Ans: Symbolism is one of the most common devices in literature. Symbolism imparts a
deeper layer of meaning to a work of literature. Only a thoughtful reader can
become conscious of the symbolic meaning emotional effect of a remark or a
situation or a piece of description or a character. Several symbols have been
used by William Golding in Lord of the Flies.
The
conch, a symbol of Authority, Democracy, and discipline:
One
of the most important symbols in the novel is the conch. Now, in a literal
sense a conch is merely an instrument by blowing which one can produce a loud
sound. In Lord of the Flies, the conch becomes a symbol of authority, of
democracy, and of civilized behavior. Early in the story Ralph, who has been
elected as the chief, declares that, to avoid confusion, it would be necessary
for anyone, who wishes to address the gathering, to ask for the conch and to
hold it in his hands while speaking. In other words, whoever holds the conch
would have the right to speak. Every boy has the right to speak at a gathering,
and therefore he also has the right to ask for the conch; but he must first ask
for the conch and hold it in his hands before he begins to speak. Ralph tries
to enforce this rule about the conch with firmness, and he is strongly
supported in doing so by Piggy, though Jack is not inclined to pay much heed to
this rule about the conch. For instance, when Jack ignores the rules about the
conch on the mountain top and Piggy reminds him of the rule, Jack says that the
conch has no validity on the mountain-top, whereupon Ralph intervenes to say
that the authority of the conch has to be recognized every-where on the island.
Eventually, the conch is shattered into a thousand fragments when Roger
releases the rock from above, killing Piggy. The destruction of the conch means
also the end of all civilized behavior, of democracy, and of discipline, and
the emergency of autocracy, despotism and barbarism.
Fire,
a Triple Symbol in the Novel
The
fire serves as another symbol on a literal level, fire is used for purposes of
cooking. But the fire also serves as a distress-signal, and Ralph suggests that
a fire should be lighted on the mountain-top so that the smoke rising from it
may be visible to the sailors of a passing ship. At one point Ralph thus
emphasizes the need of maintaining a fire:
“The
fire’s the most important thing. Without the fire we can’t be rescued. I’d like
to put on war-paint and be a savage. But we must keep the fire burning. The
fire’s the most important thing on the island, because”-
Thus
the fire becomes a symbol of rescue, and at the end it is the fire blazing all
over the forest which attracts the attention of the commander of a passing ship
and brings him to the island to rescue the boys. But the fire also serves as a
symbol of comfort to some of the boys. When Piggy lights a fire close to the
platform, the twins feel happy because they would now have a fire near them as
a comfort during the night, while a few of the Littluns begin to dance and clap
hands at he prospect of having fire close to them all night. Later in the story
even Ralph recognizes the fire as a source of comfort. The author tells us on
this occasion that this was the first time that Ralph had admitted “the double
function” of the fire. And yet the fire also symbolizes a force of destruction.
And yet the fire also symbolizes a force of destruction. When a fire has been
lighted for the first time on the mountain-top, it shows a tendency to spread
to the forest, whereupon Piggy gives a warning to all the boys to beware of the
spreading fire. We have all heard the common saying that fire is a good servant
but a bad master. The truth of this saying is amply borne out by the story of
this novel in which the fire is a double, nay, triple symbol: a symbol of
rescue; a symbol of a hearth; and a symbol of destruction.
The
Sow’s Head as a Symbol of Evil:
The
head of the sow serves as a powerful symbol of evil in the novel. The theme of
Lord of the Flies is the emergence to the surface of the evil which lies
dormant in the human heart, and the conflict of this growing evil with the good
which continues to exist in the human heart. When the boys discuss the
possibility of the existence of a beast on the island, Simon expresses the view
that the beast exists within the boys themselves. Simon begins to imagine that
the sow’s head is the Lord of the Flies looking at him and grinning at him. The
Lord of the Flies asserts that evil is part of all human beings including all
the boys on the island.
The
Island, Symbolic of Hell as well as of Paradise:
The
island itself becomes a symbol in the story. In fact, the island serves as a
double symbol. Early in the story Ralph and others find a certain glamour and
enchantment about this island. Indeed, the island is symbolic of paradise or
the Garden of Eden. But even at this early stage the island also reminds us of
the snake which misled Eve in the Garden of Eden and brought about the fall of
Adam and Eve. Even the dead body of the parachutist becomes a symbol of evil,
like the sow’s head.
The
Painted Faces, a Symbol of Primitivism and Savagery:
To
begin with, Jack had painted his face with red clay, with white clay, and with
charcoal merely to disguise himself so as not to be recognized by the pigs as
an enemy. But in course of time he and
his hunters paint their faces not only for the purpose of deceiving the pigs
but also to emulate the example of the primitive people. The painted faces thus
become symbolic of primitivism and savagery.
The
symbolic Significance of the Characters:
Simon
is an embodiment of goodness and nobility. He is a saintly and Christ-like
figure. Jack becomes an embodiment of evil; he becomes the Lord of the flies
himself. Thus, all these three characters, Ralph, Simon, and Jack, symbolize
certain enduring principles which have always existed in the history of mankind.
Jack symbolizes evil; Ralph symbolizes goodness fighting against evil; and
Simon symbolizes the selfless spirit of service to the community.