It is very hard to think and evaluate situations objectively for mankind who surrounded by relations, culture, nationality and history. Sometimes it is best to symbolize them to brake surrounding things. (Allegory)
While, the sentence “Western Countries know things. They ain't afraid of dark. They'd meet and have tea and discuss. Then things'ud be all right” could be irritable for many orientalist, it seems sensible with “Grownups” instead of “Western Countries”.
William Golding has used such symbols with great success in his novel. But, though Lord of the Flies has been listed among modern classics, it was not successful during 1955 with its less than 3000 sellings.
William Golding tells us a story which is about a group of children on an island without any grownups and with a little rescue hope. On the other hand he tells us a story of clashes, civilization vs. savages, logic vs. emotions, developed vs. undeveloped countries, intelligence vs. desire, scientific method vs. barbarism.
At the begining of the story, children assemble and choose a leader (Ralph) by voting. They continue to assemble in every day to decide duties, works and things. It is restricted to talk without a conch in their hands during assemblies. Their only hope is smoke which could be seen by a ship because of this they have to keep the fire continous. On the other hand it is hard to light fire since they have only Piggy's glasses, and it is harder to make it alive because it is required high diciplined people to feed it. However day by day things begin to change hard working, dicipline, scientific methods, planning, democratic assemblies leave their places to enjoyment, Daily hunting, barbarism, power, desire and one man authority.
Some symbols:
Conch: Democratic Freedom
Fire: Modernism
Smoke: Hope and rescue
Huts: Civilization
Glasses: Scientific Method
Ralph: Ralph is an idealist and a dreamer. He needs Piggy to think for him. He finds the Conch but Piggy tells him how to use it. At the end of the book, he is a disillusioned realist who now sees his world and its inhabitants for what they are.
Jack: He manages to get the support to do this by offering the boys the attraction of the hunting life and then by terrorising them. In the end he is the tyrannical leader of the community.
Jack is a spontaneous, unthinking person who wants instant gratification of his desires. He doesn't hypothesise (think through the possible results of his actions) and doesn't care 'what if?'. He is a ‘me first' person, as most of us are. He is amoral in that he recognises no morality except what he can enforce. He has no worries about ignoring such things such as 'rights' and 'justice'.
Piggy: He is overweight, a 'Fatty', asthmatic, cannot see without his glasses as he is short-sighted. He is an orphan who lived with his Auntie, a sweet shop owner, and is, from his language and manner, of a lower class than the rest. He is physically unattractive and wears a greasy windcheater.
However he is intelligent and thoughtful and is able to reason and hypothesise. He defends and looks after the little'uns. A wise counsellor, he supports Ralph's attempts at democratic, parliamentary rule. After increasingly finding himself at odds with Jack, a person he both instinctively loathes and fears, he is murdered by Roger, who drops a boulder onto him.
Piggy's role in the novel seems to be heavily symbolic. As the only boy wearing glasses he has the means to light a fire. He also seems to represent the quality of reason among the boys and his gradual loss of sight, cracked lens and glasses finally stolen, and loss of influence which culminates in his death, shows the gradual degeneration of the boys. He refuses to accept the existence of a beast, as it is unscientific. For this same reason he finds Simon very strange.
Simon: He is a dark, mystical boy who the others find 'odd'. He is small, thin, with a pointed chin and very bright eyes. He has long coarse black hair over a low, broad forehead. He goes barefoot. An original member of the choir (hunters), he will be killed by boys led by the choir (hunters). He is very helpful and co-operative and the only boy to help Ralph build the shelters.
He is one of the three boys, with Jack and Ralph, who first explore the island. He suffers from hallucinatory fainting fits(epilepsy?) and goes off alone when they happen. He appears to be capable of prophecy, and is the only boy who is totally unafraid of the beast.
He will ultimately be a ‘scapegoat' who, at the point of telling the boys that the beast that they have seen is in fact, a dead parachutist, is killed by his ‘school friends' during a dancing frenzy.
Simon has a high level of intuitive intelligence and this allows him to be exceptionally brave, as shown by his willingness to confront the beast. He is a fearless seeker after truth. From all this are we meant to see him as a Jesus figure?
Sam & Eric: Since the twins serve as muscle, as strength to be harnessed, they represent the unthinking masses of the people. These masses are peaceable, likeable and good- natured. They elect leaders like Ralph, but they lack morals and understanding of the meaning of events, and so they are easily swayed and persuaded to serve a new leader that comes along.
Beast: It is evolved from choir to snake, snake to beast from air, beast from air to water and finally savage tribe.
Grownups: Developed countries
Littluns: the weak members of society that a successful democracy strives to protect. They are essentially the followers of society that do not speak out or question authority.
Biguns: Government, aristocracy.
