Year 10 Gents,
Apologies for the delay, went to Julian's book launch - what a fine achievement for a fine young man.
The question from class today is as follows.
How does the context of Golding's life lay the platform for his choice of setting? Additionally, how does his use of symbolism exacerbate the comments he makes about the human condition?
I'll give you some class time to complete this and I'll have a go at doing it with you.
M
Example Response: (Yours will need to be more detailed AND include quotes)
ReplyDeleteIt can certainly be seen that Golding's background and life experiences have moulded the text 'Lord of the Flies'. Having lived through the life-altering events such as World War II and the Great Depression, Golding certainly understood the depravity of which mankind was capable. This is reflected in his choice of setting for his allegorical novel.
Far from being set in a destroyed city of the post WWII world, LOTF is set on an idyllic island, complete with perfect beaches being caressed by azure waters and lush tropical foliage. This utopian setting frames the novel and, as the story of the boys progresses, we find that as they descend into anarchy, so too does the island become "scarred". In doing so, Golding is making the comment - and a rather negative one at that - that humanity, complete with its propensity for evil and barbarous acts, can destroy the perfect world we inhabit.
However, it is his use of symbolism in the novel that truly bring to the fore his comments about the human condition. He certainly accepts that we humans have sound intentions, symbolised by the enigmatic and moral Ralph. Ralph attempts to continue civility on the island, by introducing the conch as a measure to and symbol of order and protocol. However, with his use of fire and the cracking of Piggy's glasses, Golding again suggests that we all have within us the innate ability - if not desire - for disruption and a rejection of knowledge, in favour of damage, disorder and tyranny.
William Golding was born just prior to the First World War in 1911. After war broke out in 1914, children were ever vigilant of the war and took on their patriotic perspectives of the war from an early age, as did every man and woman. He was much the same as any other scholar that lived in England at the time. He would work in theatres and places alike while he would study, but to attend a university such as Oxford during the depression is a clear sign that he had access to high level funding (expectedly from his parents) and thus had a very sheltered childhood. But once he aged and joined the English Naval Forces in 1939 for World War II, he really took perspective on life and what is known as the ‘human condition’.
ReplyDeleteThe human condition encompasses the experience of being human in; social, cultural, spiritual and personal context in which ancient, unchangeable aspects loom. When Golding heard stories and saw first hand that men had been compelled to do inapprehensible tasks by their superiors, and then evidently forced to do so through human nature and their will to survive, he saw the dark, soulless side of human beings. To quote Karl Marx; “It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness.” Not from the text, but none the less sums up and evaluates almost entirely what Lord Of The Flies is about. It means that humans act similarly to the people around them in contrast with their surroundings and conditions (their social being). To link this to the text; once the boys arrive on the island they act as they would in England, but as time progresses their behavior begins to change, person by person until they all reach a point of complete anarchy based on the situation, being complete dismay, put in front of them. Take Jack for instance, he is the first to turn from school boy to savage, and in doing so he takes along with him the choir boys who then become ‘the hunters’. Against what people like to think, we are all savages. We are designed to survive at all costs and adapt to the situation to advance your stay, and only yours. We are originally nomadic people who loaned, hunted, killed and fought with one and other. That has not changed in thousands of years. Wars to this day are still raging and humans are killing more humans for next to no reason. The boys stranded on the island are no different to any other people. Put in the situation, every human being would do the exact same to lengthen their existence at all costs, and that is the ghastly part of the human condition, we cannot control ourselves when faced with danger, death and lack of law.
It is quite clear to see basic links from the First and Second World War. The first indicator is the fact that their plane was shot down by enemy planes. But as it progresses you see the once peaceful groups (the hunters against Ralph, Piggy, the twins and the litluns) are torn apart through the unwanted control of them (linking to the treaty of Versailles controlling Germany and enforcing appeasement). But when the hunters decide to leave the leadership of Ralph and his laws (as Germany abandoned the treaty of Versailles) the groups were split from each other. Then later in the novel, the hunters steal Piggy’s glasses that are, for Ralph more a sign for hope, a necessity for life and prosperity (exactly how Germany felt towards the fertile grasslands in France that they quickly seized). This also did not cause any fighting between the two, initially, but they delve into more political, peaceful methods of retrieving what the hunters took (just as the United Kingdom did), but as they refused, fighting started and evidently killing Piggy (just as World War Two was declared when Germany refused to listen to peace talks and continued to seize land, forcing England to declare war).
ReplyDeletePossibly the most important and most well confronting quote from the text, (also being the prime example of symbolism in the text) is when the ‘Lord of The Flies’ talks to Simon. To quote; “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast… Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill…! You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are the way they are?” This is William Golding finally addressing the human condition after hinting to our flaws for the majority of the novel. These few sentences are indicating that the ‘beast’ that was so feared and despised, keeping all the boys up at night grasping weapons, was the demons forever at home inside of them, all of them. Through the relentless killing that quickly follows, this point if further exclaimed and the almost instantaneous death of the only child to come to the realization of what was quite rapidly emerging now unbothered, from the others. That being the heinous now, noticeable evil side of them all which is ever present since they were born but went unnoticed.
As discussed, Duff Beer, an excellent - truly excellent - answer.
DeleteYou've grasped the concept of both questions and cleverly used history to show Golding's true motives in the allegorical novel.
Great start to the year.
Throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding's own life experiences are reflected and lay the foundations of the story itself. Having lived through life altering events such as the Second World War and the Great Depression, the huge affects such events had on Golding's life are demonstrated in the story, and more specifically in its setting.
ReplyDeleteThe novel starts off in a paradise, an idyllic island untouched by mankind. This perfect utopia, originally 'unscarred' gradually becomes tainted throughout the course of the story. As soon as the plane crashes onto the island it’s identified as out of place, "all round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat." The crashed plane, or "scar" as it is labeled, is an indication of how mankind can so easily tarnish this perceived perfect world. Golding, having witnessed first hand the devastation of the War and the Depression, hints at the idea of how evil and destructive humanity can be, and its damaging effects. Symbolism is also used to further explore this idea.
Golding uses symbolism to show the movement from order to chaos. The symbolism
used in the novel supports Golding's negative view of human nature. The authors view on human nature are explored through the two main symbols that foreshadow the events to happen on the island; the glasses, and the conch. Golding uses the glasses as a symbol of intelligence and common sense - qualities possessed by any civilised being that lives in a society bound by law and order. The glasses belong to Piggy to create the image of an intelligent, adult-like figure with a great ability to rationalise and analyse conflicts on the island. As the glasses are the only manmade object on the island, a symbol of intelligence is demonstrated through the technology to make such an object. Because the boys continuously ignore and exclude Piggy from daily activities, they are also removing the rational thought to which they are accustomed to back in real life.
Good start...maybe needed a little more on the setting but it's fine for now.
DeleteRead on...
As the story goes on, the glasses begin to deteriorate. Throughout the novel, the specs become soiled with dirt, or the sins and extremities of the boys. Piggy often finds himself "taking off his glasses and wiping them," attempting to remove the blur of sins from their falling society. Evidently, the specs are frequently used for the wrong purpose. The boys use them to start the fire on top of Castle Rock, ironically, the item which symbolizes intelligence and reason is the object which starts the decent into savagery, proving Golding's theory that savagery is more powerful than reason. The savage boys are beginning an inescapable decent into anarchy and evil by the slow deterioration of the glasses. As Piggy`s vision begins to diminish and he becomes literally blind, the boys are metaphorically blinded to reason, common sense, and rationality. Through using the glasses as symbol for real life, Golding emphasizes this idea that savagery is far more powerful than reason.
