Symbolism in William Golding's Lord of the Flies PDF

Preview

Summary

Symbolism in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies A Term Paper Submitted to the Council of the College of Languages – English Department at Salahaddin University - Erbil By Hassan Hussein Karo Supervised by Dr. Yadgar L. Sharazuri and Dr. Hewa Y. Abdullah Table of Contents Table of Contents ………………………...

Description

Accelerat ing t he world's research.

Symbolism in William Golding's Lord of the Flies Hassan Karo

Related papers

Download a PDF Pack of t he best relat ed papers 

Symbolism_ in_ William_ Golding's_ Lord_ of_ t he_ Flies_ and_ Daniel_ Defoe's_ Robinson_ Crusoe[… Ayansola Ibukun Symbolism In t he Lord of Flies Wilson M Guandaru Digit al Commons @ Salve Regina "Lord of t he Flies": T he Educat ional Value of Golding' s Text merna Nashat

Symbolism in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies A Term Paper Submitted to the Council of the College of Languages – English Department at Salahaddin University - Erbil

By Hassan Hussein Karo

Supervised by

Dr. Yadgar L. Sharazuri and Dr. Hewa Y. Abdullah

Table of Contents Table of Contents ………………………………………………….. i Abstract ……………………………………………………………. ii Introduction ………………………………………………………... iii 1. Symbolism……………………………………………………..… 1 2. Freud’s Theory of Symbolism………………………………….... 3 3. William Golding the Novelist....……………………………….… 4 4. Lord of the Flies: An Overview..………………………………… 5 4.1 Characterisation………………………………………………… 6 4.2 The Style of Lord of the Flies…………………………………... 7 5. Symbolism in the Novel..………….…………………………….. 8 5.1 Symbolism in Setting...……………...………………………….. 8 5.2 Symbolism in Characters .………………..…………………...… 9 5.3 Symbolism in Objects ..……………………………………….... 10 Conclusion ………………………………………………………….. 11 List of References …………………………………………………... 12

i

Abstract This paper aims to study the use of symbolism in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. It attempts to show the reason behind the use of such figure of speech in the novel. A general background on the emergence of Symbolism as a literary movement will be covered. It deals with the use of symbols in different aspects of the novel. Golding’s overuse of symbols in the novel is to give it an aesthetic taste so as to express his own views on the human nature and the system of the society. Finally, this paper has been followed by the Harvard system of citation and referencing.

ii

Introduction Modernism is a literary movement that first emerged in France and later in other European countries. As noted by Patil (2011) the term ‘modernism’ is used to describe features in the subjects of concepts, forms, styles and other arts. This movement can be identified as an intellectual investigation that questions any fixed relationship between man and his material and social environment. It is described as a break with conventions and traditions of their predecessors by experimenting new styles and devices such as juxtaposition, irony, satire, and the most important stream of consciousness. Modernist writers tend to emphasize and reflect a sense of despair and loss that the individual suffered from because of alienation and discontinuity of humanity which resulted from the destruction of war and loss of faith. The contemporary novelist William Golding is one of the most spectacular literary figures in the modern period. His novel Lord of the Flies is a representation of human nature the status of the society. It is argued that Golding himself was affected by his own experiences of the war and this aspect is prominent in the novel. Baldick (2001) states that Golding has used many literary devices in Lord of the Flies such as metaphor, irony, imagery, and simile, but the most frequent stylistic device in the novel is the use of symbols. Symbol is an object, idea that represents for something else. The major objective of this paper is to show the significance of using such literary device to convey the real meaning of the novel’s literary text. Thus, the use of such literary device is to give the novel an aesthetic taste and to express the writer’s own view on the human nature.

iii

1. Symbolism The symbolist movement in literature emerged in the 1850s in France and lasted until about 1900. Symbolism employed an insightful influence on twentiethcentury literature. It is regarded as a bridge from Realism to Modernism. Symbolism utilised a strong influence on the arts such as painting, theatre, and music. The symbolist writers seek to convey irrational, personal, and dream-like states of consciousness, depending on the figurative or metaphorical language symbolize an eternal essence of being which is believed to be abstracted from the latitude of the five senses. These literary principles developed as a reaction against the dominance of positivism, which stressed rational thought, scientific method, and objectivity. Moreover, symbolism depicts a reaction against Naturalism and Realism in literature, which seeks to represent, through descriptions of objective reality, the external world of nature and human society. The inherent musicality of language is emphasized by the symbolists. Thus, they developed the use of vers libre (free verse), and modernized the previous form of the prose poem. The symbolists were significantly influenced by the poetry of Charles Baudelaire, and his work Flowers of Evil (1857) which was like a doctrine for their literary concepts. In addition, to Baudelaire, the central figures of French Symbolism are the poets Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, and Stephane Mallarme´. French Symbolism affected international literature of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (Milne, 2009, p.802). Because of the difficulty of psychological domain, the inner thoughts and visions can be presented through symbols. By the end of the nineteenth century, the beliefs in science and culture brought the loss of unity of purpose and direction in European society. Rationality took away faith and the new view of civilization and man caused a weakness in will. The symbolist writers criticized the 1

materialism of the society. They preferred their dreams, visions, and symbolical expressions of reality over the confrontation with the materialistic world (Yeganeh, 2009, p. 196-197). Symbolism in literature is a hidden meaning in a piece of work. It is often used to represent things, a moral or a religious belief or a value by symbols; for example: the cross symbolizes Christianity, and the dove symbolizes peace. Even gestures and actions can be symbolic; for instance: fist symbolizes aggression, and arms raised denote giving up or surrender. Symbol uses a concrete image to express an abstract idea. As William Golding's fiction, most of the symbolism he used, especially in Lord of the Flies, The Spire, and Pincher Martin has more than one interpretation Cuddon (1998, p.866). De Saussure (1990) claims that ‘the symbol’ describes ‘the signifier’ which is the physical form of the ‘sign’. Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel, in which Golding tries to deliver his themes indirectly, by using characters that symbolise real persons from the real world settings that symbolise other places, objects and colours that help him not only to tell the story or to construct its plot, but also to give a hint to some issues and themes from the real modern world. So, modern writes tend to criticize certain aspects of the society by using some literary devices such as irony, satire, and symbols. They want to reveal their inner visions of the modern life of the man by using symbols that stand for other things. They aim to use certain things that symbolize for useless aspects of the capitalist and materialistic society.

