Describe a technique used by the author Symbolism
William Golding uses the lord of flies or “beast” to symbolize the beast that is human nature. The kids believe there is a beast on the island but the only beast there is themselves. The lord of the flies is the representation of the darkness inside of humans that surfaces when all the securities of society is gone. The children on the island spend hours hunting a beast that doesn’t physically exist. The beast on the island is the children, from the moment they arrive they cause chaos. The plane crashes leave a hideous scar, the animal life on the island is hunted and killed and half of the island get burnt by the signal fire. The children are completely blind to the fact that they are the beast. Simon is the only who is smart enough to figure out what is going on. His conscience makes him hallucinate “The lord of the flies” which is a dead pigs head on a spike. ” “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!” said the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. “You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?” “. The lord of the flies tells Simon that the beast is part of them all. William Golding uses the technique of symbolism as his way of teaching the reader how destructive humans truly are. Because we are constantly surrounded by our cultural environment we take no notice of the damage and chaos we create around us.
The conch shell is used to symbolize leadership. Humans need something to believe in, or to follow or they will plunge in anarchy. At the beginning of the book The Lord of the Flies, Ralph uses the conch shell to unite all the survivors of the plane crash in one area. Ralph blows the conch and all the kids on the island slowly make their way towards the platform that Piggy and Ralph are on top of. The conch quickly becomes a symbol of power and leadership to the children. Only the person who has the conch may speak