The Lord Of The Flies: A Symbolism Analysis

Golding says “The boys broke into shrill, exciting cheering” (41) in the beginning of the novel, then at the end of the novel says, “A great clamor rose among the savages” (164). William Golding who wrote The Lord of the Flies changes his word choice from “boys” to “savages” to emphasize the fact that the boys change into savage creatures. Three symbols represent civilization and change into chaos over the course of the novel. The three symbols representing change are Piggy’s glasses, The fire, and the conch. These figures demonstrate the important theme that the calm civilization will soon break out into disorder.

The first symbol that represents civilization, and changes overtime are Piggy’s glasses. Piggy’s glasses are symbolic because

The conch is an important symbol because it helps the boys stay civilized and not chaotic. For example, Ralph says, “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking” (31). They will use the conch for when they are at meetings so that no one talks at the same time, and to make the society refined. In addition, William golding states, “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (164). The conch shattered because all the boys are starting to turn evil, and chaos is breaking out between the boys. The conch certainly establishes an orderly society until it breaks which results in anarchy. There are many symbols in the novel The Lord of the Flies that all represent civilization and transform into craziness. The first symbol is Piggy’s glasses which break because of all the chaos. The second symbol is the fire which grows and turns the boys into beasts. Lastly, there is the conch which shatters and symbolizes the falling out of order. Overall, the change in word choice William Golding uses is necessary because it changes the tone of the novel by letting the reader know that the boys have completely changed into