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The Lord of the Flies Symbolism – Overview of Symbols

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Lord of the Flies Symbolism

This novel takes place on a deserted island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The island is tropical and full of plants and animals that help to enhance the sense of “wildness” that pervades throughout the story’s events. While much of the events that take place on the island are violent and chaotic, it’s important to see this as a representation for the world at large. We find out in the beginning of the novel that the boys were being evacuated from England during a violent global war.

Due to author William Golding’s experiences during WWII, this helps to convey the thematic elements that reflect the belief he picked up during war time that humanity possesses a certain amount of inherent evil. Nothing about the setting in this novel will allow audiences to forget this concept.

There are also several motifs that are wonderful supports to the story’s overarching themes and symbolic elements. Major motifs include nature, Biblical references, bullying, and symbols of savagery. These motifs either highlight truths about man’s innate goodness or about humankind’s innate evils. Seeing as the novel explores the juxtaposition between the existence of both these forces, these are important motifs to look out for. You will find them connected to the story’s major symbols, as well. For example, when Simon is looking at the boar’s head on a stick in the beautiful clearing, he ponders the stark contrast between nature’s beauty and what the boys have experienced on the island. During this time, he has an important epiphany and conceptualizes it by imagining the Lord of the Flies.

Symbolism Overview

Here’s a list of major symbols in Lord of the Flies.

The Conch Shell

Piggy’s glasses, the signal fire, the lord of the flies, the groups of boys, symbolism in lord of the flies.

When Jack and his hunters slaughter a sow, they stake its head on a stick as an offering to the best they believe is living on the island. When Simon returns to a beautiful glad and finds the sow’s rotting head there attracting flies, he imagines that it speaks to him as the Lord of the Flies. He tells Simon that every human heart contains evil, which leads Simon to his epiphany that the boys themselves are actually what they hear in the island’s beast. This is also a biblical reference, as “lord of the flies” is a literal translation of Beelzebub, a powerful demon in the Bible.

Throughout the novel, the boys are largely divided. Ralph and his group represent order, intellectualism, and civility. Meanwhile, Jack and his group of hunters represent the wild nature and savagery. Each group of boys symbolizes one side of the dichotomy in human nature: good vs. evil. This is represented in the novel as civilization vs. savagery.

Lord of the Flies: Symbolism

Imagine a group of young boys who have just crash-landed on a deserted tropical island with no adults or supervision. William Golding showed in his ground breaking novel Lord of the Flies, what may happen in just those circumstances. In his very complicated and diverse novel Golding brings out many ideas and uses many literary devices. Above all others though comes symbolism of three main important objects being the conch, fire, and Piggy’s eyeglasses. Through each of these three symbols Golding shows how the boys adapt and change throughout the novel.

These symbols also help to show each of the boy’s ideals on a variety of elements from human nature to society and its controls. All three of these symbols also change and are one of the most important elements of the story. The first symbol, which is used all throughout the book, is the symbol of the Conch. The conch was a large shell which piggy had first unearthed on the island. The conch shows powers all throughout the book and always commands respect form the boys due to its importance.

The importance and power would best be compared to that of a congregation when a Rabbi removes the torah from the ark, which holds it. The first quote which best shows the importance of the conch is when it is used by Ralph and Piggy to summon all the boys together when they find themselves alone on the island. “The Conch, we can use this to call the others. Have a meeting they’ll come when they hear us- (16). ” Then again at the second meeting we see how the boys are drawn to the Conch and how it is like a magnet to the boys, which draws them to who ever uses it.

By the time Ralph had finished blowing the conch the platform was crowded (32). ” The conch also shows the first idea of civilization and rules. One example is when there is disorder because everyone I talking at once. “Conch, that’s what the shell is called. I’ll give the conch to the next person who speaks. He can hold when he is speaking (33). ” Finally the conch is used for is to show how Piggy does so much to help them and does not get credit for it. It was used that way when Piggy was the first one to see the Conch and Piggy was the one who knew what it was and instructed Ralph on how to use it.

But when all the boys came from the Conch’s noise Ralph got credit for it. The next symbol, which dominates much of the tale, is that of Fire. Fire which to early man was a savior and used for things such as cooking and heating, and which Ralph though would also be there salvation. The fire can be interpreted in many ways. The fire much like the boys starts out good and being used for constructive things. Like getting a ship to save them. “If a ship come by the Island they might notice us. We must make a fire (38).

The fire also shows the responsibility that these boys need but only some of them seem to posses. This I demonstrated when Ralph has Jack and the hunters in control of the fire. And they neglect it in order to go hunting this creates a great conflict. ” There was a ship out there. You said you would keep the fire going and you let it out They may have seen us we might have gone home (70)! ” As you can see the boys are not yet for the responsibility of the Fire and perhaps being in charge of themselves.

