Lord of the Flies

Every element of Lord of the Flies is subject to the book's search of certain philosophical conflicts. Lord of the Flies dramatizes fundamental human struggles of life while going on pure instincts. Through the use of the straightforward and simple plot of this novel, the author William Golding revels this theme.





In Lord of the Flies, many key characters and symbols represent the almost civilized impulse. Some examples are Ralph, Piggy, and the ‘conch shell’ the boys use to call meetings. These are signs of order and control in a place full of fear and mental pressure. Simon is an example of how humans slowly evolve and adjust in their surroundings because he takes control of the situation. Simon acts morally on the island, he behaves kindly to the younger children, and he is the first to realize the problem posed by the beast and the Lord of the Flies. The problem that there is no external monster, but rather that a monster lurks within each human being.





The novel also signifies another human instinct, savagery. Shown by reading further into the tribal hunting dance or   the actions of Jack and Roger. There seemed to also be a moral conflict between the two boys, Jack and Roger, in that they seemed to go back and forth crossing the line of being civilized to savagery. The climax of hateful scenes for the novel was shown to me by the beheading to the sow’s head, but the brutal murder of Simon by the other boys near the end of the book indicates the scarcity of essential human goodness.





The one complicating element in the novel is the character of Simon. Piggy characterizes the scientific, intellectual, and moral aspects of human dignity. Simon seems to represent a kind of natural, spiritual human goodness. The other characters in the novel leave moral behavior as soon as things start to get out of control. Simon’s murder puzzles most people in the overwhelming abundance of evil put against the only moral...