Symbolism is the artistic movement or style using symbols to express ideas. William Golding does a great job showing this to bring out theme throughout the book "Lord Of The Flies." The theme of this novel is demonstrated by showing how the nature of man is evil. The conch, fire, and the Lord Of The Flies, are all examples of symbolism in this novel.
One of Golding's most symbolic objects in his book "Lord Of The Flies" is the conch. The conch is symbolic because it maintains law and order amongst all the boys on the island. This is proven in the quote, "He laid the conch against his lips, took a deep breath and blew once more...a child had appeared among the palms, about a hundred yards away for the beach" (Pg 117) The boys obey the rules of the conch, but these rules are forgotten when they turn to killing and savagery.
Lord of the Flies
English: Cottages, The Green, Marlborough William ...
Lord of the FliesThis is revealed when Jack says, "We don't need the conch anymore." (Pg 101,102) By saying this, he is actually saying that they don't need to follow rules anymore. At the end of the novel, the conch is destroyed when Piggy is struck by the rock and dies. The destruction of the conch symbolizes the end of all law and order that existed with the boys on the island.
Another object that shows how the nature of man is evil through theme is the fire. The fire is symbolic because it is a sign of hope for the boys to be rescued and taken off the island. This is proven in lines. "If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us...we must make a fire."(Pg 38) In the lines, "Smoke was seeping through the branches in white and yellow...and then the smoke...