Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies, By William Golding

William Golding in Lord of the Flies develops his message through the characters and symbolism in the novel. Peter Brook's the director of the 1963 version of Lord of the Flies, follows the book closely but leaves out major parts. Such as Brook does not properly introduce the main characters or properly develops the main characters. As well as the symbols Golding purposely focuses on in the book end up not have the equivalent meaning in the movie. While Brook's movie is the best representation of the Lord of the Flies because the plot of the book is followed the closest, the book conveys Golding's message more effectively. The use of symbolism, the conversation with the pigs' head, and the final scene are three key points that differentiate
Each symbol ties into the characters and the overall big picture, the hidden darkness within man. Symbols such as the pig, the glasses, the conch, and the fire all have concealed significance in the novel. Golding's use of details and a specific plot in which each symbol contributes to his end product conveys Golding's message of darkness within man effectively. A noticeably missing key symbol in the movie is the fire. Yes, the boys make a fire in hopes they will be rescued, but there is not a fire in the beginning in which the boy with the birthmark disappears. For example, in Chapter Two "Fire on the Mountain," when the boys first make the fire Golding describes, "Startled, Ralph realized that the boys were falling still and silent, feeling the beginning of awe at the power set free below them. The knowledge and the awe made him savage" (44). Golding uses the symbol of the fire to introduce the "savage" that will emerge from the children. When the little boy with the birthmark goes missing, he is technically the boys' first victim. The inner darkness unleashes because the boys become so excited to start a fire they lose sight of the negative impacts the fire could have. Such as the fire caused part of the jungle to burn and the boy with the birthmark on his face go missing. Golding uses the phrase "feeling the beginning of awe at the power set free below them," to describe the new-found excitement or satisfaction the boys receive when they commit an evil action. Even though the boys did not mean to start a jungle fire or lose a fellow boy, starting the fire introduced the reader and the boys themselves what they are capable of. Compared to in the movie, Brook's avoids the first fire scene that introduces savagery altogether. Ralph gives the idea to start a fire to signal ships, and the boys become excited about the fire, but once the fire is started Brook's skips on