Fire In Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Essay

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Lord of the Flies is a novel in which the author, William Golding, creates an enticing text that draws people in through the deeper meanings of the words on the page including characters, setting, and situations. The conch shell symbolizes law and order on the island. The title of the story itself translates from the Hebrew word, Beelzebub, which is another name for the devil. Used to symbolize hope and rescue, the signal fire serves as a reassurance for the novel’s main protagonist, Ralph. The use of symbols in the novel allows a better understanding of the text. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, many symbols, including the conch shell, the “lord of the flies,” and the signal fire, illustrate the terrifying experiences of a group of boys on a deserted island. To begin with, one of the most important symbols in the novel, Lord of the Flies, is the conch shell. As a symbol of law and order, this shell is one of the few things keeping the boys on the island civilized. After …show more content…
While the boys are still mostly civilized, Ralph makes the signal fire the boys’ main priority since “the fire is the most important thing on the island” (80). When Ralph leaves Jack and the hunters in charge of the fire one day, they let it go out. Ironically, at the same time they let the fire go out, a ship passes the island, and the boys are not saved. This causes the boys to begin to recognize the reality of their situation for a moment, but they quickly choose hunting over the fire. At this point, the boys have made the wrong decision, but somehow still end up being saved. As a symbol of hope, the signal fire’s strength goes along with the storyline and at moments of despair, the signal fire is at its weakest. In the end, the signal fire’s relevance is responsible for the positivity of Ralph and some of the others, allowing them to stay
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