ReplyDeleteGolding also uses the conch to illustrate his views of human nature, as it represents authority, order and respect. Golding shows the conch as a symbol of democracy through the rules made by the boys. "We'll have rules", ones, which must be continuously followed, even though they will continue having fun. The rules are made in the form of laws, and as a result, the conch is used as a symbol of authority just like in a structured civilization where rules and laws are respected and enforced by authority. The conch also allows the boys to make democratic decisions by "having a vote" for a leader. However, the power of the conch slowly diminishes through the course of the novel. The respect for the conch is exhibited by the laws and rules fabricated by the boys. Whenever one boy wants to speak at an assembly, "he won't be interrupted" when holding the conch. However, as the boys begin their decent into savagery, respect for the conch disappears. The loss of respect for the conch shows the movement from order to chaos, and just as the glasses also show the decline of civility, Golding's idea that savagery is more powerful than reason is explored.
Brilliant analysis, HC.
DeleteYou've certainly got a wonderful phraseology to your writing and this will endear you to markers in the future.
Your level of vocabulary is also solid, this is a good thing.
Again, well done on the glasses and the conch - cogent ideas, fruitfully expressed.
ReplyDeleteGolding lived through some of the toughest years in the history of mankind. He bared witness to the bitterness of an economic depression and the inexplicable horrors of the Second World War. In his mind we can only speculate that he saw the natural beauty of his world being torn apart, solely by humans lust for power and the will to dominate. Something he realized lay in the heart of all humans, he maybe felt in his own heart, possibly when he served as a naval officer. His choice of setting reflects his idea that humans can never exist in a peaceful manner; no matter how tranquil and pulchritudinous the setting is, because in the end wherever humans exist, no beauty will ever overpower the depravity and baseness of our true nature.
The use of symbols is the most important aspect of the novel. Each symbol represents an aspect of human nature and this allows for greater depth within the novel, it allows us to explore different parts of our nature individually, giving life to different parts of our heart. Making it easier comprehend the true nature of Golding’s comments on the human condition.
An example of one of these symbols is the use of the face paint by the boys. The face paint marks the boys decent into barbarity. As they apply the face paint they become one. Losing that which makes them human, their individuality, the ability to question and reason, they lose all emotion considered human. They resign themselves to their true nature of savagery. Something I think Golding thought lay in all of us, he felt we where all capable of resorting back to our animalistic roots, that maybe we felt more comfortable in a pack than on our own. Golding illustrates this when he comments, “ They understood only too well the liberation into savagery, the concealing the paint brought”.
The breaking of Piggy’s glasses is an important symbol as well. At the start they symbolize hope, intelligence and power. The glasses start the fire giving the boys hope but also a sense of power and they allow Piggy to function (he is the voice of reason and civility). When the glasses are broken the boys lose the part of them that kept them chained to any semblance of a civilized human. Without Piggy’s voice they are free to do as they please and forget any remnants of sense or humanity that remains inside their hearts. The breaking of the glasses also symbolizes how we find it difficult to accept what we need, rather than what we want. Deep down the boys knew that Piggy was right in what he said, but they could never accept it. Golding is trying to say that even with vast wealth’s of knowledge and intelligence we may never be able to overcome our human nature.
However I don’t think Golding is completely in despair of human nature. There are elements of hope throughout the novel, such as Simon, that for a time the boys existed peacefully together and also the fact that they where rescued from themselves at the end of the novel. I think Golding had mixed emotions about human nature. There is a quote that shows how he may have possibly felt. “He who despairs of the human condition is a coward, but he who has hope for it is a fool.” – Albert Camus.
Outstanding stuff, Rhys.
ReplyDeleteI especially like your comment about him not being in complete despair - I agree with you.
And Albert Camus writes wonderful short stories - get a hold of a couple if you can, I think you might like them
Question: How does the context of Golding's life lay the platform for his choice of setting? Additionally, how does his use of symbolism exacerbate the comments he makes about the human condition?
ReplyDeleteGolding, the author of “Lord of the Flies”, was a man who had seen the darkest and worst horrors in humanity. His experiences about the world at the time shaped his novel drastically, from his time as a student at oxford, to living through the Great Depression and World War 2. Golding was definitely aware on the polar opposites of humanity, and he allowed the depravity and euphoria of life to show during his novels.
Golding survived one of the darkest times in human history, the Second World War. This is the time period in which he set his novel, in which the survivors plane had been shot by fighting on the ground. In the war, Golding had seen the horrors of humanity, and the negativity pervading an unknown concept, which in the book is rescue, in the war was peace. Each one of Golding’s characters represent a portion of humanity, their positives and their negatives, an example of this Piggy represented the smart, abused scientific population, while Ralph represented something of a government, of discussion and working for the betterment of the tribe (which represented humanity). Indeed, when the tribe reject Ralph’s standing as their leader, so too do they reject the idea of sticking to cultural rules and of accepting that their society needs order; they appear to be spiraling downwards into a maelstrom from which – as Golding suggests – they will not be able to climb out of.
In his novel, he uses physical symbols to represent his ideas, and his comments about the human condition, which is hardwired into all human beings e.g. The conch represents law and order, but the masks represent hiding of a persons nature, the glasses represent freedom and knowledge and the lord of the flies represents the bestial nature of humanity. Simon, when he was in a trace, spoke to the Lord of the Flies, and it said to him was “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the beast…”, the beasts words confirm the fact that there was no apparent rescue, in the literal and metaphorical sense.
In his life Golding had seen perfectly civilized, optimistic men, ground down and broken until nothing remained, and this was his chosen setting for the book. An island that had been ground down by the fighting of two ‘tribes’ of boys, them as isolated as mentally, soldiers in the war. The two tribes of boys represent the two side of humanity, and in the process lose their innocence, like the pristine island. There is a comparison between the force of evil made in the book, and this was the one of Jack and Roger (Jacks second in command). Jack, while appearing evil, was actually good to begin with, and only turned evil as he let his morals slip, however Roger seemed to be evil from the beginning, and only getting worse, in the end, seemingly unable to comprehend the difference between good and evil. In the end, its Roger who kills Piggy with the boulder. Ralphs actions at the end of the book sum up the key points of the novel, he “wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of a man’s heart”.
It was, in the beginning, the accidental fire that scared the landscape, however in the end it was the intentional fire to flush out Ralph which destroyed the landscape. Ironically, it was this last fire which returned the boys to humanity, not the controlled fire that Ralph had planned but rather the ill thought out destruction of the island.
By finding out a little bit about William Golding, you can certainly see that Golding’s experiences and the things which he has seen has moulded the text “Lord of the Flies”. Golding lived through some of the most horrifying and traumatic experiences of the 20th century. He had to endure the Great Depression and at the outbreak of World War II in 1939, he joined the Royal Navy and served on many ships. Golding admitted, that his war time experiences shocked him and that he was exposed for the first time to the depravity of which mankind is capable of. This is greatly reflected in his choice of setting for his allegorical novel.
ReplyDelete“Lord of the Flies” is set on an island which seems like Elysium to the young boys at first. Its the young boys dream. Being stuck on an island, with beautiful beaches, food, crystal clear water and no adults which means no rules or supervision. They can do whatever they want! “looking at the dazzling beach and the water.” But as the novel progresses, we read about the boy’s descent into darkness and savagery where they make the rules. The dramatic way it depicts the descent of the boys from the taste of happiness and grace into one of frightful barbarity. The island is apart of this as the boys become more and more dangerous, the island itself starts to suffer the consequences and becomes ‘scarred’. “and smashed a deep hole in the canopy of the forest.” The boys are carefree and careless, they have a natural urge to destroy things and in this novel, the things which get destroyed are: the island and the rules which connect them to civilisation.
