Use of Allegory and Symbols in William Goldgings Lord of...

Use of Allegory and Symbols in William Goldgings Lord of the Flies William Goldings Lord of the Flies allegorically shows the good and evil that co-exists in every human being. Each character and symbol renders this possible by what it represents. Ralph and Jack allegorically represent opposing political forces: Jack as the dictator or fascist and Ralph as the prototype of a democratic leader. The island represents the archetypal garden and the conch shell represents power. Golding uses British schoolboys to show progressive degeneration and to prove that a little bit of evil exists in all of us. Each of these symbols aid in proving that we all have some evil in our hearts. Ralph begins the story as a carefree†¦show more content†¦The lamp of knowledge or fires of inspiration are familiar expressions throughout literature. Once Ralph realizes that he has the welfare of others to think about, he also realizes that the rational procedure, (which Piggy represents) has become a necessary and valuable tool. Piggy, the corpulent sidekick, symbolically allies himself to the leader of the boys. Simon plays only one, but very important, allegorical figure. He takes on the form of a Christ-figure and resembles characters in many biblical stories and events. At the beginning of the story, we see him picking fruit for the littluns and resembling a carpenter by building huts. The other boys see Simon as queer or funny, but he has no offensive traits. He remains the one person on the island who seems to commune with the elements. For him the island represents a paradise. Goldings descriptions of Simon are lyrical and poetic. They are in stark contrast to the harsh passages that tell of the clashes between Ralph and Jack. We can also contrast the gaudy bird, the harsh cry and the abyss of ages found in Jacks jungle to the honey-colored sunlight and bright, fantastic birds of Simons jungle. With the possibility of evil or a beastie on the island, Simons judgments on the whereabouts of the beast conclude: perhaps we are it. When Simon