ipl-logo

Fire In Lord Of The Flies Essay

989 Words4 Pages

All things are capable of change in our world, and the symbolism of fire in Lord of the Flies is no different. In the book a group of boys land on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. They try to build a society built on the ideas of the adult society they came from. At first the boys seemed to be structured and ordered, but soon their primal instincts of savagery came out changing their system into a horrifying nightmare. Throughout Lord of the Flies, the strength and purpose of the fire created by the boys seems to be a meter of the boys connection to civilization, where towards the beginning it is strong and valiant, and then slowly loses its importance and burns out and finally it encircles the whole island due to its savage purposes …show more content…

During a hunting party, Maurice suggests that they “want a fire, I think and a drum, and you keep time to the drum” (Golding 128). The purpose behind this is to cook the pig and to chant and dance around the fire. This shows a very tribal and primitive instinct. It brings out a inhumane aspect of the boys as it clearly shows the boys moving towards savagery. Furthermore, the only way that the boys are able to make fire in the book Lord of the Flies is using Piggy’s glasses. So when Golding tells us that in Jack’s “left hand dangled Piggy’s broken glasses.” (191), it demonstrates that Jack’s savage boys now have the power to make fire. The fire symbolizes hope when on the civilized side but its inner demon is of destruction and evil. Predictably this demon does in fact come out when in the end Jack and his boys “had smoked him (Ralph) out and set the island on fire” (Golding 224), in order to kill Ralph. Ironically, the fire instead fulfills its civilized purpose, of a signal instead of killing Ralph. The purpose and the extreme strength of the fire here shows us that the boys had become brutal savages, literally killing civilization out of the their systems. To conclude, Golding shows how the fire can be just as destructive in the wrong hands as helpful in the

Show More
Related

  • Fire Motif In The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls

    634 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the memoir The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, the author uses the fire motif to convey that all uncontrolled situations inevitably lead to chaos. Jeannette was cooking hot dogs when she grabbed one with a fork, turned around, and bent over to feed it to her dog. Her dress was against the stove, and it caught on fire. She quickly realized and panicked. She “smelled the burning and heard a horrible crackling as the fire singed [her] hair and eyelashes” (9).

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 Fire Imagery

    436 Words  | 2 Pages

    This symbolizes how in a similar way that conch was forgotten and left on the platform, so was the order they had created. As the fire is being formed, it is described with, “one side the air was cool, but on the other the fire thrust out a savage arm of heat that crinkled hair on the instant.” (page 41). This creates a chaotic feel and gives the idea of nature being very hostile. This in turn resembles the boys exhibiting animal like qualities in the way they treat Piggy.

    Read More

  • Dialectical Journal For Lord Of The Flies

    2103 Words  | 9 Pages

    I picked this passage to represent the beginning of the book because it shows the awakening of the darkness in the boys’ hearts and their realization of the power they hold. This fits into the theme because it is when the boys realize that they can have power over themselves on this island and start to ignore the rules of the conch. The fire they unleashed represents the chaos that the society will eventually fall into. Piggy, as he represents law and order, glances into the fire and foreshadows what is to come. I really like the use of describing the noises of the fire as “a drumroll that seemed to shake the mountain.”

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 Symbolism Of Fire Essay

    715 Words  | 3 Pages

    He learns throughout the novel fire can be a symbol of comfort and not just a symbol of violence. His point of view of fire changes from believing the violent, burning, more negative symbol to the more comforting and warm symbol of

    Read More

  • Foreshadowing Examples In Lord Of The Flies

    904 Words  | 4 Pages

    There is a group of boys whose whole contribution is to keep the fire going as piggy states “The fire is the most important thing. Without the fire, we can’t be rescued” (Golding). For the boys the fire symbolizes the desire to be back in the world they remember giving them hope to survive. Golding's use of symbolism helps the reader to connect with the fire as a sort of hero for the boys protecting them, more importantly protecting their minds from reflecting and worrying more about the beast. In order for Golding's presentation of the boy's primal instinct to come across to the reader as the savergary that lives within all humans, how due to the standards of the world no mind should reach that point of corruption.

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies Fire Analysis

    757 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Golding’s Lord of the Flies, multiple elements, such as fire, water, earth, and air, affect the boys. Multiple British boys, spanning the ages of six to twelve, survive a plane crash and are stranded on an island with no adults. During their time on the island, each element impacts the boys on a different level, and fire has the greatest impact. Although the elements water, air, and earth have effects on the boys’ lives, Golding uses imagery to suggest that fire has the largest impact on the boys’ lives, due to the fact that it is both the most essential item for survival and that it affects all the positive and negative things that happens on the island.

