I'll begin with a bit of background information, behind the symbols and construction of the novel;
The title, Lord of the Flies is actually a loose interpretation of Be'el-zebub,one of the false gods mentioned often in the Old Testament, and often equated with Satan. The author constructed the book around the plot of a Victorian boys' book called The Coral Island, one of many which were written to inspire faith in God, His righteousness, and the goodness in all men. This book follows the progress of three shipwrecked boys in a similar situation, who make a wonderful go of it, even,when finding native savages on their island, converting them to Christianity! Even the names are the same, more or less. Ralph, Jack and Peterkin (Simon, who was called Peter...straight out of the Bible...Piggy and Simon, in their symbolic roles of civilization and righteousness, need no separation in this naive volume.
The story begins when a group of British schoolboys, in the process of being evacuated to a safe haven during World War II, find themselves abandoned on a on a deserted, tropical island. The island is ideal for survival in many ways-it has edible fruit, clean, fresh water, and even a herd of pigs living near the center. Things start off well, as the youngsters begin to acclimate themselves to living on their own.
Feeling a need for order and leadership, a sort of government is developed. The symbol of their form of 'law and order' is a conch, found on the shore, and used both as a vehicle for calling the group together, when deemed necessary, and, when held by one member, insures his right to speak uninterrupted, except by the elected leader. A formal count of the boys begun when they first come together, is never completed, but gradually, four boys emerge as both principal characters and archetypes.
First, there is Ralph, the elected leader,pr 'Chief', (the leader's official title). He is one of the older boys, responsible, likable, and determined to do well in his leadership role.
Then there is 'Piggy', (his real name is never discovered). Overweight, asthmatic bespectacled, he is nevertheless one of Ralph's best friends, and supports him to the end. Surprisingly, he is for a cover up when another boy is killed, and, although an outcast, stays close to established rules, both those made by the boys, and those brought with them from the civilization they have left behind. While Ralph is a kind of everyman, questioning and sometimes insecure, Piggy never wavers from the rules he thinks are practical. In the complex symbolic structure of the novel, Piggy symbolizes civilization-not in its ideal state, but in the condition of the one that they have left behind. Even his glasses hold both a practical and a symbolic purpose-they are used for starting fires, both for cooking and, more importantly, for creating smoke that will hopefully be seen by passing boatmen, their most likely potential rescuers. However, they break, not all at once, but piece by piece, frame by frame, symbolizing the degeneration of flawed civilization.
Jack is ironically, the leader of a choir. Admittedly a natural savage, he offers his, and the rest of the choir's, services-both as hunters, and as watchers of the fire-which will not always be compatible. Their desertion of the fire to successfully bring in a pig for dinner, is the source of the first serious conflict. He symbolized the evil in man, that must be controlled by civilization.
Simon is a bit younger than the others. Kind, thoughtful, a thinker and mystic, he does good wherever he can. His quietness hides a staunch bravery, and, when a mysterious entity, called 'the Beast' by the other boys,appears on the island, he is the one who climbs to the highest point of the mountain, to find the corpse of the forgotten pilot who left the boys on the island, to begin with. After a 'conversation' with the 'Lord of the Flies', (actually a pig's head on a stick, left by Jack to appease the Beast), who tells Simon things like 'I'm the reason why its no go' and 'we're going to have fun on this island', he runs to tell the other boys that there's no danger. The reader will see that this gesture does no one any good...and the boys, never getting the message, are left to their own fears and hates. Simon is a symbol of truth and goodness, to the point of being a Christ figure.
In the end, a battleship (a symbol of what they have to look forward to-the necessity for careful preparation for war) rescues them-from themselves, as much as anything else. They have finally produced enough smoke and fire to draw the attention they needed. As the result of the hate and fear within the surviving boys, the entire island has been set on fire. The rescued boys cry like babies, while the commander of the battleship, disappointed with the failure of a 'fine group of British boys', turns away-and admires the ship under his command.
The symbolism, timing,character development are close to flawless. A book on the evil in mankind is likely to be depressing, but not here.Neither is ir uplifting-it's interesting. A disturbing story, but a wonderful allegory,Lord of the Flies is a rare gem of literature, bordering on perfection.
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