Golding uses symbolism to exacerbate the comments he makes about the human condition much later on in the novel. Golding experienced first hand about how the people around him went crazy due to The Great Depression and in World War II. He was acutely aware of how cruel people can be towards each other which is why he set his novel in the aftermath of a nuclear war. He knows that people can go absolutely mad and break all the rules in society. However, he still accepts that people can have good intentions, which is symbolised by Ralph. Ralph is one of the few people who attempts to keep civility alive on the island. This works at the beginning with the conch as it brings them all together and represents order and protocol. “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.” At first they are just school boys and are still young and inexperienced when they first land on the island. “Because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood.” They are scared at the thought that they have to kill to survive. Ralph struggles to keep them all civilised by using the conch when all they want to do is break the rules. When Jack breaks the conch, “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.” all the rules and laws which Ralph had attempted to keep alive fell apart. They ‘ceased to exist’ just like the conch. Piggy is killed which would break a law in a country but now that the conch was broken, the laws don’t exist and Jack claims he is chief and starts to attack the last connection the island has to the real world, Ralph.
Golding had seen how quickly men before his eyes can lose everything, destroy everything around them and become nothing. He chose this as his setting for the novel “Lord of the Flies”. The two sides of the island which are each ruled by different people with different views, Jack and Ralph, are symbols of the two sides of humanity. One which will do anything for power and anarchy like most of the people in the Great Depression, and the other side which does its best to remain civilised with order and rules in a time of desperation and lawlessness like some people in the Great Depression who weren’t so badly affected by it. We see the contrast between order and anarchy on the island when Jack and his hunters run out, naked and painted, compared to Ralph and Piggy who are dressed in their school uniform and talking civilised. “The forest near them burst into uproar. Demonic figures with faces of white and red and green rushed out howling…stark naked save for paint and a belt, was Jack.” Jack and his hunters put on face paint so that it obscures their facial features and it represents how much the boys have lost their identity. Jack wouldn’t of done these things if he didn’t have the paint on.
ReplyDeleteThe symbolism in the novel which Golding has used helps to exacerbate his views on the human condition. The glasses symbolise intelligence, common sense and civility, all of which are qualities possessed by any civilised person in a society with rules which are enforced. Piggy holds the glasses because it makes him look like an adult figure on the island, he also talks and makes comments about things which only adults would say. Piggy is the voice of reason and civility.The glasses are the only manmade thing on the island which represents hope and intelligence. But when the glasses are broken, just like the conch, the boys lose the part of them that connected them to the outside world with order and reason. All of the boys on the island knew that Piggy was always right in what he was saying, but they couldn’t accept it because they wanted to roam free and do whatever they wanted. I think that Golding is trying to say that sometimes, we can not overcome our human nature. It takes control over us and makes us do things which we regret. It could be said to be the beast on the island, as when Simon is talking to the “Lord of the Flies”, “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast. . . . Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! . . . You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are the way they are?” The beast is apart of all of us and sometimes we can’t fight it, it wins, the beast is a symbol of human nature.
Golding’s portrayal of his island is symbolic of his ideal utopia. The island being represented as an almost quintessential land of lush tropical foliage and an abundance of unscathed unrefined fauna. His symbolic reference to the island as earth, perfectly fine without humanity, is well highlighted throughout the first part of the book. The destruction of the island is an allegorical reference to how the destruction of the world was brought on by human nature. A man made fire is the final cause for the islands ultimate demise. Just like the war, which he experienced as a young man, destroyed the world as well as his perception of human nature. I feel that Golding is trying to show how his world, the world he grew up with used to be beautiful. The fire is representative of the war going on during his childhood and how there was a beautiful land before humans came and destroyed it.
ReplyDeleteThe destruction of Piggy’s glasses is an important allegory in the book. Without them, Piggy is blind, and without sight and on an island where knowledge has no refuge, he is left disabled. His glasses, which is the last reminiscent object from the outside world. With it, knowledge and intelligence are associated as well as the ability to create fire for themselves. When Piggy’s glasses are taken from him, he and Jack are left without any means of survival. Matthew Golding grew up in a wealthy family and studied at Oxford University. Education and knowledge were a large part of his life so for Piggy to have his glasses taken from him, maybe Golding felt at one stage in life that the knowledge that was commonly shared throughout humans had been taken by the savagery of the war.
The conch is crucial factor of the novels clockworks. From the very first time we meet the characters in the book, the conch is a symbol of power. For whoever holds the conch, also holds the right to speak, and with it can effectively govern what happens. The conch wasn’t only just a symbol of power, but it also allowed for a legitimate means of more political meetings. It was blown to hold an assembly, and was held by the orator. With the conch came a civilized means of communication. As the novel progresses, the conch’s power and effects started to wear off. Golding was trying to show how as the people in the island or world begin to lose control of civilization and who is in power, savagery and barbaric ways begin to take control. This is especially re-iterated when Ralph attempts to blow the conch at Castle Rock and end up with a rock crushing it, “There isn’t a tribe for you anymore! The conch is gone”. The conch was the last form of law and civilization and by Golding deciding for it to be broken, he is showing us how in war, there is no set of rules that are followed.
William Golding grew up in a wealthy family. Just a year after the Great Depression began, in 1930, Golding went to Oxford. Oxford University was only for the well-off people of that time. In 1940, having joined the Navy, he experienced the atrocity of war. He helped to sink the German battle ship “Bismarck”. He wasn’t as accustomed to war as other people.
He clearly had a different perspective of the world before and after the world. This is evident when we look at the island and the way it is destroyed.
You've grasped the concept of both questions and cleverly used history to show Golding's true motives in the allegorical novel.
DeleteGreat start to the year.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Golding admitted that it was his wartime experiences revealed the depravity on which mankind was capable of. The choice of Golding’s setting can be linked back to his own personal life, at a young age Golding lived a sheltered life in a wealthy family, attending well off schools and universities such as oxford, which is linked, to the ‘Shangri-La’ idea presented in the beginning of the novel. However his wartime involvements and the events that took place during WW2, which may have only be explained by Golding himself, shaped the savagery displayed In the novel Heightened in the moments where fire spread ultimately demolishing through the island (Represents a similarity to the effects humans had on the land during the war).
Golding explores a re-occurring theme of human instincts as through the setting creates true identities to surface and ultimately follows with a decent in to savagery. Ralphs hair is a symbol for his growing Savagery. Golding in the First page high lightens the importance of his hair by describing him as ‘the fair boy,’ where as later in the novel described as being ‘swarthy.’ Thus giving the audience a re-occurring idea of the hair being a symbol of civil to savagery. The length of Ralph’s hair also gives an idea of the period of time the boys have been on the island. Although Ralph is conscious of his hair and his appearance making him look savage like, he is helpless much like his situation on the island. However Golding indicates that piggy’s hair doesn’t seem to grow displaying Piggy’s civilized nature.
Clothing is also depicted in Lord of The Flies as a symbol of the decent into savagery. In the commencement of the novel clothes symbolize order, and society that ultimately becomes extinct. “The boys wore shorts shirts and different garments; but each boy wore a square black cap with a silver badge on it.” The distinctively unique uniforms paint the boys to be innocent ‘angelic’. This is a Paradox as later it is seen that the boys true identities emphasized by their will to survive are in fact fiendish. Golding presents this as a symbol with the condition of the boy’s clothes nearing the end of the novel. For instance “Except for his tattered shorts held up by his knife belt, he was naked.” Taken from when Jack was hunting it presents him as uncivilized as it is abnormal nowadays to be dressed that way.
