Lord Of The Flies Literary Analysis - 1406 Words

Although many things are stated outright in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the book is rich with symbolism and subtext. The story starts with British school boys being stranded on an island after escaping a threat of nuclear war. The boys elect fair-haired Ralph as their leader, but Jack, a fiery choirmaster of some of the boys, is jealous and the story quickly goes downhill from there, leading to aggression, mayhem, and murder. Throughout the novel, there is also a mysterious and imaginary beast that haunts the minds of the younger boys. Lord of the Flies has many details, many of which are symbols or have implied meaning. One of the most important examples of subtext is Simon, the strange, ethereal boy who aligns himself with†¦show more content†¦He also is described to have dark hair that almost conceals his face. Something dark hiding his face is also connected to oracles, although in most cases it tends to be a hood. This mysterious shadow is seen frequentl y, for example Priestess of Delphi by John Collier shows this almost exactly. Oracles or psychics are shown behind the light, hiding within the shadows. Simon’s hair frames his face in a way that’s similar to this. However, Simon’s physical connection to oracles is not the only example of Golding’s representation of psychics. Another instance, and possibly the most important one, is how Golding uses Simon as a foreshadowing device in his writing. He uses foreshadowing to make the story more interesting, so that in hindsight , the reader can recognize the clues to what lies ahead. Golding also uses the literary device of foreshadowing to build Simon’s character. The idea of asking a psychic for the future is natural, and it’s seen with Simon frequently. As early as the fifth chapter of the book, Simon is already predicting the end. When the boys are discussing whether the beast is real, Simon speaks up and suggests that maybe the beast is just the boys themselves. Although the idea is quickly disregarded by the others, later on in the story it seems that Simon was right. There was never any monster, but instead the violence and bloodlust of Jack. Simon continues to have predictions and foreshadowing throughout the book; one important example beingShow MoreRelatedLord Of The Flies Literary A nalysis1534 Words   |  7 Pagesthe most scrutinous detail to his plethoric of symbolism seen throughout the novel, it is clear that he is an experienced writer. From his other books like The Inheritors and The Scorpion God it can still be seen that one of his earlier books, Lord of the Flies, is truly one of his greatest masterpieces. That book would also be the topic of this essay, and from the very beginning was obviously a piece of literature that has aged well despite its year of publish. From the stranding on the island to theRead MoreLord Of The Flies Literary Analysis1546 Words   |  7 Pagesoverruns them and evil starts to lurk over the island.The fictional story of the group of British schoolboys stranded on an island and the decisions they make, relates back to our society and the decisions we might make in a difficult situation. Lord of The Flies is Golding’s attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The use of symbols in the novel to represent the flaws of human nature, helps create this theme. The conch is one of the main objects the boys use and hasRead MoreLord of the Flies Literary Analysis853 Words   |  4 PagesLord of the Flies, a novel by William Golding, reflects upon the very core of human beings. Golding described human beings as innately evil. He also showed readers that all it takes to bring humans’ true nature out is by being in an unknown environment that is free of laws. Being surrounded by mysterious creatures in an unknown land, the stranded boys are left for dead. In the small world without adults, the boys slowly corrupt in to follow their instinct to satisfy their immediate desires. Read MoreLord Of The Flies Literary Analysis1465 Words   |  6 Pagesonce wrote, Every life is a march from innocence, through temptations, to virtue or vice (Abbott 7). This march, as Abbott puts it, is maturation. Inevitably, everyone must experience these phases, ending either in, good or evil. The novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, examines these very steps towards maturity. More specifically, Golding displays through the character Ralph; the phases of psychological maturity. Ralph throughout his experiences on the island will progress and regress inRead MoreLord Of The Flies Literary Analysis1191 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Lord of the Flies† written by William Golding and published in 1954 is an allegory and social commentary that takes place on a deserted tropical island. An island that becomes populated when a plane crashes and leaves British schoolboys stranded. The group of boys attempt to recreate the civilization they came from, by choosing a leader: Ralph but, Jack wants to lead also, which causes the boys to little by little leave civility and form into savages. The microcosm Golding creates exploresRead MoreLord Of The Flies Literary Analysis1101 Words   |  5 PagesIrony is a literary technique utilized by writers in an attempt to convey a message different than its literal meaning. For this reason, this technique used often in satirical writing, such as Lord of The Flies by William Golding. Irony is an important element in literature as it provides writers with a vehicle to communicate a deeper, more meaningful message. In his literary critique, How To Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster emphasizes the significance of irony in literature, statingRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Lord Of The Flies2183 Words   |  9 PagesThe title Lord of the flies is noteworthy with respect to the novel. First, the word Devil is a Hebrew translation of the novel’s title Lord of the Flies in which the Devil represents the dark and evil of the underworld. This concept of darkness and evil is perceived throughout the novel as we obs erve the boys use their survival skills. An example of this is when we first meet the boys they appear to be well behaved British boys, but as their need for survival strengths we realize these boys mayRead MoreLord Of The Flies Literary Analysis2085 Words   |  9 Pages The Lord of the Flies demonstrates survival, cooperation, and friendship, and how hard those things are to achieve. It was written in 1954 by William Golding. There are several kids who are involved in a plane crash, and land on an uninhabited island, so they must use their resources to survive as a group. There are many boys, Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Simon, and many others, with no girls. Fights, challenges, and jealousy takes them over and their civilization they created starts to shake. The conflictsRead MoreLord Of The Flies Literary Analysis Essay1657 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel, Lord of the Flies, is a tale like no other. It’s a story of perseverance, determination, survival, and emotion. Golding does a superb job displaying these traits and so many more throughout this story of fighting, not for your life, but to the death. The authors style is one unlike any other I’ve read. I love emotion. I’m not sure if it’s the way it makes me feel or how it can help me relate to the reading, but for some reason I love it. That’s why my favorite style displayed in Lord of theRead MoreLord of the Flies Literary Analysis Essay709 Words   |  3 PagesGreed for Power In the novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a group of English boys in their adolescence are stranded on an island. They crash-land while being evacuated because of an atomic war, so the boys must learn to cooperate with each other in order to survive. The boys are civil at first, but the bonds of civilization unfold as the rapacity for power and immediate desires become more important than civility and rescue. The conflict between Ralph, the protagonist, and Jack, the antagonist