Then finally the fire is used sort of as a mirror of the boy’s action. That is as the boys started with good ideals of order and recreating a sense of community eventually all hell broke loose and they lost control of themselves and there own actions. The fire also was started for the useful purpose of getting a boat to save them it to gets out of control and claims the life of the young boy with the large birthmark on his face in the beginning and almost kills Ralph at the end. The final object that is used as a symbol in the novel is the eyeglass of Piggy.

Piggy’s eyeglasses exhibit how the boys on the island use things but don’t take care of them and understand them. The eyeglasses were used to make the fire. ” His specs-use them as burning glasses (40)! ” Then though even though the glasses showed to be useful for starting the fire they are not taken care of eventually broken lost and then destroyed. This is very similar to how the boys on the island treated Piggy. Piggy showed himself to be useful in instances where he found the conch and always worked for order.

But then even though he always wanted to help his fellow boys he is brutally and with out feeling murdered just like one of the real pigs. This shows how the boys’ on the island are actually destroying themselves by destroying every thing that is useful to them. Throughout the novel Golding does a magnificent job of symbolism. Already shown are three main symbols, which play an important role. Through all of these symbols Golding brings emotion thought and symbolism together in Lord of the Flies. The symbols throughout the novel change with the boys and show how they feel about a rage of issues.

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Themes and Analysis

Lord of the flies, by william golding.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a powerful novel. It's filled with interesting themes, thoughtful symbols, and a particular style of writing that has made it a classic of British literature.

Article written by Lee-James Bovey

P.G.C.E degree.

Several key themes are prevalent throughout the book. It is sometimes referred to as a “book of ideas” and these ideas are explored as the plot unfolds.

Lord of the Flies Themes

The impact of humankind on nature.

This is evident from the first chapter when the plane crashing leaves what Golding describes as a “scar” across the island. This idea is explored further in the early chapters the boys light a fire that escapes their control and yet further diminishes what might be considered an unspoiled island. Some interpret the island almost as a Garden of Eden with the children giving in to temptation by slaughtering the animals there. The final chapter furthers the destruction of nature by mankind as the whole island appears to have been ruined thanks to the effects of the boy’s presence on the island.

Civilization versus savagery

This can be seen throughout as the boys struggle with being removed from organized society. To begin with, they cope well. They construct a form of government represented by the conch that theoretically draws them together and gives them all a voice. As they break away from society this adherence to the rules they have constructed is evident. Golding’s ideas of what savagery is might be outdated and rooted in colonial stereotypes but they are evident for all to see as the boys use masks to dehumanize themselves and their increasing obsession with hunting leads to an increasingly animalistic nature.

Nature of humanity

Perhaps the biggest underlying theme is the idea of the true nature of mankind. Golding explores the idea that mankind is innately evil and that it is only the contrast between society and civilization that prevents that nature from being prevalent. Of course, this overlooks that civilization is a human construct and if all men’s biggest motivation were their inner evil, then that construct would never have existed. Golding’s views largely spring from his role in the navy where he was witness to the atrocities of war but are also informed by his work as a teacher.

Analysis of Key Moments in Lord of the Flies

There are many key moments in ‘ Lord of the Flies ‘ that highlight the boy’s descent into savagery.

• Blowing the conch – this introduces us to the conch which acts as a symbol of society and civilization throughout the novel. It is both the device that brings the children together and in theory the object which allows them all to have a say and therefore run a democratic society.
• The fire gets out of control – This shows the effects that the boys are already having on the island. It also demonstrates how lost the boys are without adults there to guide them as they lose one of the boys and nobody even knows his name.
• Jack fails to kill the pig/Roger throws stones – both of these events show how the boys are currently constrained by the expectations of society. We see as time passes these restraints are lifted and that firstly, Jack can kill a pig and finally, and perhaps more dramatically, Roger is not only okay with hitting somebody with a stone but taking their life with one.
• The hunters put on masks – By covering up their faces, they seem to become free from the constraints of society. It is if it liberates them from humanity and allows them to act on more primal, animalistic urges.
• Sam and Eric find “the beast” – When Sam and Eric feel they have discovered the beast it sets a ripple of panic throughout. This fear sways the boys towards Jack’s leadership as he continues to manipulate the situation to his advantage. If not for this then Simon might never be murdered.
• Creating of the Lord of the Flies – Successfully killing the pig is itself an iconic moment but then leaving a pigs head on a pole is both a gruesome image (one worthy of the book’s title) and also plays a pivotal role in Simon’s story arc.
• Simon’s death – Simon is the one character who never seems to succumb to primal urges and therefore his death if looked at symbolically could be seen as the death of hope for boys.
• Piggy’s death – Piggy’s character represents order and reason. With his death, any chance of resolving the issues between Jack and Ralph vanishes. The conch being smashed at the same time is also symbolic and represents the complete destruction of society.
• The rescue – This is not the happy ending that one might expect with all the boys crying due to their loss of innocence. There is an irony as well as the boys will not be rescued and taken to a Utopia but rather to a civilization plagued by a war that mirrors the war zone they have just left.

