Lord of the Flies

Adversity is present in many situations, throughout the novel “Lord of the Flies” William Goulding explores how people face different aspects of adversity or trials along with how they react and respond differently. Adversity is defined as; a condition of unhappiness, misfortune, or distress. Goulding uses symbols, the boy’s thoughts, and the actions to create the sense of how adversity affects the human spirit. These three aspects are the most present ideas underlying facing adversity. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Goulding suggests that isolation can bring out the worst in human kind.

Symbols are used in the novel frequently, the symbols are meant to give the reader examples of how the boys are facing the present adversity. Each symbol throughout the novel has a story behind it explaining how the boys are facing adversity and overcoming trials. Goulding presents many symbols, but throughout the novel one stands out throughout the entire novel. The most prominent symbol in the novel is the conch, the conch bring peace and order within the group of boys. The conch represents how the boys overcome the trial of isolation and come together as a group and work together. Adversity is a tough time to go through alone, using the conch as a call for a meeting to bring all together was a great idea in the plan to come out victorious through adversity. But with power comes responsibility, the boy’s face the problem of the want for power the group split in two and fights over the conch. Goulding uses this symbol as a keystone in the novel, the island is either using the conch for good or fighting over it just for the power of holding it. Overall, the conch is a definite symbol for proving how isolation can bring out the worst in human kind.

Isolated on an island with no food, water, or shelter is a daunting thought, Goulding expressed the characters thoughts to demonstrate how isolation can affect the human mind. After touchdown on the island the boys begin to engineer a new way of life until rescue comes, the mindset the boys had was positive until the fact of isolation came into play. Ralph being leader at the time was reassuring to some boys, they knew that someone would protect and serve them in beneficial way. Just like any form of government there will always be an opponent, in the novel, jack does not agree with jack being leader. Jack goes to extreme measures to gain control over the island, including harming and hurting other boys. After the occurrence of Jack’s harmful actions the boy’s thoughts turned start to turn from happy and insightful to dark and hopeless. The thoughts each boy affects the group in different ways, the thought of being rescued starts to grow thin and the idea of a civilized society becomes a thing of the past. Isolation affects the human mind at one point or another, its natural, Goulding uses the boys thoughts as a way to demonstrate overcoming adversity and how it