Use of Symbols in Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay

Symbols and characters play major roles in representing power in works of literature. Therefore, an author uses these ‘symbols of power’ to control the characters and the overall course of the work. In Lord of the Flies symbols are both used by the characters and stand on their own. Fire on the island is a dual blade and Lord of the Flies impedes on progression. While these two symbols stand on their own, the characters use and are used by them. Ralph leads the boys to advancement while Jack stands as his opposition, both using other symbols of power to assist them. This paper will be broken into nine paragraphs including the opening and concluding paragraph. My opening paragraph will consist of a thesis sentence that sets the stage for†¦show more content†¦For example, throughout the entirety of Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses symbols to advance the plot of the novel. These symbols, whether they are characters, objects, or ideas, hold the power and abil ity to change the course of the story. The symbols can hold many different meanings and can conflict with one another, with this new issues arise which further develops the plot of the story. As said before, Mr. Golding uses symbols in his story Lord of the Flies to control the destiny of the boys. The signal fire, one type if symbol, was made to catch the attention of passing by boats but it overpowers the young boys and brings destruction. At the assembly the conclusion to start a signal fire comes relatively as means of rescue. However, as the feed the fire it is evident that they cannot control it. The fire blazes out of hand and consumes everything, living or not, in its path. When things settle it is clear how overpowering the fire was and how weak the boys were to stop. Its destructive becomes clearer as Piggy states, ‘â€Å"-him with the mark on his face, I don’t see him. Where is he now†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Golding 46). Here Piggy is struggling and gasping to expla in to everyone that the boy with the ‘Mulberry Face’ has been engulfed by the fire. The severity of the situation never dawns on them and he is nearly forgotten by the end of the story, they never speak of the Mulberry boy again. Fire, in the book and out, it very much like a dual blade,Show MoreRelatedLord Of The Flies : Representation Of Violence And War1611 Words   |  7 PagesLord Of The Flies: Representation Of Violence and War Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian, states that â€Å" The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.† In William Golding’s Lord Of The Flies, societal topics run rampant throughout the text with Golding’s use of individuals to represent different aspects of society. Many writers view the Lord Of The Flies as an allegory, as societal topics such as politics make appearances throughout the text. 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