Student Name Kitamorn period 4 10/2/13 Lord of the Flies essay

Student Name
Kitamorn period 4
10/2/13
Lord of the Flies essay
Symbols in Lord of the Flies
Symbols are a big part of any novel. They support a theme an author is trying to
demonstrate. In William Golding’s novel, The Lord of the Flies a group of boys crash on
an island. The boys survive the crash, but the pilot and adults do not. They find out how
to get off the island and discover how save themselves. William Golding uses symbols
throughout his novel to reinforce the theme of good vs evil.
Ralph is a symbol of good. Ralph refuses to let the boys paint his face with paint
because he thinks they look like savages: "Well, we won't be painted, said Ralph,
because we aren't savages"(172). No matter the cost he will not do anything that makes
him evil in any way. Ralph also knows the behavior of the boys’ changes when their
faces are painted. Ralph wants the boys to remain pure and good. He also knows that
rescue can only happen if they have a smoke signal. He explains to his group of boys
the reason to go retrieve the fire from Jack’s camp: "Cos the smoke's a signal and we
can't be rescued if we don't have smoke"(173). Ralph is focused on escape to a safe
place. He is willing to risk his safety because Jack can hurt him if he asks for the fire
back. Ralph is determined about getting off the island and not becoming evil.
Fire is one of the many symbols of good in the novel. Realizing a passing ship will
see smoke from a fire Ralph, declares hope, “A fire! Make a fire! At once half the boys
were on their feet” (38). Fire is a positive symbol of safety because it provides warmth
and comfort to the boys at night. Jack and his follower’s raid Ralph’s camp “They got
our fire” (169).When Jack’s tribe steal their fire they lose their chance of rescue.
Keeping the fire going is their main priority, so they can return to a safe life. Fire keeps
the boys safe and hopeful.
While fire symbolizes the good, face paint symbolizes evil. Ralph and his followers
debate whether to put face paint on their faces, "They understood all too well the
liberation into savagery that the concealing paints brought"(172). Just by putting the
face paint on makes the person feels like a savage. Ralph knows by putting the face
paint on they were no longer innocent. Ralph speaks to Jack trying to convince him to
give back their fire and Piggy’s specs “with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all
his weight on the lever"(180). Roger did not really care that he killed Piggy. Before he
would not hurt a fly, but now he can kill and not feel any remorse or regret about killing
Piggy. Only the evilest of people can kill without feel any remorse. Face paint changes
him into a savage.
Symbols are used throughout the novel to help show the theme good vs evil. He
picks the theme good vs evil in the Lord of the Flies because one can find the theme
everywhere in life.