of passing ships that might be able to rescue the boys. As a result, the signal fire becomes a barometer of the boys’ connection to civilization. In the early parts of the novel, the fact that the boys maintain the fire is a sign that they want to be rescued and return to society. When the fire burns low or goes out, we realize that the boys have lost sight of their desire to be rescued and have accepted their savage lives on the island. The signal fire thus functions as a kind of measurement of the strength of the civilized instinct remaining on the island. Ironically, at the end of the novel, a fire finally summons a ship to the island, but not the signal fire. Instead, it is the fire of savagery—the forest fire Jack’s gang starts as part of his quest to hunt and kill Ralph.
Piggy is the most intelligent, rational boy in the group, and his glasses represent the power of science and intellectual endeavor in society. This symbolic significance is clear from the start of the novel, when the boys use the lenses from Piggy’s glasses to focus the sunlight and start a fire. When Jack’s hunters raid Ralph’s camp and steal the glasses, the savages effectively take the power to make fire, leaving Ralph’s group helpless.
The signal fire burns on the mountain, and later on the beach, to attract the notice of passing ships that might be able to rescue the boys. As a result, the signal fire becomes a barometer of the boys’ connection to civilization. In the early parts of the novel, the fact that the boys maintain the fire is a sign that they want to be rescued and return to society. When the fire burns low or goes out, we realize that the boys have lost sight of their desire to be rescued and have accepted their savage lives on the island. The signal fire thus functions as a kind of measurement of the strength of the civilized instinct remaining on the island. Ironically, at the end of the novel, a fire finally summons a ship to the island, but not the signal fire. Instead, it is the fire of savagery—the forest fire Jack’s gang starts as part of his quest to hunt and kill Ralph.
The imaginary beast that frightens all the boys stands for the primal instinct of savagery that exists within all human beings. The boys are afraid of the beast, but only Simon reaches the realization that they fear the beast because it exists within each of them. As the boys grow more savage, their belief in the beast grows stronger. By the end of the novel, the boys are leaving it sacrifices and treating it as a totemic god. The boys’ behavior is what brings the beast into existence, so the more savagely the boys act, the more real the beast seems to become.
Finally, the characters themselves round up Golding’s array of allegorical symbols in Lord of the Flies. Ralph stands for the civilisation of the world, the evolvement to dealing with issues in an orderly fashion. He represents order, leadership, and civilization. Jack represents unbridled savagery, the desire for power and the complete savagery in the minds of everyone in society. The things we cannot do for fear of social and capital punishment. “He swung back his right arm and hurled the spear with all his strength. From the pig-run came the quick, hard patter of hoofs, a castanet sound, seductive, maddening – the promise of meat.” (Page 47, lines 27-30.) This extract shows Jack’s striking transition to a complete barbarian, lusting at the thought of meat, something that would have been common if he was still at home. The savagery, if compressed too much, can be unleashed brutally, as shown by Jack unleashing his frenzied feelings on pigs.
Roger characterizes one-step further of this savagery; cold-blooded murder, brutality and bloodlust at their most extreme. When a person is given too much freedom, it occurs to them that they may monopolise the world and others around them, according to their will; “The yelling ceased, and Samneric lay looking up in quiet terror. Roger advanced upon them as one wielding a nameless authority.” (Page 194, lines 26-28.) This as we know, can induce disastrous results. To the extent that the boys’ society resembles a political state, the littluns might be seen as the common people, while the older boys represent the ruling classes and political leaders. The relationships that develop between the older boys and the younger ones emphasize the older boys’ connection to either the civilized or the savage instinct. Civilized boys like Ralph and Simon use their power to protect the younger boys and advance the good of the group; savage boys like Jack and Roger use their power to gratify their own desires, treating the littler boys as objects for their own amusement.
Finally, the characters themselves round up Golding’s array of allegorical symbols in Lord of the Flies. Ralph stands for the civilisation of the world, the evolvement to dealing with issues in an orderly fashion. He represents order, leadership, and civilization. Jack represents unbridled savagery, the desire for power and the complete savagery in the minds of everyone in society. The things we cannot do for fear of social and capital punishment. “He swung back his right arm and hurled the spear with all his strength. From the pig-run came the quick, hard patter of hoofs, a castanet sound, seductive, maddening – the promise of meat.” (Page 47, lines 27-30.) This extract shows Jack’s striking transition to a complete barbarian, lusting at the thought of meat, something that would have been common if he was still at home. The savagery, if compressed too much, can be unleashed brutally, as shown by Jack unleashing his frenzied feelings on pigs.
Roger characterizes one-step further of this savagery; cold-blooded murder, brutality and bloodlust at their most extreme. When a person is given too much freedom, it occurs to them that they may monopolise the world and others around them, according to their will; “The yelling ceased, and Samneric lay looking up in quiet terror. Roger advanced upon them as one wielding a nameless authority.” (Page 194, lines 26-28.) This as we know, can induce disastrous results. To the extent that the boys’ society resembles a political state, the littluns might be seen as the common people, while the older boys represent the ruling classes and political leaders. The relationships that develop between the older boys and the younger ones emphasize the older boys’ connection to either the civilized or the savage instinct. Civilized boys like Ralph and Simon use their power to protect the younger boys and advance the good of the group; savage boys like Jack and Roger use their power to gratify their own desires, treating the littler boys as objects for their own amusement.
These characters are Golding’s allegorical symbols to illustrate his remark; “man produces evil, as a bee produces honey,” demonstrating that man is innately tied to society, and without it, we would likely return to
undomesticated savagery.
undomesticated savagery.
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