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Symbolic summary of Lord of the Flies.

My kid wrote this for English class. I thought it was pretty darn funny.


Locke Pascal
13/5/2014
Period 2

In The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a group of Metaphors in the guise of English schoolboys are shot out of the sky after their transport plane is mistaken for a military craft. This caused the young Metaphors to be stranded on a Metaphoric Island after their probably metaphoric plane crashes and leaves a definite Metaphor of a Scar in the jungle.

Basically, The Lord of the Flies is one massive analogy: which provides plenty of symbolism to look at.
The first piece of symbolism to appear is the Scar left by the plane. Symbolising the surprisingly arrogant notion that human presence is inherently destructive. The Metaphors’ accidental arrival brings a massive mar on the island before the Metaphors could even gather and start any of their business.
Another more acknowledged piece of symbolism to show up at the same time as the Scar is the Island itself, acting like the local Garden of Eden. As it’s a “pure” place untouched by evil. But as said, the Scar undoes that purity.

The next piece of symbolism to appear is the Conch. Symbolising society and order, with the Conch being used to gather and organise the Metaphors. Its fragility could represent the the also actually, awfully, arrogant accusation that society as a concept is easily destroyed by something similar to either simply being dropped, or having a massive boulder run it over due to negligence. Throughout the story the importance and authority of the Conch wavers and becomes essentially ignored by the larger body of Metaphors, sans Piggy, the walking Intellectualism Metaphor.

Last, but really not least at all, the most consistent piece of Symbolism in the story are the tiny, talking, walking Metaphors themselves. With the most prominent of them being Ralph, Jack, Piggy, and Simon. Symbolising Responsibility, Power, Intellectualism, and Philosophy respectively. With Power basically dumping loads of sweaty old gym socks on the rest of them for no reason better than just the fact Power doesn’t play nice with anyone. Power’s refusal to play nice eventually results in Intellectualism and Philosophy drowning in the sweaty old gym socks because Power just could not take being told to calm his butt down. Responsibility almost swallows a load of socks, but the whole thing get’s set on fire because Power was stupid.

In conclusion, as stated before: The whole thing’s an analogy. Several layers of symbolism put together like a slightly foul and arrogant ice-cream cake. Probably with “Huminz sux” written sloppily on the top.



Comments

chickelit said…
This could work as a shorter "Cliff's Notes" version.
1:36 PM
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