The Imaginary beast stands for human instincts as Golding expresses the point that a beast exists within all human beings. Simon and his representation through the book as ‘holy’ and often compared to a Jesus Christ like Character reaches the realization that intact “We are the beast.” Golding presents the symbol of the beastie as a Biblical parable teaching the audience that there is a beast within everyone. The rest of the tribe, emphasizing the ‘beast of humanity’ kills Simon becoming beasts themselves, similarly Golding gives the audience a comparison to Jesus Christ as he was also killed in result of humans beast like instincts.
The strong belief in the beast makes it possible for jack to extend his power by promising to kill the beastie. This displays his intentions to run the island based on cruelty and strength and symbolizes ‘military style government.’
Golding uses the material symbol of the conch (found by Piggy and Ralph) immediately becomes a symbol for democracy, order, free speech Justice and equality. "Ralph smiled and held up the conch for silence," And “I have the conch it is my turn to speak,” both highlight a sense of a well run and civilized group, however ultimately human instincts lead to the destruction of the conch. Even If the Conch wasn’t physically broken down it was metaphorically destroyed as the boys had become inhumane and uncivilized and believe they were bigger then the conch. This can relate to society with members of the global community resorting to being criminals or not following laws/ rules.
You've really grasped the concept of the symbolism that golding is using to exacerbate the human condition.
DeleteIt is beyond doubt that Golding’s life experiences have laid the platform for his choice of setting. Golding’s exposure to the horrors of World War 2, has influenced him to express the sinister being within mankind. His negative view of human kind has been conveyed through an allegorical novel, that is “The lord of the flies,” which reflects the diabolical behavior of which mankind is intrinsic to.
ReplyDelete‘The lord of the flies’ is written in a utopian setting, which contrasts the apocalyptic format of World War 2. However as the story progresses we see that the boys subside into primal living. This is as a result of the insurrection of Jack, incineration of the island and the savage slaughter of Simon. Not only do the boys dismiss the only civility of the island, they destroy the purity and bliss of the island. By doing this, Golding demonstrates that the inner-evil of mankind will prevail always over the good, leading to the self-destruction of civilization and order.
Golding uses a variety of symbols to illustrate the vindictive characteristics of the human condition. The conch, which is the first major symbol that the audience is introduced to, is used to call the boys to a meeting. Whilst there, no one interrupt sthe speech of the boy who is holding the conch, through this we see that it represents society’s rules, politics and speech. However when the conch is broken, Jack’s sudden outburst of revolt and his true desire for power is revealed, this demonstrates that the conch alone, bounds the order and civility of the boys. Another symbol that elucidates the necessity of knowledge, are piggy’s glasses. These glasses are representative of technology, sight and knowledge, all of which are an essential requirement for the boys’ survival. Not only do these glasses give them fire, they give Piggy a sense of purpose. Although Piggy is often neglected, he is the backbone of their civility. Law and order was made fundamental by Piggy, who know that civilization requires it to keep functioning as a unit. Considering this, the audience is now mindful of the fact that, the destruction of the glasses not only renders Piggy useless, it also symbolizes that they have no lost contact with their morals and civility. However, the main idea that Golding tries to portray is that, if children are capable of such bloodlust and monstrous barbarity, what kind of extirpative scene would be unleashed upon the world if adults were exposed to such conditions as these? (WW2)
William Golding lived through the Great Depression and World War II, and this has helped him to write ‘Lord of the Flies.’ His life has been forever altered from the events he lived through, and this help him write about the evil side of man, and their ability of destruction, harm and wickedness to their environment and their fellow man. Golding joined the Royal Navy in 1939 and on the battle ships he has seen first hand, the malevolent behavior and desires of man, which is very different from his previous peaceful, educated life. He knows that violence and hatred is unavoidable when it comes to mankind, and he shows this in his novel.
ReplyDelete“Lord of the Flies” is set in paradise, filled with lush forest, beautiful beaches and towering mountains. This is the start and set of the book, symbolizing the perfect world, not yet affected by mankind. As soon as the boys arrive at the island, mankind already makes it’s savage mark on the island, “scarring the forest” with the plane as it crashes. Golding symbolizes a lot through objects of the island, and what the boys have on them. The conch for example, signifies society, order and leadership. This is the good side of mankind, who are intent on civilized, orderly life. The conch helps to establish rules, and in order, the boys society and leadership. The glasses too are a fantastic example of symbolism, epitomizing the connection to their old world and being their connection to technology. The glasses are almost like a gift from the old world, to help them in this new one, to make fire’s to cook their food, warm them up and signal ships, and to give Piggy sight. When Jack nearly breaks Piggy’s glasses, he almost destroys their connection to the old world.
Ralph’s “human condition” deteriorates the longer he is on the island. This is shown through his hair, growing long and becoming dirtier the longer he is on the island. With his hair growing, so are the violent and fiendish desires of the group of boys, the longer they are on the island. Ralph loses his privilege of having his hair cut and this conveys how he can’t cut back his hair, just like the urges of the evil sides of the boys can’t be tamed, as long as they are on the island. The clothes are another example of the human condition. The novel starts off with all the boys happy, and all wearing their clothes, mainly to avoid getting sunburnt. Eventually, they all end up wearing loin clothes, as their bodies adapt to their new surrounding. As a result, their human condition deteriorates as they discard their clothes, and start to accept the island. This starts their descent into savagery.
The Beastie is one of the biggest symbolic figures of the human condition. Simon figured out early on in the novel, that the Beast isn’t a literal beast, “of teeth and claws”, but is in fact them, the darkness in all of them that is taking over and bring out the malicious intents in all of them. He knows that you can’t hunt the beast, as you can’t hunt yourself. The beast shows the ability to harm, to make others suffer and to cause destruction. Jack’s group of hunters help to reinforce the this point Golding is making, by showing the savage abilities of the boys and how they use, and often abuse, this power. When Jack is hunting the pigs with his group of choirboys, he spots a sow. Jack knows the power he has over life and death, and he knows he shouldn’t kill the sow, as the sow will make more pigs. However, he and the others enjoy the power they have over the animals, and abuse it by brutally killing the piglet’s mother. Its become more then just meat, it’s becomes a power object.
Just like the fire that the boys make, capable of both good and evil, the boys realize that they are capable of both as well. The island brings out the true them, and each one discovers more about themselves. This I think, is one of the major points Golding make about mankind, our ability of good and evil.
I need to fix my first paragraph
DeleteIt is evident that in the novel, “Lord Of the Flies”, Golding has written it in mind of his background and his past experiences that has moulded the context of the book. Having lived through the Great Depression and World War II, which altered his view on the human condition.
ReplyDeleteBeing set on a extravagant, lush tropical island, juxtaposes the fact that he lived through one of the worst events in man kind history. The boys that have landed on the island, that have started to become rebellious, uncivilised and savagery, so does the island become scarred and torn. The fact that Golding has chose to set the book on an idyllic island, with boys who have quickly slipped into anarchy and changed the whole idea of the island, which represents the way the world has turned out. The world used to be a luxurious haven, ideal for every life form, but because the Human Condition has the greed and corruption aspects of themselves, which has evidently “scarred” and almost destroyed the world we live in.
There are a number of different items that have different meanings, and symbolises different aspects of Golding’s life and the life of the boys on the island. Even though the boys seemed to be stranded on a desert island, there a certain items they have and use to civilise themselves that also gives them a sense of independence, knowing that they can survive by themselves. An example of this would be Piggy’s glasses. They use Piggy’s glasses to start a fire to be able to keep warm, cook food and signal any planes or ships that pass by. The glasses also symbolise knowledge and sight. The sight aspect is to do with the fact that without sight and the knowledge to see, you won’t be able to use the simplicity of the island to survive. The conch is also a symbol of civilisation, but also a symbol of their life before, Law and Order and the rules and structure that was prominent back home. Golding’s idea of the human condition conjoined with his idea of the world is represented with his idea of the conch. The conch, which is used to call meetings and to a symbol of free speech but as the story goes on the boys have imposed the “rules of the conch”, and metaphorically destroy it. Just like in the real world, people always overrule the law and misuse their power.