Style, Literary Devices, and Tone in Lord of the Flies

Throughout this novel, Golding’s style is straightforward and easy to read. There are no lengthy passages nor does he choose particularly poetic words to describe the events. His writing is powerful without these stylistic devices. The same can be said for his use of literary devices. When used, they are direct. For example, the use of symbolism (see below) and metaphor is very thoughtful but not hard to interpret.

William Golding also employs an aloof or distant tone throughout the book. This reflects the way that the boys treat one another.

Symbols in Lord of the Flies

The conch shell.

The conch shell is one of the major symbols of this novel. It’s used from the beginning of the novel to call the boys together for meetings on the beach. It’s a symbol of civilization and government. But, as the boys lose touch with their civilized sides, the conch shell is discarded.

The Signal Fire

The signal fire is a very important symbol in the novel. It’s first lit on the mountain and then later on the beach with the intent of attracting the attention of passion ships. The fire is maintained diligently at first but as the book progresses and the boys slip farther from civilization, their concentration on the fire wanes. They eventually lose their desire to be rescued. Therefore, as one is making their way through the book, gauging the boys’ concentration on the fire is a great way to understand how “civilized” they are.

The beast is an imaginary creature who frightens the boys. It stands in for their savage instincts and is eventually revealed to be a personification of their dark impulses. It’s only through the boy’s behaviour that the beast exists at all.

What are three themes in Lord of the Flies ?

Three themes in ‘ Lord of the Flies ‘ are civilization vs. savagery, the impact of humankind on nature, and the nature of humanity.

What is the main message of the Lord of the Flies ?

The main message is that if left without rules, society devolves and loses its grasp on what is the morally right thing to do. this is even the case with kids.

How does Ralph lose his innocence in Lord of the Flies ?

He loses his innocence when he witnesses the deaths of Simon and Piggy. These losses in addition to the broader darkness of the island change him.

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About Lee-James Bovey

Lee-James, a.k.a. LJ, has been a Book Analysis team member since it was first created. During the day, he's an English Teacher. During the night, he provides in-depth analysis and summary of books.

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Symbolism in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding Research Paper

Introduction, works cited.

When the story first begins, a group of children is stranded on a deserted, tropical island. The island symbolized freedom as there were no adults there. It seemed like the ideal world to them. William Golding wanted to show that paradise is far from reality.

The beginning setting resembled The Coral Island, a perfect setting – food, sun, friendship, simple democratic organization adventures, and happiness. A simple society was set up to introduce rules on the island to try and resemble their original society. This was accomplished by the symbolic nature of the conch shell. The conch shell represents power and authority and the only rules the children have. The conch shows how people use objects to give power.

At first, the conch was a success. Everyone followed the rules and was happy. It was the perfect Utopia. Later in the story, we also learn that objects don’t always give power when people don’t choose to obey them. This was the case when Jack started to rebel and disobey Ralph’s rules and commands. This was where their perfect Utopia fell apart.

William Golding also wanted to show his readers the true meaning of the real world. He wanted to show that reality is not always perfect. Instead of comradeship, co-operation, and teamwork, like described in the ideal world – William Golding has created a murderous, bloodthirsty and evil society that has accurately represented the world that society exists in today. In an ideal world, hard work plays out and goodness comes to those ends.

In The Lord of the Flies, the fire in the story is lit as a symbol of hope and rescue. In the ideal world – this would have resulted in their rescue, however, rebellion from and murderous acts from Jack resulted in their final rescue and not the original fire. So in reality, we succeed more often from luck instead of hard work.