    Read More

  • How Does Golding Build The Fire In Lord Of The Flies

    918 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ralph proposes that they build a fire at the top of mountain on the island so that if ships were to pass by they would see the fire and potentially rescue them. Although they fail at keeping the fire going at first, Jack and his hunters nominate themselves to make sure the fire keeps going. As they attempt to reignite the fire, it results in trees nearby being set ablaze. Golding describes the fire in a way of giving it animal-like movements: “the fire laid hold on the forest and began to gnaw.”(44) In this quotation he foreshadows that eventually power and fear will start to eat away at the civilization the boys have created with each other and in their own minds.

    Read More

  • Symbolism Of Fire In Fahrenheit 451

    1368 Words  | 6 Pages

    “It was a pleasure to burn,” especially for Guy Montag, the fireman in Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451. Fire is a recurring symbol of the book, usually showing up with Montag when there is trouble or change. By examining to the novel and its deeper meaning, the reader is shown how Bradbury provides two different meanings of fire, and can learn how truly significant fire is. Bradbury uses the symbol of fire to represent both powerful destruction and beautiful creation. From poetic phrases to simple statements, fire is shown in two different lights, both of which show the true character of the element.

    Read More

  • Ralph And The Fire Symbolism Essay

    672 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine being stranded on island with a bunch of strangers and no possessions. Having to leave your old life, family, and civilization all behind. Just imagine. Meanwhile, In William Golding’s novel,  he  uses symbolism to tell the allegory of a few boys whose flight crashed into a deserted island in which they were left to fend for themselves. In the novel Ralph and the fire both connect to the theme that Golding references as a good vs evil where evil ultimately overtakes humanity.

    Read More

  • Allusion Of Fire In Fahrenheit 451

    569 Words  | 3 Pages

    Scientists give us gobbledegook about friction and molecules. But they don’t really know. It’s real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences. A problem gets too burdensome, then into the furnace with it.” In few words, fire is a way to escape your past, your problems and anything unwanted.

    Read More

  • What Does The Conch Represent In Lord Of The Flies

    653 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jack takes his place and Ralph takes his. The boys are each trying to win over the other boys to join their different societies. Fire is the most important part of the novel; it represents hope. The boys start the fire in hopes to make enough smoke for someone passing by to notice they were there stuck on the island. Towards the beginning of the story, a plane passes over the island and the boys get excited about being rescued.

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies Fire Symbolism Essay

    1077 Words  | 5 Pages

    The first fire is built to signal ships for their rescue; it symbolizes hope here. Once the fire is burning brightly, the boys “paused to enjoy the freshness of [the fire]... they flung themselves down in the shadows that lay among the shattered rocks,” (41). The fire comforts the young island inhabitants because it lets them relax with the hope of getting rescued. The boys on the island start to lose hope, even Ralph. Ralph tells Piggy “let the fire go then, for tonight,” (164), showing that he has stopped caring about getting home.

    Read More

  • The Symbolism Of Fire In Richard Wright's Black Boy

    494 Words  | 2 Pages

    I remember when I was about ten, in the fifth grade, I came home one evening bored and started playing with paper. Paper that I eventually set on fire, that eventually set my trash can on fire, scared me to death, and got my butt whipped. In the book Black Boy by Richard Wright, Wright has many central messages and themes. One major motif was fire and its metaphors and uses in the book. Wright utilized fire to show his development educationally, religiously, and psychologically.

    Read More

  • Savagery In Lord Of The Flies Piggy

    939 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the middle of the story, Piggy discusses, “We got no fire on the mountain. But what’s wrong with a fire down here? A fire could be built on them rocks. On the sand, even. We’d make smoke just the same” (129).

    Read More

  • Human Nature In Lord Of The Flies And The Hunger Games

    835 Words  | 4 Pages

    The fire was also a symbol of civilization, that the boys would survive and get rescued. Fire is quite profound in what it reveals about humans. The fire was the object that the hunters didn’t have, it was desirable because it was limited. The fire brought out the innate greed that humans possess. The hunters weren’t content with asking for fire from Ralph, they were too prideful and savage to be civil in any manner, so they stole it.

    Read More

More about Fire In Lord Of The Flies Essay

Open Document