William Golding s Lord Of The Flies - 1299 Words

Kanak Garg Mr. Fraser English 10 Honors, Period 6 19 December 2014 Savagery in Civilization: Symbolism in Lord of the Flies Symbolism as defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is â€Å"the use of symbols to express or represent ideas or qualities in literature, art, etc.† (â€Å"Symbolism†). For this reason, symbolism is utilized in literature in order to make novels more interesting and convey notions that are usually either highly controversial or extremely philosophical. For example in the popular novel A Separate Peace, John Knowles uses Gene in order to depict the theme of identity and the difficulty of understanding oneself at a young age. In this example, the author uses the symbol, Gene, as an example of a kid in adolescence in order to†¦show more content†¦The pig’s head, also referred to as the Lord of the Flies, is the closest thing to the physical manifestation of the beast in the novel. Golding describes the slaughtered sow’s head in such explicit detail that it gives off a negative and almost evil vibe; he describes the pig’s head as dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth . . . [with a] black blob of flies [that] tickled under his nostrils (Golding 137-138). The intricately detailed description of the pig’s head makes the reader feel as if the pig’s head is the essence of pure evil. Other than the appearance of the pig, its conversation with Simon further shows how it symbolizes barbarity. â€Å"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! . . . You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are the way they are?† (Golding 143), the beast explains. Even though this whole conversation may be a hallucination, Simon discovers that the beast is not an external force, but is the evil that lies present in all men. The graphic description of the pig’s head and the conversation the pig’s head has with Simon prove that the pig’s head s ymbolizes savagery in humans. Another way Golding depicts barbarity is the shattering of the conch. The conch is an item that represents democracy and unity in the boys’ society on the island. For example, the boys have a rule that whoever has the conch can speak showing how the conch