Lord of the Flies can also be interpreted as an allegory or parable. Ralph, Jack, and the rest were given a choice and the knowledge of good and evil. The island in The Lord Of The Flies resembled the perfect type of Utopia at first, and all they had to do was follow the ‘good laws’ of the adult society. They fell prey to temptations – pride, cruelty, bloodthirstiness, greed, and the desire to hurt and kill. Jack, who was the head of the choir group and who was the also first to follow rules – could not resist these temptations deep within him. And that was why he was taken over to the dark side. (Reilly 49)

Many of the characters in the story are symbolic of really important people. They show how the real world is made up of people. Ralph symbolized a good leader who was the first to try and establish a civilized society and bring rules to the island. Ralph, however, could not control evil people like Jack. Ralph represented Franklin Roosevelt before World War 2, who could not prevent the war from breaking out. Piggy symbolized the educated people who gave good advice which nobody listened to. Piggy represented Albert Einstein when he argued the bad ideas of using the atomic bomb.

Simon symbolized Christ, a holy and angelic figure in the story. It was Simon who discovered that the true evil was the evil coming from one’s own heart. Jack, on the other hand, was a crazy leader who killed and slaughtered because he wanted power.

He broke rules and had a disregard the commands of Ralph. Jack represented Adolf Hitler, who was also evil, arrogant, and dictatorial. William Golding has shown his readers the true reality of our world. Instead of a perfect, happy, and ideal world, he has shown us a world where human life is ruled by the law of the jungle – the survival of the fittest. The Lord of the Flies acts as a miniature summary of the unpleasant lessons of world history. This novel is fulfilled with symbolism, but the ones that stand out the most are Piggy’s glasses and the fire, and the conch.

“His spectacles are used by them as burning glasses”! This quote connects to two symbols which are the fire and Piggy’s glasses. The fire is a symbol of rescue and hope. Without Piggy’s spectacles, they wouldn’t have been able to start a fire. While the novel went on they started another fire but they got sidetracked and the fire went out. Furthermore on in the story, the boys were working very hard to start a fire because they wanted to get rescued, but when it had gone out some boys like Jack didn’t care anymore about being rescued and had decided to give up because he knew he wasn’t going to be. At the end of the novel, Jack started the fire and wanted to ablaze that island to kill Ralph, but instead, it rescued them.

Throughout Lord of the Flies, the most important symbol is the conch. The importance of the conch is that it symbolizes everyone that is speaking, in other words, whoever is holding the conch has the power and right to talk and everyone surrounded by him must be listening. Ralph uses it to call meetings and for the boys to come. “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking”. The conch shows much power and a step towards the organization.

The plot is fairly simple but some very complex themes and symbolism are woven into it. The story starts with a group of young boys being marooned on an island previously uninhabited by mankind. They discover they are alone; there are no adults and they struggle to survive and to form a civilized society. This eventually leads to chaos, the breakdown of order and reason, and a return to man’s most primitive instincts. It is quite a disturbing book, which makes the reader look at the dark side of man’s soul.

The first symbol the reader encounters is the island itself. It represents the whole world. The island seems like paradise, it reminds us of the biblical Garden of Eden, a place where everything is perfect until humankind arrives. Golding deliberately makes the island remote from the rest of civilization to allow him to reveal the true nature of the characters and the world they create for themselves. The boys symbolize the whole of mankind. (Baker 401) They create their little world on the island. Their isolation from the rest of the world allows the author to experiment with them. The characters all remind the reader of people they know and so seem very real.

When Ralph finds the conch he makes it the first rule that whoever has the conch is allowed to speak and everyone else has to listen to them because he realizes that they need something to represent authority and rules. This shows that they have discovered the importance of communication in society. Language is unique to humans and is one of the things that make us different from animals. Towards the end of the story, the conch gets broken, this is a major turning point in the plot and symbolizes the breakdown of communication, the disintegration of society, and the point where the boys allow their primitive instincts to take over, making them almost animals.

Early in the book, Piggy, one of the boys, is made fun of about his appearance, including the fact that he wears glasses. In the boys’ first few hours Jack points out that Piggy’s glasses could be used to reflect sunlight onto dry wood to make a signal fire to increase the chance of rescue. They realize that Piggy’s glasses may be the most important thing they have. Piggy’s glasses symbolize the hope of rescue, clear thinking, and being able to see the truth.

When one of the lenses gets broken, things seem to break down and events start to become unclear, no one knows what is going on. When the ‘savages’ steal Piggy’s glass, everything becomes unclear. The glasses are the power of fire and when the savages steal them, Piggy’s group is left helpless with no hope of rescue. So the glasses are a symbol for seeing clearly, and for the power of fire which may lead to the rescue.

The signal fire on the mountain takes on huge importance because it symbolizes hope. It is their only possible way of attracting rescuers. It makes the boys feel secure because it is a link to the outside world and reminds them that there is hope and they are not doomed to a life on the island. (Johnson 132) It is an increasing source of comfort as the story progresses and they become more frightened of the ‘beast’.

