LORD OF THE FLIES
Symbolism
THE CONCH SHELL
Symbolizes law and order of the adult world - democracy
Represents the authority the boys are so used to obeying
When Jack destroys it, anarchy takes over because any hope of
strong, central leadership has been abandoned.
THE SIGNAL FIRE
The smoke of the signal fire symbolizes the best hope of the
boys being rescued.
To Piggy and Ralph, the fire represents the moral influence of
their old life in England.
THE “BEASTIE”
The beast is seen as a real object on the island which frightens
the boys. In reality the beast is only their own internal fear.
It is located in the soul and mind of the boys, leading them to
the natural chaos of a society with no adults.
The beast personifies the fear that every human being on
earth feels
THE PIG
It illustrates the line of aggression which becomes more and
more dominant in the course of events. So it is a symbol of Jack’s
leadership.
The pig-runs and the dances around the fire show the upcoming
madness which leads to the slaying of innocents in the boys’
mystic rituals.
The first killing of a pig also is a foreshadow of Piggy’s death.
His nickname Piggy contains the syllable “pig”. He is killed by the
hunters like a pig.
THE LORD OF THE FLIES
Symbolizes the power of evil and the evilness in the boys (and in
humanity)
The head is called “Lord of the Flies” which is a translation of the
word Beelzebub (name of the devil in the Bible).
The Lord of the Flies is connected with the symbol of the pig (or
rather, the head of a pig). It is the prince of the devils and a symbolic
dramatization of human evil.
PIGGY’S SPECS
They symbolize the voice of reason and logic among the boys. A
symbol of intelligence and education.
Notice how Piggy defends his glasses even more than the conch.
Piggy uses his glasses to find solutions to the boys’ problems.
THE ISLAND
The island symbolizes “isolation” and serves as the perfect
backdrop for the frailties of human nature which eventually
surface.
FACE PAINT
The face paint is the excuse many of the boys use for living as
hunting savages, instead of civilized English citizens.
It serves as a mask that allows the boys to become someone they
are not.
The paint symbolizes the smoke screen the beast uses to infiltrate
the boys’ souls.
RALPH
This character represents the law-abiding hardworking citizen
who works for the good of the group and has faith that
everything will turn out all right in the end if the proper rules are
obeyed by everyone.
JACK
This character represents the destructive forces in society:
ruthless and evil, he plays on the fears of the group to gain power
over them. Rather than help society, he wants to dominate it.
PIGGY
The character stands for the intellectual who tries to solve
problems with logic and reason. Because he is considered
“different” by the others, they pay little attention to him and he is
ineffective despite his intelligence.
SIMON
This character represents the mystic, spiritual leader or
philosopher who functions on a higher plane than the
rest of society. He simply “knows” things – but is
unable to communicate his knowledge to the others.
SAM AND ERIC
They are the last to remain loyal to Ralph and they represent
the tug-of-war within us to remain good
“LITTLEUNS”
“Littluns” ~ The younger kids
Represent the common folk, who easily follow the lead of
others into savagery when there is no enforced structure in
society