Thinking Aloud: Lord of the Flies

Thursday December 14, 2006 in books read 2006 |

  • Since picking up William Golding’s Lord of the Flies I’ve been looking for symbolism in the novel. This dates back to my subjection to The Spire as as A level English student. According to my Golding-mad teacher, everything in that book was symbolic. So with Lord of the Flies I’m thinking about the meaning of the boys and their roles, the island, the fire, the wild pigs. Even the palm trees on the island caught my attention. Golding describes them as growing to a certain height and then falling to the ground, the sand unable to support them any more. Something to do with the future of the shipwrecked boys?
  • I’m already worried about Piggy. If first impressions really count, he’s doomed right from the start. Unjustly given a name he will never shake off in the first few pages, this boy only appears useful for the strong lenses in his glasses used to relight the fire on the mountain when it burns out. If natural selection plays its part, this boy isn’t going to get out of there alive.

I knew a boy at school who was called pig after he was caught eating someone else’s food and he never managed to throw off the nickname. Neither did another mutual acquaintance ‘matress man’ but that’s a story for another time…

simon    Thursday December 14, 2006   

I remember reading this several times as a teenager. It’s one of my all-time favorite books. I’m tempted to play lit-professor when it comes to this book and its symbolism, but I’ll refrain and just wish you happy reading.

Brandon    Thursday December 14, 2006   

I just read this and I agree, everyone and everything in this book is a symbol. For example, Simon symbolizes God and Piggy symbolizes intellegence. Also, the platform and conch symbolize authority, and the forest and mountain symbolize the unknown.

Ann    Thursday May 17, 2007   

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