When the fire goes out, the boys seem insecure and unsure of what might happen and are frantic to get it lit again. In a way, the signal fire is like a parent watching over them and giving them a kind of protection. When the power of fire is taken away from Piggy and Ralph, they almost abandon hope and eventually go and confront the savages and ask for the power of fire back.

Each of the main characters comes to symbolize an aspect of humanity. Ralph represents order, leadership, and civilization. Ralph also represents the normal, average boy; there is nothing special about him. He and his actions symbolize that of the majority of young boys. The other characters’ special abilities are measured against Ralph and he is used to showing for example the cleverness of Piggy and the evil in Jack. Throughout the story, Ralph symbolizes growing up or coming to “the end of innocence”. (Babb 120)

Piggy symbolizes the cleverness and sensibleness in the group. He is the first person to point out that no one knows that they are there. “Who knows we’re here? Eh?” He is like the voice of a grown-up, the brains behind Ralph’s actions, and when he is killed, towards the end of the novel, Ralph seems to almost fall apart with no Piggy to tell him what to do and how to do it. “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy.” Jack picks on piggy because he is different; there is no real reason. This bullying is caused by a lack of understanding, the boys’ have never met problems like the ones Piggy has. This can be seen in their lack of understanding of his asthma, or “ass-mar”.

Jack symbolizes evil and savagery. His evil actions are seen from the very start of the novel when he makes fun of Piggy for almost no reason other than his appearance. (Baker 452) “Shut up Fatty.” Jack symbolizes the savagery and lust for power, this is also portrayed from the start when the first thing he thinks is that the group must have hunters and he must be the leader of the hunters. As the story progresses, this lust for power becomes clearer when he starts to express anger and jealousy towards Ralph and eventually starts his tribe, just to be the leader.

Carrying on the Biblical theme Simon also symbolizes Jesus. Jesus is considered by Christians as a miracle being. (Gindin 198) Simon spoke to the devil in the form of the Lord of the Flies just as Jesus spoke to the devil on his forty-night journey across the desert and Simon, like Jesus, predicted his death when talking to the Lord of the Flies.

Roger symbolizes exactly how cruel and brutal one human can be. He is by far the most savage of all the boys; he fully supports Jack in his evilness. Right at the start, he takes a liking to throw rocks and boulders and spears at his fellow boys and he has no regret or sympathy after he commits his violent acts. (Baker 119) He likes to torture, he tortured the little ones, the pig and Piggy. He is the one who eventually murders Piggy by rolling a boulder onto him. His badness goes further than anyone else’s.

The Lord of the Flies is perhaps the most important symbol in the novel. When Simon wanders off by himself he finds a pig’s head on a spear, surrounded by flies, which had been offered to the ‘beast’. Simon begins to hallucinate and imagines that the pig’s head is talking to him. It tells him that the beast is a figure of their imagination. (Friedman 78) This symbolizes that the boys have become insane.

They believe in this ‘beast’ which only exists within them and Simon is the first to realize this. The Lord of the Flies speaks in a voice that could be Jack’ “I’m warning you, I’m going to get waxy. D’you see? You’re not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So don’t try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else we shall do you. See?” Simon rushes back to tell the others that the beast doesn’t exist but before he can tell them, he is killed.

The ‘beast’ that all the boys fear is an important symbol. It shows that the boys have in one respect gone mad. They allow their childish fears to take over their adult reasoning. They all believe in this creature from the start, first of all, it takes the form of a ‘beastie’ that the little ‘uns see – ” a snake-thing. Ever so big.” Next, it takes the form of “the thing that bowed” which was the dead parachutist. Last, of all, it takes the form of the Lord of the Flies. It is the fear of the unknown, fear itself.

There is the symbolism of light and dark. By daylight, all seems fine but the nights on the island symbolize a time when something awful might happen. In the beginning, just the little ‘uns are scared of the dark but later they are all uneasy when darkness falls and there is a general feeling that with the darkness comes uncertainty about what might happen before daylight “Evening came, not with calm beauty but with the threat of violence” – Ralph. Light and dark is a common symbol for good and evil. In the end, Ralph weeps for “the darkness of man’s heart” and this is the whole essence of the book, a child’s realization of how evil one person can become. (Whitley 110)

Towards the end of the novel, after Simon and Piggy are killed, all the boys come to symbolize the instinctive, primitive behavior of early humans. They become one tribe and act with a common instinct. This is shown in Ralph when he is running away from Jack’s tribe “He obeyed an instinct he did not know he possessed.”

