Lord of the Flies

Lord of the flies by William Golding Symbolism and allegories are used frequently in novels. They offer the book a deeper meaning, something deeper than the words themselves. William Golding uses symbolism throughout his book, the Lord of the Flies, and created a brilliant allegory in which he presents the struggle between civilization and savagery. Some symbols - such as the conch, Piggy's glasses, and the Lord of the Flies - represent the struggle between civilization and savagery, as well as the battle between good and evil, while the characters - Ralph, Jack, Simon, and Roger - represent a political struggle in William Golding's allegory Lord of the Flies

Ralph, the kids' appointed chief, tries to establish rules to keep order among them, but as the kids regress to primal behavior, chaos and disorder take hold on the island. Ralph creates rules to help keep things under control. At first, Jack agrees with Ralph's decision, saying, "We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything" (Golding 40). Yet, as the kids spend more time on the island, they become more animal-like, Jack especially. As Jack leads his hunters on increasingly more hunts, they begin to express more primitive behavior. They painted their faces, sharpened their spears, and when they made a kill, they all chanted "Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Beat him in!" (Golding 114). Jack and his hunters started to neglect their other responsibilities, like keeping the signal fire going. Ralph tries to reestablish order, calling meetings to address the problems that need fixing, but his efforts fail.