The Contribution of Symbols
Aimee Watts 19th January 2013
The Contribution of Symbols
The inner conflict of instincts, savage against civil, can be represented in unusual forms; indeed, in Golding’s Lord of the Flies, this inner conflict is represented with a fire, a conch shell and a double-edged stick. In this novel, a group of children are stranded on an island, creating a community and lifestyle of eating fruit, maintaining a signal fire and holding meetings. As time goes on, the fragile fabric of their society breaks down as the children become barbaric, irrational and violent. The underlining theme of the novel is the battle of urges, primal vs civil, which will be referred to as “the instinct war”. The aforementioned objects – the fire, the shell and the double-edged stick – contribute heavily to the theme as they play a role in illustrating it.
The fire has both a practical and metaphorical purpose, making it important to the story and to the theme. Its literal purpose is to act as a signal to passing ships, to get the boys rescued and returned to civilization. The figurative use of the fire is also related to civilization, acting as a symbol of society, a hope of retaining and returning to it. The fire’s metaphorical meaning contributes to the theme of “instinct war”, Golding using it to express the state of the inner-conflict battle at various points in the story. For example, at the beginning of the novel, when the dominant instinct was civility, the fire was a primary concern. “‘A fire! Make a fire!’ At once, half of the boys were on their feet” (Golding 37). Even Jack, the eventual symbol of the savage instinct, endorses the fire, volunteering his choir to watch over it. The fire is used once again to represent the state of the “instinct war” later on in the book, when barbarianism has a small but definite triumph. Golding conveys this victory by having Jack abandon the fire in favor of the primitive activity, hunting. The majority of the boys, with their pro-civil inclination, are upset. “You said you would keep the fire going and you let it out” (Golding 74). The neglected fire expresses that, although civility is still dominant at this stage, the barbaric instinct was stronger than before. At the end of the book, the fire is used to express the complete and undeniable victory of the savage instinct. By this point in the story, most of the children consider the fire to be fit for nothing more than cooking. “Look at that! Call that a signal fire? That’s a cooking fire” (Golding 197). No longer was it a symbol of hope, a return to order and civilization; now the fire had been demoted to its most primitive level, like the tribe that used it. Golding uses the fire to help the reader experience and understand the underlining theme of his novel.
Another symbol Golding uses to convey the theme is the creamy-white, delicate conch shell. This shell appears in the very beginning, and is used by Ralph to summon the children scattered across the island. Due to its impressive sound capabilities, the conch’s practical use was to call meetings. Its other literal purpose was to act as a sort of microphone, ensuring that people could voice their opinions. “‘I’ll give the conch to the next person… he can hold it when he’s speaking. And he won’t be interrupted’” (Golding 31). Its practical uses transcended into its figurative purposes, the conch becoming a symbol of society, rules, decorum and politeness. At the beginning, the shell appeals to everyone’s civilized instinct, even Jack’s. “Jack held out his hand for the conch… ‘We’ll have rules!’ he cried excitedly” (Golding 33). Golding sets this scene to show the initial domination of societal inclination. As time goes on and order falters, the conch remains a strong symbol of decorum and civility. “There was the sound of a brief tussle and the conch moved to and fro” (Golding 87). Golding paints this scene, creating juxtaposition, highlighting the contrast of savage and civil. Its message is clear – the primal instinct was strengthening and this tussle was a barbaric attempt to grasp onto order. The shell is used, like the fire, to express the complete domination of the primal instinct at the end of the book. At this point, Piggy and Ralph are attempting to reason with the tribe, trying to get Piggy’s glasses back. The tribe responds violently, sending a monstrous red rock towards the two. “Piggy stood, holding out the talisman, the fragile, shining, beauty of the shell… The rock struck… (and) the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (Golding 200). This symbolically heavy moment shows the annihilation of the civil, orderly instinct and the absolute supremacy of the barbaric urge. The shell contributes a realistic, haunting illustration of the theme, making the pain and the friction of the instinct war explicit to the readers.
The last object, the double-edged stick, is a powerful symbol that represents the savage instinct. This particular weapon appears late in the novel; in most of the book, the characters use single-pointed spears, mostly for hunting. Despite its primal purpose, the single-pointed spear was not a symbol for the barbaric – there was a sharp, violent end, but there was also a blunt, civil end. Golding uses the children’s choices of spear points to convey their dominant instinct. The sharp points are used for killing pigs, but the blunt, safer end is used in child-to-child confrontation, proving that the dominant instinct when facing each other is civil. Even when the long overdue confrontation between Jack and Ralph erupts, the kinder end makes its mark. “By common consent they were no longer daring the lethal points” (Golding 196). The single-pointed spears gave a choice to be civilized; these weapons represented instinct turmoil but no definite winner. However, the creation of the double-ended stick destroys the chance to be civil, and represents not turmoil, but a complete victory for the savage. These double-pointed sticks were, unlike the fire and the conch, champions of the primal instinct. The creation of this weapon demolishes the option to be logical and civil, as there is no longer a non-lethal, benign end. The stick’s symbolic message is clear – there is no option but to kill. The metaphorical meaning behind the weapon adds to the overall theme as it conveys the magnitude of the barbaric instinct’s domination.
The fire, the conch, and the double-edged stick all have different literal purposes. They range from signaling boats and summoning meetings, to hunting and killing. Despite their dissimilar practical uses, they are alike due to their metaphorical purposes. Golding uses these objects, again and again, as symbols to enhance and illustrate the theme of “instinct war”. The fire’s varying importance to the children runs parallel with their concern for civility. The state of the conch shell echoes the weakening instinct of society. The mere creation of the double-edged stick carves out an image of barbaric supremacy. These symbols add pain, experience and a haunting illustration to the theme – their contribution to Lord of the Flies is invaluable.
