Allegory in Lord of the Flies
In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, which is set during World War II, English school boys, escaping war in England, crash on a deserted tropical island. From the protected environment of boarding school, the boys are suddenly thrust into a situation where they must fend for themselves. In order to survive, the boys copy their country’s rule for a civilized life by electing a leader, Ralph. He promises order, discipline, and rules for the boys so that they form a small civilized society. This civilized society does not last. Struggling with Jack who wants to be the leader and the boys’ fears of the unknown, Ralph is unable to maintain control, and the boys fulfill Golding’s perspective that human …show more content…

The destruction and loss of his glasses destroys Piggy’s ability to see clearly and decreases his ability to influence the actions of the group. Upon an attack, Piggy, who once refused to believe in the beast, thinks Jack is the beast and cries out “’It’s come!’ gasped Piggy. ‘It’s real!’” (233). Piggy continues to believe the group of boys will respond to logic when he asks them if it is better to be like savages and kill or to have order and be rescued. The boys remain silent when Roger pushes a big rock on Piggy to kill him. “Piggy, saying nothing, with no time for even a grunt, traveled through the air sideways from the rock, turning over as he went” (255-256). With the death of Piggy, who was the icon of reasoning, Golding shows that the dark side of human nature triumphs over reasoning and rational thinking. Golding extends the allegory by exploring the boys’ struggle against evil with the beast symbolizing the boys’ fears of evil and Jack as the symbol of the lure of evil. At one of their first meetings, the boys discuss their predicament with optimism that they will soon be rescued, and until that time, they will enjoy the freedom of the island. One of the smallest boys is urged by his peers to come forward to speak and asks reluctantly what will be done about the beast. The others laugh at him until he describes the beast as a big, snakelike creature that comes in the dark wanting to eat him. Ralph tries to dismiss the boy’s ideas as