The main point of the novel is the recurring motif of the human condition destroying a perfect world. The most important and most confronting quote from the novel, is when the “Lord of the Flies” talks to Simon and exclaims, “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast… Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill..! You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are the way they are?”. Thus explaining the evils inside of all us which is evident in the human condition.
After reading Lord of Flies it is feasible to see William Golding ‘experience from past being conveyed into the novel. As Golding served In the War II in 1939 we as audience know the experiences that he has been through and what shocking images he had seen during his life time. Due to all his experience it is fairly understandable of his choice of setting being the island in his fictional novel.
ReplyDeleteAs World War II and the depression destroyed many lives around the world, Lord of the flies is set in a lonely island with very few inhabitants. The island is filled with pristine water life and living beasts such as pigs. Whilst the boys are starting to settle in the island they release that they are on the own, which results in anarchy and confusion, “We shan’t see around this corner, because there isn’t one”. It is this anarchy, which results in the island being “Scarred” and the lack of intellectuals from each character, which breaks evilness and exceedingly measures.
Golding’s use of symbolism is what truly brings out the point he makes about ‘Human Conditions.’ When the boys are terrified and unsure of survival, it is Ralph that comes up with the idea of Piggy’s glasses to make the fire. As Piggy is the most intelligent amongst the whole, his glasses symbolize the power of science and the intellectual endeavor and freedom in the society. However, when the savageness and evilness is brought into Jack and his tribe, it leaves piggy and Ralph helpless and diffident. Golding’s idea behind piggy’s intelligence and his glasses was to share that without intelligence and knowledge we many never able to overcome our human natures.
The signal fire is also another symbolism used by Golding, which gives hope and faith of survival and rescue for the group. At first the fire was used as a signal for any passing ships and or airplanes. As a result, the signal fire becomes a snag as the boys lose connection with civilization. By doing this we as audiences can see that boys have lost interest of any rescue and have accepted their lives as savages but at least no all of them. Golding’s use of fire allows the audience to realize that it can be used for good and evil in helpless situations. The signal fire thus functions as a kind of measurement of the strength and civilized instinct remaining on the island and allowanced by the boys.
The Conch is another important symbol, which brought the boys together at the commencing of the novel. Being discovered by Piggy and Ralph, the conch symbolizes law and order when there was an utter anarchy when the boys wanted to discuss what they wanted to achieve, “I have the conch it is my turn to speak.” The ‘shell’ effectively governs the boys meetings, for the boy who held the shell was allowed to speak. As the island civilization erodes and the boys turn into savages, the conch loses its power amongst the boys, which results in it being shattered into pieces by Jack’s tribe, “the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.”
With the loss of respect for the conch and all the other symbols used in the Golding’s allegory, we as audience can see the savageness in the boy’s hope of rescue and the lack of respect for human nature, in which the island was injured. The boys lack of respect toward human conditions shows that they were never satisfied, “We are perverse creatures and never satisfied.” ~Nan Fairbrother
ReplyDeleteWilliam Golding’s life plays a huge part in the setting of ‘Lord of the flies’.
Throughout Golding’s life he has lived through many lows in humanity such as ww2 and the great depression. These two cataclysmic events in particular, show Golding how people can turn from civility to savages in order to survive. He uses these examples throughout the novel as he relates what is happening on the island to what’s happened in ‘ the real world’ .
Golding starts his adventure on what can be seen as an idyllic island. I use the word ‘Idyllic because of its surroundings and that the island can be referred to as untouched and no harm has come to anything that inhabits it. William Golding had a perfect life. He came from a very wealthy family and because of this he never experienced what could be referred to as the world for other people. When the great depression began, he started to see what mankind was capable of. The lows that people sunk to in order to survive clearly had an impact on him. When ww2 began Golding was sent off to war. He started to see how such an idyllic world can suddenly become so savage and all civility is lost.
Golding reflects the change in humanity through the way he changes the setting of the book. The island goes from being a semi- civil community as such to a savage environment where survival becomes everyone’s main focus. He refers to the island becoming ‘scarred’. This scarring starts when the plan first crashes and develops on the island like it did in his world, when humanity continues to fight for survival.
William Golding’s thoughts and comments on the human condition can be seen through his use of symbolism in this novel. He shows two sides of the human condition. Golding symbolizes that humans have good intentions and are civil and knowledgeable. He does this through including ralph in the novel and also the use of piggy’s glasses. Golding creates the character ralph to try and continue civility on the island. He try’s to keep order through the use of the conch and assigned jobs. He keeps the idyllic feeling through the use of piggy’s glasses. Glasses symbolize knowledge, therefor by keeping them in condition and on the island, he symbolizes that they have knowledge and therefor are still civil to an extent.
The conch is also an example that supports Golding’s comments on the human condition. It plays a vital role in the beginning of the novel and helps to keep civility. When it is broken we see a decline into savageness in order to survive.
However, William shows us a savage side of humanity through the use of fire and also the hunting party. When you think about fire you typically think wilderness and bush land. Golding uses fire to separate the group of boys. I say this because ralph was constantly reiterating the importance of the fire. It could be argued that this was what drove jack and the others away and created a separate tribe.
William begins the decline from civility into a harsh and savage world when the hunting party is created. He shows that humans will go to any extent in order to survive even killing animals will their hands if necessary. The use of this symbolism exacerbates the comments he made about the human condition because it shows us that people who started hunting animals can dramatically change and start killing others in order to survive… we can see this through the death of piggy but also the attempted killing of ralph.
We can see from the setting and the symbolism that Golding perspective on humanity changed after experiencing the savageness and will to do anything to live that was emitted during the war.
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ReplyDeleteHow does the context of Golding's life lay the platform for his choice of setting? Additionally, how does his use of symbolism exacerbate the comments he makes about the human condition?
William Golding, the author of the novel ‘Lord Of The Flies’, suffered great adversity, which sparked his allegorical text. Golding lived in a time period of World War II, and the Great Depression, which brings context of his life throughout his book and symbolism about the human condition.
Setting
Golding has set out the novel on a thriving island with pigs, tropical foliage and luscious beaches and waters surrounding them. This island represents the world before humans came; their practicality and destruction had blemished the island. The island starts off calm and peaceful, though when the boys, later on throughout the novel, decide to ‘make’ and ‘destroy’ certain things on the island in order to bring about hope and prosperity in Ralph’s perspective, once they begin their development in many aspects such as creating a signal fire at the highest point on the island, burns out of control turning into a minor bushfire, thus scarring the island forever. This demonstrates the development of destruction that humans cause because of the ‘beast’ inside of us, in Golding’s perspective.
Human Condition
The main point Golding expresses throughout his novel, is what is known as, ‘The Beastie’. “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast. ... Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! ... You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are the way they are?”, thus represents the evil ‘beast’ within each and every one of us. This is one thing that Golding does try to assert throughout his novel, with context from his rather difficult past.
A similar notion Golding professes right through his novel is the aspect of civility and technology, via the motif of ‘Piggies Glasses’. The glasses provide sight for piggy, and sight is also known for knowledge, thus revealing an extended metaphor, which sums up Piggies character analysis. They are used to light the fire, displaying their ability to create certain things without any parental help, thus signify independency on themselves.