Works Cited
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1958. Print.
The Contribution of Symbols
The inner conflict of instincts, savage against civil, can be represented in unusual forms; indeed, in Golding’s Lord of the Flies, this inner conflict is represented with a fire, a conch shell and a double-edged stick. In this novel, a group of children are stranded on an island, creating a community and lifestyle of eating fruit, maintaining a signal fire and holding meetings. As time goes on, the fragile fabric of their society breaks down as the children become barbaric, irrational and violent. The underlining theme of the novel is the battle of urges, primal vs civil, which will be referred to as “the instinct war”. The aforementioned objects – the fire, the shell and the double-edged stick – contribute heavily to the theme as they play a role in illustrating it.
The fire has both a practical and metaphorical purpose, making it important to the story and to the theme. Its literal purpose is to act as a signal to passing ships, to get the boys rescued and returned to civilization. The figurative use of the fire is also related to civilization, acting as a symbol of society, a hope of retaining and returning to it. The fire’s metaphorical meaning contributes to the theme of “instinct war”, Golding using it to express the state of the inner-conflict battle at various points in the story. For example, at the beginning of the novel, when the dominant instinct was civility, the fire was a primary concern. “‘A fire! Make a fire!’ At once, half of the boys were on their feet” (Golding 37). Even Jack, the eventual symbol of the savage instinct, endorses the fire, volunteering his choir to watch over it. The fire is used once again to represent the state of the “instinct war” later on in the book, when barbarianism has a small but definite triumph. Golding conveys this victory by having Jack abandon the fire in favor of the primitive activity, hunting. The majority of the boys, with their pro-civil inclination, are upset. “You said you would keep the fire going and you let it out” (Golding 74). The neglected fire expresses that, although civility is still dominant at this stage, the barbaric instinct was stronger than before. At the end of the book, the fire is used to express the complete and undeniable victory of the savage instinct. By this point in the story, most of the children consider the fire to be fit for nothing more than cooking. “Look at that! Call that a signal fire? That’s a cooking fire” (Golding 197). No longer was it a symbol of hope, a return to order and civilization; now the fire had been demoted to its most primitive level, like the tribe that used it. Golding uses the fire to help the reader experience and understand the underlining theme of his novel.
Another symbol Golding uses to convey the theme is the creamy-white, delicate conch shell. This shell appears in the very beginning, and is used by Ralph to summon the children scattered across the island. Due to its impressive sound capabilities, the conch’s practical use was to call meetings. Its other literal purpose was to act as a sort of microphone, ensuring that people could voice their opinions. “‘I’ll give the conch to the next person… he can hold it when he’s speaking. And he won’t be interrupted’” (Golding 31). Its practical uses transcended into its figurative purposes, the conch becoming a symbol of society, rules, decorum and politeness. At the beginning, the shell appeals to everyone’s civilized instinct, even Jack’s. “Jack held out his hand for the conch… ‘We’ll have rules!’ he cried excitedly” (Golding 33). Golding sets this scene to show the initial domination of societal inclination. As time goes on and order falters, the conch remains a strong symbol of decorum and civility. “There was the sound of a brief tussle and the conch moved to and fro” (Golding 87). Golding paints this scene, creating juxtaposition, highlighting the contrast of savage and civil. Its message is clear – the primal instinct was strengthening and this tussle was a barbaric attempt to grasp onto order. The shell is used, like the fire, to express the complete domination of the primal instinct at the end of the book. At this point, Piggy and Ralph are attempting to reason with the tribe, trying to get Piggy’s glasses back. The tribe responds violently, sending a monstrous red rock towards the two. “Piggy stood, holding out the talisman, the fragile, shining, beauty of the shell… The rock struck… (and) the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (Golding 200). This symbolically heavy moment shows the annihilation of the civil, orderly instinct and the absolute supremacy of the barbaric urge. The shell contributes a realistic, haunting illustration of the theme, making the pain and the friction of the instinct war explicit to the readers.
The last object, the double-edged stick, is a powerful symbol that represents the savage instinct. This particular weapon appears late in the novel; in most of the book, the characters use single-pointed spears, mostly for hunting. Despite its primal purpose, the single-pointed spear was not a symbol for the barbaric – there was a sharp, violent end, but there was also a blunt, civil end. Golding uses the children’s choices of spear points to convey their dominant instinct. The sharp points are used for killing pigs, but the blunt, safer end is used in child-to-child confrontation, proving that the dominant instinct when facing each other is civil. Even when the long overdue confrontation between Jack and Ralph erupts, the kinder end makes its mark. “By common consent they were no longer daring the lethal points” (Golding 196). The single-pointed spears gave a choice to be civilized; these weapons represented instinct turmoil but no definite winner. However, the creation of the double-ended stick destroys the chance to be civil, and represents not turmoil, but a complete victory for the savage. These double-pointed sticks were, unlike the fire and the conch, champions of the primal instinct. The creation of this weapon demolishes the option to be logical and civil, as there is no longer a non-lethal, benign end. The stick’s symbolic message is clear – there is no option but to kill. The metaphorical meaning behind the weapon adds to the overall theme as it conveys the magnitude of the barbaric instinct’s domination.
The fire, the conch, and the double-edged stick all have different literal purposes. They range from signaling boats and summoning meetings, to hunting and killing. Despite their dissimilar practical uses, they are alike due to their metaphorical purposes. Golding uses these objects, again and again, as symbols to enhance and illustrate the theme of “instinct war”. The fire’s varying importance to the children runs parallel with their concern for civility. The state of the conch shell echoes the weakening instinct of society. The mere creation of the double-edged stick carves out an image of barbaric supremacy. These symbols add pain, experience and a haunting illustration to the theme – their contribution to Lord of the Flies is invaluable.
Works Cited
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1958. Print.