Lord of the Flies-symbolic interpretation




The Lord of the Flies
The world had witnessed the atrocities of World War II and began to examine the defects of their social ethics. Man's purity and innocence was gone. Man's ability to remain civilized was faltering. This change of attitude was extremely evident in the literature of the age. Writers, who through the use of clever symbolism, mocked the tragedy of man's fate. One such writer was William Golding. An author who has seen the destruction of war and despises its inevitable return. Through the use of innocent and untainted children, Golding illustrates how man is doomed by his own instinct. The novel is called Lord of the Flies, and is of extreme importance to help reconstruct the current wave of revolutionary ideas that swept the twentieth-century generation. Lord of the Flies portrays the belief of the age that man is in a constant struggle between darkness and light, the defects of human nature, and a philosophical pessimism that seals the fate of man. Golding's work are, due to their rigid structure and style, are interpreted in many different ways. Its unique style is different from the contemporary thought and therefor open for criticism. The struggle between darkness and light is a major theme in all the works of William Golding. Strong examples of this are found throughout Lord of the Flies. The most obvious is the struggle between Ralph and Jack. The characters themselves have been heavily influenced by the war. Ralph is the representative of Democracy. Elected as the leader he and Piggy his companion keep order and maintain a civilized government. The strength of Ralph's character was supported by the power of World War II. Jack, on the other hand, represents authoritarianism. He rules as a dictator and is the exact opposite of Ralph. Jack is exemplifying the Hitler's and Mussolini's of the world. He is what the world fears and yet follows. This struggle is born at the very beginning and escalates till the very end. The struggle in the book is a negative outlook on life in the future. One other example is the debate over the existence of the beast. The idea of a beast brings all into a state of chaotic excitement in which Ralph and Piggy lose control. Ralph and especially Piggy try to convince everyone that there is no such thing as a beast to maintain order. Jack and his choir of hunters do all to win support of the hunt and in doing so he becomes an advocate for evil. This struggle between good and evil is a fairly clear picture of the way this post-war generation viewed man and his journey through life. This is done through Golding's masterful use of allegory. Therefor making it enjoyable for all readers. Golding himself stated that the purpose of the novel was to trace the defects of society back 'to the many defects of human society.? The use of children is an extremely effective way of making the purpose understandable to readers of all generations. ?The idea of placing boys alone on an island, and letting them work out archetypal patterns of human society, is a brilliant technical device, with a simple coherence which is easily understood by a modern audience.? (Cox 163) This quote by C.B. Cox gives us the reason why this novel has survived so long and is so well respected. The children are left to react in ways that will test how close they will resemble modern civilization. The group at first tries to assemble a type of demcratic government in which Ralph is elected leader. At this instant we see something that is most important. That is the reluctance of Jack to become the leader. He and his choir singers, which are dressed in black to symbolize evil, are immediately separated from the group ...