In conclusion, the symbolism is what makes the book great. It is what makes the reader think more deeply about what is happening and what reveals the true nature of the characters. Without it, “Lord of the Flies” would be just another children’s adventure story with a very simple plot and not the great work that it is. Lord of the flies is full of symbolism. Throughout the novel, Golding uses symbols that show us a deeper meaning and when you see the symbols you can truly find out what the story is all about symbolism because it is such an important aspect, which runs through the whole book and is crucial to the reader’s understanding of the plot and the development of the characters.

Babb S. Howard: The Novels of William Golding; Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1970.

Baker James R. Critical Essays on William Golding; Boston: G. K. Hall & Co., 1988.

Baker, James R. “The Decline of Lord of the Flies .” In South Atlantic Quarterly , Vol. 69, 1970, pp. 446-60

Baker, James R., ed. “Why It’s No Go: A Study of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Arizona Quarterly 19 (1963): 393-405.

Friedman, Lawrence S. William Golding. New York: Continuum, 1993.

Gindin, James. William Golding. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988.

Golding, William. Lord of the Flies . New York: Capricorn Books, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1954.

Johnson, Arnold (1980). Of Earth and Darkness. The Novels of William Golding. Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 132.

Reilly Patrick. Lord of the Flies. Fathers and Sons. New York: Twayne, 1992.

Whitley John S. Golding. Lord of the Flies. London: Edward Arnold, 1970.

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IvyPanda. (2021, September 14). Symbolism in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding. https://ivypanda.com/essays/symbolism-in-lord-of-the-flies-by-william-golding/

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Symbolism in Lord of the Flies

This essay will analyze the symbolism in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies.” It will explore how objects, characters, and settings in the novel, such as the conch shell, Piggy’s glasses, and the island itself, symbolize larger concepts related to human nature, civilization, and societal breakdown. The piece will discuss how Golding uses these symbols to convey themes of power, savagery, and the inherent darkness in humanity. Additionally, PapersOwl presents more free essays samples linked to Lord Of The Flies.

How it works

In literature, a common symbol typically arises to convey an important message. The symbol often follows the characters and changes along with them. In Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a story following a group of boys as they are stranded on an uninhabited island in the midst of World War II. A conch shell that one of the boys finds plays an important role throughout the story, symbolizing the only sense of peace and authority. Along with this, it also demonstrates how quickly and effortlessly those senses can be lost.

Over the course of the novel, the conch shell progresses from symbolizing peace and authority to loss of order and civility when the conch is shattered, demonstrating that without rules, people revert back to their primal ways.

• 1 What Does the Shattering of the Conch Symbolize
• 2 What Does the Island Symbolize in Lord of the Flies

What Does the Shattering of the Conch Symbolize

The conch shell begins as symbolizing peace and authority among the boys. The shell conveys a sense of power as well as keeping the boys together. Piggy and Ralph, the first two boys who find each other on the island, discover the conch. Piggy advises Ralph to blow into the shell to call for other boys. After a while, the shell becomes known as a fragile symbol of power: “The being that had blown that had sat waiting for them on the platform with the delicate thing balanced on his knees was set apart” (Golding 22). The boy who has the conch is evidently set apart from the rest of them and gives him the defining power of a leader of the conversation. To them, speaking represents authority and power.

Once more boys arrive, they universally decide that whoever holds the conch is the one who is allowed to speak at the time. Conversations begin and end with the conch: “Ceremonially, Ralph laid the conch on the trunk beside him as a sign that the speech was over” (82). The ending of a conversation following the conch being put aside represents the peace it brings among the boys. The conch’s validity is recognized among the boys and is important to them because it is the only rule that they really have. The conch is primarily important to Piggy. He was seen as an outcast because of his mannerisms. Throughout the story, even as the other boys slowly diminish the conch’s validity, Piggy keeps it close to him and enforces the original rules set around the shell: “Piggy sought in his mind words to convey his passionate willingness to carry the conch against all odds” (Golding 172). Piggy’s connection to the conch was so deeply rooted within him. His respect for the conch was much larger than that of the rest of the boys. He loved it so much because he had always been pushing the rules surrounding the conch onto the others because he stood for order and civility. Overall, the conch signifies power and peace among the chaos.

By the end of the novel, not only is the conch shell is shattered, but so are the boy’s senses of peace and authority. The shell has a newfound purpose- a symbol of the lack of order and civility. As the novel progresses, the shell slowly begins to lose its validity, especially with Jack, who didn’t enjoy following the rules, to begin with: “‘Conch! Conch!’ shouted Jack. ‘We don’t need the conch anymore’” (Golding 101). It is slowly losing it power and the boys are starting to disregard it. When Piggy holds up the conch to remind the boys how powerful the shell is to the boys once again, they ignore it: “Piggy held up the conch and booing sagged a little, then came up to strength again” (Golding, 179). He attempts to silence their booing, and while they slow down for a moment and question the conch, they soon begin the negative commentary again, booing and showing how they have truly lost their sense of peace and authority.

