Fire In Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Essay
Writers use symbolism when one thing represents something else. Symbols can be characters or objects in a story. William Golding uses includes many different examples of symbolism throughout his novel, Lord of the Flies. The symbols in Lord of the Flies changed constantly and the reader was given a new interpretation of the island society. Examples of symbolism in Lord of the Flies include the following: Piggy’s glasses, the conch shell, and fire. One of the first examples of symbolism in the Lord of the Flies is Piggy’s glasses. Life on the island changed when it was discovered that Piggy’s glasses could be used to start a fire. The glasses first represented the intelligence of the boys on the island. The boys were on the top of the mountain looking for a way to start a fire.
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Ralph had the idea of using fire for a purpose that would benefit all the boys. “Any day there could be a ship out there—and if we have a signal going they’ll come and take us off” (Golding 42). The fire represented rescue and civilization at the beginning of the novel. The importance of the fire was stressed when a ship went by the island because they boys had let the fire burn out. Ralph called an assembly and told the boys that the fire was the most important thing on the island. The boys could never expect to get rescued without a signal fire (Golding 80). Toward the end of the novel Jack had a desire to have the power of Ralph. When Jack and multiple other boys lost control they stole Piggy’s glasses. Piggy’s glasses are the key to having a fire. Now the fire represents the power Jack and his tribe of boys possess. Ralph was hiding in a thicket when Jack’s tribe started a fire to try to flush him out from hiding (Golding 195). Fire symbolized hope for rescue and civilization at the beginning, but at the end it represented the power of Jack. This change in symbolism stress just how important fire was on the island to the
Ralph had the idea of using fire for a purpose that would benefit all the boys. “Any day there could be a ship out there—and if we have a signal going they’ll come and take us off” (Golding 42). The fire represented rescue and civilization at the beginning of the novel. The importance of the fire was stressed when a ship went by the island because they boys had let the fire burn out. Ralph called an assembly and told the boys that the fire was the most important thing on the island. The boys could never expect to get rescued without a signal fire (Golding 80). Toward the end of the novel Jack had a desire to have the power of Ralph. When Jack and multiple other boys lost control they stole Piggy’s glasses. Piggy’s glasses are the key to having a fire. Now the fire represents the power Jack and his tribe of boys possess. Ralph was hiding in a thicket when Jack’s tribe started a fire to try to flush him out from hiding (Golding 195). Fire symbolized hope for rescue and civilization at the beginning, but at the end it represented the power of Jack. This change in symbolism stress just how important fire was on the island to the