The Conch was displayed throughout the entire book as a recurring motif, symbolising democracy and civilisation. Ralph first blows the conch to call the other boys on the island and create a meeting to form a civilisation, and elect Ralph as the Leader of their community, thus forming a colony. Once the conch is destroyed, jacks tribe see that there is no more power anymore, no more democracy and roam around without any rules to hold them back.
Excellent work William.
DeleteLord of the Flies novel is what most critics see as an allegory for our world, but to fully grasp what Golding was trying to convey we need to look at his life.
ReplyDeleteGolding has experienced first hand and unwillingly contributed to some of the greatest horrors that mankind has laid upon each other. He has witnessed the infinite cruelty and malice that was the Second World War and lived through the soul crushing hardness of the great depression. His life was torn apart at the out set of the war much the same as the beauty of our earth was torn apart, all stemming from the stupid mistakes of humans. This is where I think that he came to realize that this innate willingness for destruction that lives within all of us, a lesson that can be taken away from his allegorical novel. It is only with this knowledge that we can even start to fully understand what Golding had in mind whilst he wrote Lord of the Flies.
Human nature and our society are laid bare and exposed if you care to look closer into the allegorical sense of the book.
The idyllic island that the novel takes place on is almost described as a utopia or Eden with its lush forest, beautiful beaches and blissful waters, but as the story unfolds the island becomes tainted by destruction and anarchy much like our own real world of which the island represents. Golding is telling us with this is that as mankind lapses into what he feels is our innate evil and cruelty we are capable of, we also 'scar' our world much like the island is scared by fire.
Golding has made the glasses more than just a tool to start fire with he has made them represent knowledge and common sense, using Piggy as the voice of reason through out the novel. Piggy sees things that other boys cannot, it is the only think that the other boys think him useful for. He knows the importance of law and order and that with out it the boys would lose sight of what is important. The glasses symbolize civilization and all that holds our society together; they are the last remnants of their homes. As the boys ostracize Piggy they are also ostracizing clear thinking and common sense and lose sight of common sense. When the glasses are broken it renders piggy useless and leaves the boys almost no hope for survival because when they abandon reason and morals there is nothing to hold them accountable for their actions.
Another essential is the conch. The conch becomes a symbol for law, order, democracy, free speech, and leadership and it is because of the conch that Ralph is elected chief, this civility only lasts as long as the boys in force the 'rule of the conch', "I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking" But once the conch is shattered it is the last straw for the boys and almost immediately they defend into terrible chaos, and it is in this moment when Ralph realizes that their is no hope for getting of the island alive.
Golding has seen the absolute lowest point for humanity and has observed the human condition which he represents through the 'beastie' showing that within all of us is this darkness that can take hold of us, a terrible willingness for cruelty and malice that we need contain because the result is to disastrous if we do not. Jack and Ralph are one and the same but it is only Ralph who can control his inner beast, while Jack let his consume him with Roger guiding him to his fate. "There isn't anyone to help you. Only me. And I'm the Beast.... Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didn’t you?”
I don’t believe that Golding believes that humanity has lost its way, he still thinks their is hope for us yet he when Ralph is saved by the officer. All the boys start to weep at the sight of the Naval Officer it could be from relief of being rescued but i think it is because they realize how much they have strayed into the dark side, they have lost their innocence on the island and they know it. But this leads us to the ultimate question. Who will save the grown ups?
William Golding’s involvement and understanding of the Second World War has a deep-rooted effect on his insight deep into humanity and the evils of which we are all capable. His writing, which is infused with symbolic significance that conveys the novel’s central themes and ideas, is a perspective of the values of mankind.
ReplyDeleteSetting
Lord of the Flies is set during the focal point of a fictional Atomic War. Their plane is shot down and the group of boys are marooned in what seems like the “Garden of Eden”. Golding goes to a great extent to illustrate the detail of the island, all of which is later important. He makes sure that we are informed where each and every single action is occurring, yet he indicated out the minute details of the terrain. The actual geography of the island is as significant as the way in which the boys discover it. Golding writes in a way, that shows us the experiences and thrills of exploration and the contentment of discovery in the same was as the boys do.
The first glimpse into the patterns of the island shows the reader a utopian environment where the shore is lined with palm trees, giving it a fake conception of a pool cabana and pink-umbrella drinks. This false feeling of security, however, is far more than meets the eye. The setting frames the bright, shimmering lagoon (Exciting Sensation), the dark hair-raising forest (Insecurity) and with the vast boundless sea (Isolation). Here we see that the island is already beginning to channel the boys’ emotions into savagery.
Symbolism
ReplyDeleteIt does not matter, however, how much of the setting is described, because it is the symbolic significance that shapes the central values and themes In Lord of the Flies. Lord of the Flies is easily established as an allegorical novel. Many of its characters and events represent or symbolize ideas and concepts. The four main characters all have their own magnitude in forming the basis of the novel.
Ralph is the pre-eminent leader of the boys though they cannot recognize it. His symbol is a democratic government, which is totally fair and has the appropriate priorities. The change from good to bad, from civilisation to barbarism is seen in the shift of leadership from Ralph to Jack. Ralph is the open-minded, moral and philosophical leader while Jack is a discriminatory and heartless tyrant.
Jack’s role in Lord of the Flies is to convey the transformation from an epitome of authority, to a obsessive, relentless dictator. The most significant point in his role is the first time the hunters kill a sow. During their first time on the island, Jack is reluctant to kill the pig, because of his fear of drawing blood from a living creature. “I was going to…I was choosing a place. Next time...” Here we can clearly see that Jack was afraid of the immensity of his knife cutting through the living flesh of the pig. He was also concerned about the impression the other boys had of him.
Piggy, a boy of about 8 years of age, is the most bright and logical schoolboy in the crowd. His overweight and asthmatic nature renders him useless in an island situation, while it exhibits his physical weakness and mental strength. On the other hand, his glasses illustrate his mental capacity, logicality, but also symbolize the power of science and intellectual endeavour in society. His significance is clear from the start when the boys use his glasses as means of lighting the fire.
Simon is the most sensible of all the boys because he does not dread the make-believe creature. When he realizes that it is only in the minds of the boys, it is already too late. Simon represents a Christ-like figure that sees the truth, but is later killed because of the ignorance of the majority. Simon’s hallucinations, when he is with the Lord of the Flies exemplify messages from God to his people.
Golding uses these symbols to address concerns that can be described, as the irreducible part of humanity that is characterized, yet not conditioned by characteristics such as gender, race or class. It includes the meaning of life, the probing for satisfaction and fulfillment, the perception of inquisitiveness, unavoidable feelings of loneliness, and the apprehension concerning the inevitability of death.
Conclusion
Analysing his style of writing, we can see that he believes that the change from good to evil, from civilization to barbarism is inevitable. A good example of how Golding uses the four main characters (Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Simon) is that he portrays them as the instinctiveness that exists when humanity is dumped in circumstances without direct authority.
Golding's life lays the platform for his choice of setting because of his experiences during the first and second world war. He experienced first hand, the damage that ‘Man’ can deal to one another. He has developed an exacerbated attitude towards the future of mankind due to his experiences of the First World War, ‘ The war to end all wars’. This was not so, as there was a second world war, but we can see why Golding had a negative view on human nature. Man failed to prevent a second world war; therefore, it was WW1 all over again for Golding. He also lived through the great depression between wars, which was tough for everyone. During this time there was a large shortage of jobs, it was only until WW2 that there were enough jobs to go round to produce more arms for more war. It is sad the government needs to produce jobs for another war.