What Does the Island Symbolize in Lord of the Flies

Lastly, the shell breaks in due course with Piggy’s death. Piggy is known as the softer boy among the group of them. He desires an organized civilization between them. The conch shell, which represented the order that Piggy admires, shatters when Piggy is killed: “The breaking of the conch and the deaths of Piggy and Simon lay over the island like a vapor. These painted savages would go further and further” (Golding 204). The shattering of the shell and Piggy’s demise sparks an outbreak of savagery over the island and among the boys. The change of symbolism associated with the conch shell is prominent throughout the last chapters of the novel

Without rules, the boys in the novel revert back to their primal ways. The existence of the conch shell as well as the shattering of it demonstrates this. Piggy and Ralph initially decide to create a set of rules surrounding the conch shell they find. The rules, which include one person being able to talk at a time as well as blowing through the shell to call all the boys, has given the boys a structure to follow rather than allowing them to revert to their ways in a time without rules. When the conch shell shatters into tiny fragments, it marks the end of their civilization. Soon after, Piggy is the first to experience the worst of what happens when mankind reverts to its primal instincts when he is killed by one of their own. Only a few of the boys were able to keep their morals intact. Those who didn’t have perfectly represented what the world would be like without rules to abide by in the novel by showing that they naturally succumbed to their instincts. Rules kept the band of boys civilized and controlled.

Societies need order and civility to be able to flourish. Order is established by setting rules in place and civility is retained by the possession of morals. When these concepts are replaced with their contrary, mankind loses control of its senses and reverts back to its primal ways of living. The band of boys in Lord of the Flies soon diminish their sense of order and civility and become beasts. They are quick to engage in acts of savagery and barbarity, with some boys the victims of others. The order and civility the boys initially desire rests upon the conch. The shell is a perfect representation of these concepts, and when it shatters, so do the most crucial elements in keeping up a society.

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Lord of the Flies: Summary of Conclusion

I feel that the conclusion of such a story needs not much thought. It has already been shown that the boys are becoming quite savage and thoughtless, and that only a handful of sensible boys remain. Sooner or later the group would split into two different sects of people. One group being the levelheaded and realistic boys who want to be rescued, led by Ralph, and the other boys with the leader Jack and the self proclaimed hunters. Separation was bound to happen sooner or later because of the strong influence that Jack had on most of the characters so far in the tory.

Jack is the kind of character who brings out the evil in all people including those of whom he has now claimed as hunters. His hunters would follow him anywhere, including into an eternal life of savagery and barbarity. And so it poses the question to whether the good boys, led by Ralph would survive. They would not be so threatened by nature, lack of food, shelter and such other things, they could survive it, but I think that their biggest threat would be Jack’s group of hunters who seem adamant n damage and violence and drifting away from the real world.

Jack is the kind of character who is defined as a psychotic person who was refrained from his true genetic personality and yearning for violence because of the standards to which he was born. He was a rich and went to a private school where he could not be himself. The school was very strict and therefore not allowing any of the boys to do things that they had always wanted. So then, when faced with the idea of an island with no adults where they can do as they like, they give in to the idea of being unters and playing a game of being a native, wearing war paint, killing animals and getting their own meat.

Sooner or later, Jack would lose all control and split the groups feeling that Ralph’s unadventurous boys were cramping his style and unessential to his hunters — when in fact, Ralph’s boys had the right idea. I think that there is a lot to be said on the subject of whether the boys will or will not be rescued. I feel that it is possible, but without the help of the numerous hunters it may prove as impossible. The chances f another plane passing overhead in the exact area are extremely low.

Also keeping the fire going and contacting that plane to see the boys will also be quite hard. Is it not very likely that the plane saw the boys or even suspecting seeing them the first time around, so another plane will probably not return. It is up to the boys to survive for as long as it takes for another plane to come or whatever comes next. However, with the emerging problems — all as a result of Jack and his hideous influence — not much can be said for the success of Ralph and his boys.

In this story the author shows a lot of points. He reveals the dark side of human nature. How, out of the estimated 25 boys, at least 15 of those polite and refined young men resorted to inhumanity and lost all control. The author also shows how it can happen to anyone, including the cream of society, the best and most cultivated young men. I feel that the story would soon end up a sad ending. With Jack leading the hunters, it leads me to believe that there is but little hope for the all the boys, either for being rescued, or for survival.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Lord of The Flies — Fire Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies

Fire Symbolism in Lord of The Flies

• Categories: Lord of The Flies Symbolism

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Are Flight Offsets Worth It?

