William Golding uses much symbolism in his novel, The Lord of the Flies, to help readers gain a greater understanding of his message. He uses symbolism in three important areas: objects that have symbolic value as references to ideas, characters that symbolize important historical and religious people, and the setting which frames the conflicts on the island in comparison to the whole world. Objects are the first part of the story that are symbolic. Many objects in The Lord of the Flies have important symbolic value. The conch shell represents power and authority, and Ralph uses it to call for the boys to come to meetings. Whoever has the shell has the power to talk. The conch shows how people use objects to give power, like a crown, sceptre, or other thins that show who has power. We also learn that objects don’t really give power when people choose not to obey it, like Ralph’s conch. The pig’s head, or Lord of the Flies, is an important object. To Jack it is a sacrifice for the beast. This object shows that people will make religions and rituals to control their world, even when what they think is not true. The Lord of the Flies is also a symbol of Satan, or the Devil. When Simon talked with the Lord of the Flies, he learned what the real evil was, which is the evil in people’s hearts. The Lord of the Flies is a symbol of the things we make up to be the cause for evil, when those things aren’t the real reason. The fire is a symbol of hope and rescue. When the fire was burning bright, it was because the boys were working hard to get rescued. When the fire burnt out, it was because many boys, like Jack, didn’t care anymore about being rescued. In the end, the fire that got them rescued was not meant for rescue. It was there because Jack was burning down the island to kill Ralph. This shows us that we get things from luc...