ReplyDeleteSome of Golding’s comments about the human condition can be seen in his use of symbolism. These comments exacerbate the human condition in a way that it is almost prophesy. An example of this is when Simon is talking to the ‘Lord of the Flies’, and it tells him “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast… Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill…! You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are the way they are?”. This implies that the destruction of man will ultimately be by brother fighting against brother. This statement also implies that this beast within us cannot be beaten and you can never win, because you cannot fight yourself. Indeed, it is innate human nature, our very condition.
Another example of Golding’s symbolism is when Ralph came across the Naval Officer near the novel’s conclusion, as the island burns behind him. At this point, Ralph begins to cry, not only because he is about to be rescued but also he is thinking about who will rescue the real world when it turns on its self. This implies that man’s destruction will come about by a spent world.
Golding uses symbolism to show the movement from order to chaos. The symbolism used in the novel supports Golding’s negative view of human nature. Two items that Golding uses to foreshadow what happens on the island are Piggy’s glasses and the conch. Piggy’s glasses are a symbol of intelligence and common sense. Piggy’s way of thinking is the closest to that of an adult’s, therefore, we can say that the other boys don’t like piggy having something to say in meetings because he makes adult-like comments. The boys on the island don’t want to be saved because in the real world they were at the “bottom of the food chain” The glasses are a sign of piggy’s knowledge and wisdom; traits that are possessed by any civilised person bound by the laws that govern them.
ReplyDeleteAs the boys spend more time on the island, the glasses begin to deteriorate. Ever since the structured society started to die away, piggy would begin "taking off his glasses and wiping them," as if he was cleaning up the misuse of his glasses. The structured society that they started with slowly gets replaced with their savage nature. An example of the misuse of the glasses is when Jack raids Ralph’s camp and he steals the glasses. He then goes to light the fire for his camp and this leads to their savage nature being fuelled as they have the means to create fire. This leaves Piggy literally without sight and the rest of the boy’s blind to reason and common sense.
Golding also uses the conch to get other messages of human nature like authority, respect and order. The Conch represents the democratic rules that the boys created to sustain order on the island. We see the power of the conch used at the beginning of the novel to vote for a leader, or create laws like whenever one boy wants to speak at an assembly, “ he won’t be interrupted” when holding the conch. Although, as time goes on, we see the conch lose its authority just as Ralph loses his authority over the boys. Due to the destruction of the glasses and the conch, it leads to the boy’s as a whole descending into a savage, survival mindset, and as a consequence, plunging them into anarchy. This is how Golding transfers his idea of savagery being more powerful than reason in human nature.
Golding chooses this choice of setting for for his story because it is the context of his life, which laid the platform for his setting. He does this by making the World simply smaller “ an Island” for example, this represents the world but on a smaller scale allowing people to see the bigger pictures of what Golding is trying to convey.
ReplyDeleteGolding lived through World War 2; this experience showed him what mankind was capable of. The setting is a pristine, untouched beauty in the novel’s opening scene which slowly degrades after the boys become more savage, this could be an allegory for Golding believes; that the world was once beautiful and rich and that when the ‘plane crashes on the island’ humans came to earth, we scarred the land.
Additionally the use of symbolism exacerbate the comments he makes about the human condition, such as the conch, fire, piggy’s glasses, Naval officer, the beast or ‘Beastie, Lord of the flies, war paint and the setting and so on. The conch for example gives the right to talk and to call an assembly, or in real life it is democracy and the rights for our voice to be heard, piggy “I got the conch, I got the right to speak” it has been put in emphasis by Golding to show it is an important topic, it is repeated about 4 times during the length of the conversation; this speaks volumes of how Golding believes people should be treated and his experience of how they are actually handled. Golding has seen men, fought with and against them, he even was one, he went through World War II so he knows what men are capable of, the beast inside them and in us all is a frightening truth that is symbolized as the ‘beastie’ or ‘the beast’. In LOTF the boys are scared of the beast because it threatens their new found way of life, it is interesting to see that as soon as Jack and the others give in to the beast inside them and become savages, the beast is no longer feared or even remembered once the story progresses further. If the novel is Golding’s interpretation of life and the human condition then it shows that he believes humans are both good (ralph-piggy-Simon) and evil (Chief and Savages), if one reads LOTF one would understand that nowhere in the book does it actually say Jack and the rest of the boys are ‘savages’, meaning to say these boys are actually good up until the point when they give into the darker side of their heart and at which point they lose their identity and are therefor known by both the characters and the narrator as ‘Chief’ and ‘ the savages’ from this point in the story and further on “ why should they want to sneak in, Chief”, this is deliberate and an obvious objectification of character, the loss of the sense of who you are and ultimately, a loss of humanity.
In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, the context of his own personal life thrives throughout. The experiencing of World War 2 and the Great Depression, has certainly helped Golding set quite a steady platform and template for his famous novel. He portrays his ideas of the world onto a small, remote island, away from any civilisation. He projects the potential that mankind has, and how brutally destructive it can be.
ReplyDeleteGolding’s choice of setting for the novel, a Utopia, is a magnificent concept. It begins as an ideal location for human beings. It presents welcoming beaches, exuberant forest plantation, and crystal clear waters. The boys have order and vote in a leader, it seems as though nothing could go wrong. Like the real world, you could say, everything could be ideal, a Nirvana. However, in Golding’s wise eyes, the world is corrupt and savage due to human beings and their vicious ways.
An excellent symbol that illustrates the deterioration of human morals, is the boys’ school uniform. At the very beginning of the novel, we discover a group of young school boys from England, no older than 12 years of age, and they are all piled together on a hot beach in their uniforms. As Jack and his choir group appear, they are wearing their uniform, although sizzling hot, with pride. This is a sign of important symbolism, because the boys’ uniforms reassure a sense of dignity and hope for the boys. However, as the tragic story continues, the boys have little care for their uniform, let alone any form of clothes. Their distinctive uniform decays as quickly as the boys’ behaviour does, until it grounds down to nothing. I see this symbol as a significant part of the story, because their uniform encouraged a perception of self-esteem and pride for the boys. And as the uniform deteriorated, so did their pride and dignity.
Another correlating symbolism of humanity and civilisation, alongside the the uniform, is the conch. Although the symbolism of the conch did not portray the ideas of pride and self-esteem, it projected a sense of leadership and ‘law and order’ within the group of young boys. When Ralph and Piggy initially discover the conch, they are overwhelmed, and as it is used as a ‘calling sign’ to the other boys, it is looked upon as a very prestigious object. Again, symbolising the concept of law and civility, the conch is used to bring peace and order to the group. This is revealed when a rule is put forward by Ralph, that “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking.” The person then holding the conch has the right of speech and only he can speak at that moment. This re-enforces a feeling of civilisation and order between the boys. Nevertheless, as this exhilarating story carries on and nears the end of the boys’ magnificent journey, the conch is broken. This, like the uniforms, symbolises that civilisation and humanity can deteriorate very quickly in any scenario, even in a Utopian society.
William Golding lived through one of the most horrific, corrupted and depraved periods of time known to man. Born in 1911 just prior to WW1 he was sheltered from the horrific nature of war and only had a patriotic and one-sided view on its entirety. Coming from a wealthy English family Golding had many opportunities and even attended Oxford University during the Great Depression, which truly shows how wealthy Golding and his family were. Due to his childhood and upbringing Golding was very much sheltered from the true nature of mankind and its ferocity and cruelty. Joining the English Navy Force in 1939 Golding experienced life altering and metamorphic events that enabled him to undoubtedly recognize and realize the cruelty, corruption and destruction that mankind is capable of and frequently exposes.