A lot of them don’t work and some might even be harmful. But there are things you can do if you really have to fly.

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By Susan Shain

• Published May 6, 2024 Updated May 9, 2024

Q: Should I buy offsets to cover my air travel?

In recent years, research has shown that many offset projects are ineffective or worse. But last we checked, people are still flying . A lot. And the planet is still warming. A lot.

So you may still be wondering: Should I offset my air travel? If so, how?

What are offsets, exactly?

A carbon offset is a credit that you can buy to make up for your emissions. So if you fly from New York to San Francisco, releasing around 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, you can purchase an offset, funding a project that will remove or store that same amount of carbon dioxide elsewhere, often by planting or preserving trees.

At least that’s the idea. But many scientists object to the principle, on the grounds that we need to sharply reduce emissions, not just try to cancel them out.

“Offsetting is a misnomer,” said Barbara Haya, director of the Berkeley Carbon Trading Project at the University of California, Berkeley. “It creates a fiction that you can fly and emit greenhouse gasses and just pay for these cheap credits and it erases your impact.”

Last year, an estimated $1.7 billion of carbon credits were issued worldwide, according to an analysis from the global accounting firm KPMG.

OK. But do they work?

Companies are working on ways to improve the credibility of carbon credits. But Dr. Haya has been studying offsets for more than 20 years and so far, she said, the results have been grim . “Most credits don’t represent the amount of emissions reductions that they claim,” she said. Others have had no measurable climate benefit at all.

That’s because measuring the carbon captured by, say, planting a new tree is hard. Would that tree have been planted anyway? What happens if that tree later burns in a wildfire?

John Sterman, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and director of the MIT Climate Pathways Project , compared carbon credits to the magical healing elixirs of the Old West. “I could put anything into that bottle. And it isn’t just that it might not work — it could be downright harmful . That’s where we’re at with carbon offsets,” he said. “They’re fooling people.”

In order for an offset to be legitimate, Dr. Sterman said a project’s results must be verifiable, immediate and durable . They must also be “additional,” meaning they wouldn’t have happened without funding from the offset. Very few projects, he said, meet all of these criteria.

The aviation industry seems to be catching on. United’s chief executive has called the majority of offsets “fraud,” and the head of sustainability at Delta has said the company had “shifted away” from offsets . Both companies have committed to sustainable aviation fuel (which has its own set of challenges ) and other means of decarbonization instead.

What are the alternatives?

The best solution, according to the experts: Fly less.

And when you do fly, choose economy. Since premium seats take up more space, passengers in first or business class account for up to four times the emissions of passengers in the back.

On the rare occasions she flies, Dr. Haya has committed to donating $1,000 per ton emitted to environmental organizations, such as Unite to Light , the San Francisco Estuary Institute and others. “It helps me sort of understand the impact of my choices,” she said.

If you decide to take this approach, there are lots of ways to make your climate donations count .

Instead of purchasing offsets, Dr. Sterman has invested in reducing his everyday carbon footprint by adding insulation and solar panels to his house and buying an electric car. “It may seem like it’s more expensive to do that or more difficult, but it’s really not,” he said. “Because the money you’re wasting on offsets isn’t really doing any good.”

Voting also matters, said Lauren Gifford, associate director of the Soil Carbon Solutions Center at Colorado State University. And, she said, it’s important to tell your representatives that solving climate change matters to you.

Carbon offsets are “basically a permit to pay to pollute,” Dr. Gifford said. “And what we need to do is not pollute.”

Have a question for reporters covering climate and the environment?

We might answer your question in a future column. We won’t publish your submission without contacting you, and may use your contact information to follow up with you.

Susan Shain is a reporting fellow for Headway, a section of The Times that explores the world's challenges through the lens of progress. More about Susan Shain

Learn More About Climate Change

Have questions about climate change? Our F.A.Q. will tackle your climate questions, big and small .

Giant batteries are transforming the way the United States uses electricity. Here’s how .

Are carbon offsets for air travel worth it? A lot of them don’t work and some might even be harmful, but there are alternatives .

Cattle ranches have ruled the Amazon for decades. Now, new companies are selling something else: the ability of trees to lock away planet-warming carbon .

“Buying Time,” a series from The New York Times, looks at the risky ways  humans are starting to manipulate nature  to fight climate change.

Did you know the ♻ symbol doesn’t mean something is actually recyclable ? Read on about how we got here, and what can be done.

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