Symbols in Lord of the Flies

Conch – The conch is a symbol of order and authority. It gives whoever is holding it, the power and respect to speak. This is crucial to the boys as it is one of the only things keeping them civilized. Once it is broken, all authority and civilization is lost on the island.

Island – Since Lord of the flies is an allegory, the island represents our world. On the outside, it seems perfect but when you look closely, it soon becomes a terror. On the island, there is a lot of destruction of the island by the boys and that shows how man has destroyed our environment.

Jungle – The jungle is a vast and unknown area that seems to frighten the boys. In particular, the creepers are often mentioned as scary to the boys and it represents how the boys are still young and are afraid by things as little as plants.

Scar – The place that the plane crashes in is also known as the scar. It is a constant reminder of the destruction that man can create and the place that they came from. Calling it the scar could mean that it lasts forever and will not go away, just like their experience on the island.

Fire – Fire represents commonsense and is their only way of rescue. It is a product of their technology and knowledge and represents what the children can accomplish if they work together. However, it also leads to the destruction of the island, which also represents the destruction that man can cause.

Simon’s hiding place – This is the place where Simon goes to get away from it all and where he has his seizures. This is sort of his place of freedom where he can be himself and not hide anything. It is also the site of the lord of the flies which shows that no matter where you go, you cannot escape man’s inherit evil.

Lord of the Flies – The severed cow’s head known as the lord of the flies is a representation of evil on the island and within man. The name lord of the flies is also a reference to Beelzebub, a demon in hell thought to be the devil. The Lord of the Flies is the ‘beast’ in each of the boys and the evil in every man.

The beast (Jack’s) – Jack believes that there is an actual beast but does not believe that it can harm them. Nevertheless, he is determined to kill it but is still afraid. His beast represents the unknown and how we are curious about it yet afraid to find out.

The beast (Simon’s) – Simon is the only person to realize that there is no beast and that it is inside each of the boys. His beast represents how everyone has their inner evil and that no one is truly good. Even those as pure as Simon still have a beast inside of them.

Face paint – Later in the novel, the boys begin to paint their faces and participate in a ritualistic festival. The face paint represents their decent into savagery as it is often associated with uncivilized tribes. They are also not themselves anymore and look like they have become someone else.

Spear, knife, rock – These are all examples of useful tools that can, if used wrongly, lead to a lot of destruction. For example, the spear can be used to hunt for pigs but instead it is sometimes used as a weapon for each other. At first, the boys used them for good but as the book went on, they began to commit evil with them. This shows how the boys started as a civilized group and soon turned into savages.

Piggy’s glasses – Piggy’s glasses are a symbol of intellectuality, control through reason, and rational thinking. They are used to start fire, which is a symbol for technology on the island and a beacon of hope to be rescued.

Wild boar – The wild boar is essentially their source of food and it also represents the struggle for survival. The children work so hard and spent so much time just trying to kill a pig.

The dance – The dance represents their descent into savagery because like the painted faces, it is often associated with uncivilized tribes. They forget all about rules, order, and their problems in a sort of ritualistic dance.

The choir procession – The choir procession acts like Jack’s little army that carries out his orders. It shows that although Jack has many ideas and aspirations, he does not want to do any of the work. This is typical of many humans who expect to get everything they want without working for it.

Water (the sea) – The water is like a boundary that separates the boys from the civilized world. Although it is the barrier that keeps them on the island, it is also the place of resuce as they must look for passing ships in the water.

Red rock in the ocean – The red rock is a place where civilization and order gets lost. The two most important parts of order on the island, piggy and the conch get killed and crushed respectively on the red rock. Like the castle rock, the red rock is composed of rocks and is very cold and dead.

Feast – The feast is a symbol of how man easily gives into their desires. The people of Ralph’s tribe could not resist the thought of a huge feast and gave up their royalties to Ralph to go to Jack’s feast.

Killing of mother pig – This is another act of savagery as instead of killing a boar, they kill a mother pig and her babies. The thought of killing has taken over their minds and now they’ll just kill anything. This goes even further later on as the boys begin to get killed by each other.

British officer – The British officer is really the only adult contact in the book. Since he has came to rescue them, the officer is instantly related to hope and safety. For once, the boys finally feel safe are brought back to reality.

Piggy’s auntie – Piggy’s auntie is a constant reminder to the boys of the adults and society. She is their connection back to the real world and acts like a parent would. Whenever the children think of doing something wrong, he reminds them of what his auntie would think which makes Piggy like the parental figure. This probably attributes to the boys hatred of Piggy.

Pig runs – The pig runs help the boys catch the pig and it represents how humans need so much help to survive. In this case, the boys must be practically led to the pigs by the tracks and even then it’s a struggle. Like in real life, where most humans have their food mostly given to them.