ReplyDeleteContrary to this horrid world that Golding has experienced and lived through he decided to set the novel in an idealistic island that is perfect and ‘unscathed’ rather than a more barren and desolate setting. The island, said to be set somewhere either in the Caribbean or Pacific it is covered in beautiful tropical foliage surrounded with flawless and immaculate beaches and is almost perfect, unscathed and untouched. Mankind’s first contact with the island is through a plane crash in which leaves the boys stranded on the island, the crash site has scarred the island by leaving a path of destruction in its trail. This scarring of the island symbolizes that due to human nature whatever man comes into contact with we scar and destroy.
The boys start off on this utopian island but slowly and gradually descend into anarchy and savagery and with this descent the island is destroyed and scarred as well. Golding uses many symbols and techniques to express this idea of the human condition and the conflict in human nature between our impulses for rules and order and our want of power our greed and our savagery.
Piggy’s Glasses are used as a symbol to exacerbate Golding’s message about the human condition. Piggy’s character is smart, intelligent ad rational and as such his glasses symbolize intelligence, order and power. These glasses represent and symbolize the connection between civilization and order and are the metaphorical barrier between savagery, chaos, the human condition and anarchy. The boys at the start of the novel have implemented law and order and the glasses are used to start the signal fire and are the last remaining piece of technology, but when the glasses are broken and stolen this represents the total failure of a civilization and that human nature will eventually take control and win against reason, civilization and order.
The Conch is also used as a symbol to exacerbate Golding’s message on the human condition as it also symbolizes civilization, law and order. The conch is used to determine who can speak at the boy’s meetings and is a very strong and powerful tool at keeping order and stability to the boy’s. The Conch in a sense is actually more than just a symbol as it literally governs the boys meetings it is also a vessel of political legitimacy and democratic power. As the boys descend into savagery the conch becomes more and more powerless and finally when piggy is murdered the conch shell Is destroyed with him to symbolize the complete demise of civilization on the island.
far out that was me
DeleteIt is highly evident that the chapters of Golding's life influences the chapters of his human condition condemning novel the ‘Lord of the Flies’. Golding was brought up in a rich family and graduated from Oxford to become a teacher.
ReplyDeleteDespite his success in life he still fought in WWII where he was mentally scarred. These major parts of his life mold the first chapters of the novel. The kids land on a tropical paradise of utopian properties, which acts as Golding’s wealthy up bringing. Then Piggy is introduced, his glasses being the learning and scholarly aspects of Golding’s life. If the Island was then thought to represent Golding’s mind during his employment in the Navy then the scare caused by the plane crash represents Golding’s mental scaring.
In addition to Golding’s life impacting on the novel, he makes some comments about the human condition. He uses many symbols, like the conch, the glasses, the fire and the face paint to emphasize these comments. The conch is a representation of Golding’s perspective. The conch is Golding commenting that we – as a human race – need society’s rules, politics, and speech. The conch represents these by the fact that the boys had imposed what was known as the “rule of the conch” on themselves. The rule of the conch meant that they no boy may speak unless he was holding the conch and once he was holding it, he couldn’t be interrupted. But all the rules go out the window when the conch explodes “into a thousand white fragments”. This occurrence reveals Jacks true intentions of usurping Ralph saying, “‘See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I mean that! There isn’t a tribe for you any more! The conch is gone…I’m Chief!”
Golding also makes comments that humans are smart. Piggy’s glasses enhance this comment as they represent technology, advancement, innovation and discovery. The glasses are first used – exclusive of Piggy’s vision – to light the fire. They struggled with rocks and sticks, swearing as they did so, until the human intellect was utilized; Ralph uses the specs to ignite the flames. Piggy’s glasses are looked through, giving vision. Vision is Piggy’s sight, and sight is a metaphor for knowledge. Thus representing that Piggy is smart. Although when the glasses are broken, it takes away Piggy’s greatest attribute and therefore rendering him useless. Because of this, similar to society, Piggy is looked down at and outcast, “Let me speak.’ He was standing in the dust of the fight, and as the tribe saw his intention the shrill cheer changed to a steady booing.” This demonstrates that when Piggy tries to speak without his glasses, his input is rejected.
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ReplyDeleteHow does the context of Golding's life lay the platform for his choice of setting? Additionally, how does his use of symbolism exacerbate the comments he makes about the human condition?
ReplyDeleteWilliam Golding grew up in a tumultuous era. Major events such as WWI and the Great Depression negatively affected people worldwide. He was raised in a wealthy family and studied at university, an opportunity coveted by lower class families. The island setting could be perceived as a utopia symbolic of Golding’s former years. Golding’s experience of serving in the Royal Navy meant that he had encountered the barbaric and savage side of men that is revealed under constant oppression. This is connected to the boy’s eventual descent into primitive ways. The boys journey could be interpreted as symbolic of Golding’s life, as he had known the dark side of men, and in this novel, the beastly side of humanity comes out as the boys let out their inner creatures.
Sorry i havent done the symbolism yet
DeleteGolding having lived and served through the horrors of the world war which influenced the context of Lord of the Flies. After having experienced human beings mass weapons of destruction he conveys his emotions and knowledge of man’s potential for evil.
ReplyDeleteLord of the Flies sets itself on an uninhabited island before mankind came. It was described with aqua clear waves, ripe fruit on almost every tree and drinkable clean streams indicating the innocence of this paradise. The boys being left alone without any ‘grown-ups’ attempt to handle the problem by themselves results in experimentations of evil and cruelty. The reoccurring chant of “kill the pig, cut her throat, bash her in”, indicates the barbarity and cruelty of the boys whilst also creating an image of explicit ritualistic violence. Golding implies that evil in our hearts, such as the intention to kill will ultimately lead to the end of the world.
Golding expresses through symbolism his message on the human condition. Most items in the novel have deeper meaning. The fire in the novel represents to the boys hope, rescue and common sense. Ralph and Piggy understood that in order to be rescued they need smoke to let passing ships see. Ralph demonstrated his urgency to keep the fire alight. Hence it shows the maturity and desperation of Ralph and Piggy compared to the other boys who think about ‘playing savage’. The fire becomes a hearth that comforts the boys and connects back to home – civilization. The fire however also acts as a double-sided sword as not only does it mean warmth and hope but also it causes conflict and jealousy. After Jack steals Piggy’s specs, Ralph enraged still said he would “have given them fire if they’d asked” thus demonstrating his self-control. Golding states to us with the fire gone, the boys ‘can never be rescued’. The fire represents to us as a symbol of morale and hope in civilization. The boys maintained the fire showed that they still had hope of being rescued but when the fire dimmed the boys have lost their common sense and increasingly becomes savage. Ironically, Jack’s destructive fire and murderous intent signals a ship to the island suggests in the end that there is some hope.
Golding has described Ralph’s hair at the start of the novel as clean and sandy colour. This starkly contrasts against his hair nearing the end of the novel, as he increasingly gets agitated on the length of his hair. Ralph seems to be the only person who is upset about his hair because they don’t have the civilized equipment to cut their hairs. Golding conveys that the hair symbolizes the passing of time and the transition from innocence and purity to the salvage and violence. After Piggy dies, and Ralph fled, his hair was ‘full of dirt’. Golding hints that after Piggy is gone, Ralph has lost his battle with Jack and continues to lose to savageness. Long hair and painted faces conceal their previous innocence and show the extent of their descent into wildness that is juxtaposed by Piggy’s hair that “never seemed to grow” stating that Piggy is represented as the most civilized person there. After Jack had “slashed a black bar of charcoal”, his laugher became “bloodthirsty snarling”. Golding explains the paint on Jack’s face and how it changes him. He forgets about the fire and his obsession with hunting grows. Ralph “flung back his hair” and spoke to the hunters frantically saying how they missed a ship. Golding highlights Ralph’s desperateness of being rescued putting rescue before his hunger.
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