Lord of the Flies :: essays papers

Lord of the Flies Golding uses many symbols in the novel, Lord of the Flies, to represent good and ugliness in society. He uses Simon to represent the quietudefulness of life and the kindness of a good heart, while Piggy represents the refining on the island and the adult viewpoint of the children. The conch symbolizes straddle and also adult behavior. It is a symbol of strength and knowledge as well, as the evil of the beast represents the fear in the boys. All of these symbols change as the story goes on, some changes are less obvious and are the result of the readers new perspective while others undergo dramatic, and quite obvious, change. Simon is a symbol of peace who sees save good in the world. The name Simon itself means, listener, and depicts Simons character well as he always listens instead of giving an alternative judgement. Although at times his opinion differs from the others, he never complains. Simons great sacrifice for the boys, dying for their sin, is a trait of a martyr. Simons death results in a change of his affect on the boys and on the reader. Because he is killed by the other boys, he begins to represent the evil that has dominated over the good on the island. Piggy is another symbol for goodness, however his goodness is not the same as Simons. Piggy represents the goodness that comes from adults and order. Piggys inability to see well makes him a perfect symbol for that of blind justice. Piggy not only thinks like an adult, but also is constantly worried about how adults would view the society on the island, showing he is concerned with the order and justice of things and pauperism to be civilized. Piggy is picked on a lot by the other boys because of his weight and sight hindrance, but nonetheless he does not give up his share of the authority. Piggy is constantly saying, Ive got the conch, ( a sign of authority and a sign that all should listen to the person with the conch. Piggys death symbolizes the destr uction of society and civilization on the island, and the rise of savage behavior. It also shows the demise of order and the rise of the devil.