2

2. Freud’s Theory of Symbolism Freud offers two crucial theories on symbolism; the FN (Freudian Narrow position) and FB (Freudian barrowed position). Hence, the use of the term "symbol" holds correspondent meanings that can be interpreted or comprehended by people who shared the same cultural background. It is universal and it is sometimes inherited from earlier generation Petocz (2004: 24). "The first, which may be referred to as the 'Freudian Narrow' position, restricts the use of the term "symbol" to a special technical sense, in which symbols are the elements of unconscious, universal, phylogenetically inherited code". Petocz (2004: 24).

The term symbol is limited to a contextual use, or to a given literary work. It is different from one context to another. Petocz (2004, p. 24). "The second may be referred to as 'Freudian Broad'(FB) position, is a much less restricted view, in which the term "symbol" usually refers to

any

unconsciously

produced

defensive

substitute,

while

nevertheless retaining certain specifiable conscious, non-defensive production". Petocz (2004, p.24)

As a result, Golding’s use of symbols in the novel has a great cultural and personal background that can be understood from reader’s point of view, especially the English reader, as his/her own experience and a general experience and reflection of the society.

3

3. William Golding the Novelist Second World War was a turning point in Golding’s life (Meuronen, 2013). He participated in the invasion of Normandy with the British Royal Navy (Speer, 2012). It has been comprehensively argued that Golding was affected by his own experiences in the war and this is presented in the novel (Meuronen, 2013). After the end of the war, he began writing novels and published his very first novel Lord of the Flies in 1954 and later on he wrote his other works such as The Inheritor (1955), Pincher Martin (1956) and Free Fall (1959), but they were not as successful as Lord of the Flies. Golding was awarded the Nobel Prize of literature in 1983. The novels of William Golding pay a special attention to the problems of evil in the human beings. The major themes of his novels are religious and they are referred to as fables and allegories. In 1954, and after 21 rejections, Golding published his first and most admired novel Lord of the Flies. The novel tells a story of a group of adolescent boys stuck on a deserted island after their plane was shot. Lord of the Flies explores the savage side of human nature as the boys. Away from the constraints of society, they brutally turn against one another in the face of an imagined enemy. Full of symbols, the novel set the tone for Golding’s future work, in which he continued to examine the internal struggle of man between good and evil. Since its publication, the novel has been widely regarded as a worthy of indepth discussion and analysis in classrooms all over the world.

4

4. Lord of the Flies: An Overview William Golding‟s novel Lord of the Flies was first published in 1954. The book is still considered as his most successful and popular work. His fame largely depends on it. The novel is an attempt to trace the flaws of the society back to their source in human nature. Golding creates a kind of human nature laboratory in order to examine what happens when the constraints of civilization disappear and a new human nature takes over when he leaves a group of school boys on a deserted tropical island. In Lord of the Flies, Golding argues that human nature, free from the constraints of society, draws people away from reason toward. It is argued that Lord of the Flies is a depiction of the status of society and human nature through the eyes of one person, who has experienced the horrible actions in which humans are capable of (Meuronen, 2013). This group of school boys starts a new society by choosing a leader for themselves. The chosen leader is called Ralph, who is a nice kid, but soon a kind of mutiny is appeared against him. This is a true reflection of the modern society. Even though they are kids and they are in a deserted island, but the true nature of human is revealed. Thus, the result of war and alienation of the individual is main reason behind the appearance of savagery nature of humans. After some of the kids being tortured and even killed, the kids have lost their innocence. There is disintegration of unity among them when they become to groups and start to fight each other. Eventually, they are saved by sailing officer and he is astonished the true nature that these kids have become.

5

4.1 Characterisation Characterization is the way in which the author reveals characters’ personalities by describing their feelings, thoughts, actions, and expressions (Takalo and Vos, 2015). As one read the novel, he may look for evidence that shows the characters’ and emotions, and how they are changed during the story. Golding uses different characters to create a conflict in his novel. Each of the main character can be seen as an allegorical representation of a certain aspect of human nature. The list of characters includes the following ones: Ralph: The protagonist of the story, he is a good, productive and creative leader. He symbolizes order, civilisation and savagery (Takalo and Vos, 2015). At the beginning of the story, the boys select him to be their leader. He cares about them and wants to create a society full of order. He prefers to take his time thinking before making any decision. Although Ralph is a good boy, but the innate evil inside him and around him defects his goodness. Jack: The antagonist of the story, he is a wild, cruel, and selfish boy. He symbolizes the evil, violence and savagery in mankind. He wants to be the leader, but Ralph wins the elections. He is the leader of hunters, but he breaks away, and becomes the leader of his group. His selfishness makes him a harsh and brutal leader. Piggy: An orphan boy from a lower class. He is civilized, smart, and thoughtful. He symbolizes order and reason. He finds himself as a victim of others’ flaws and especially Jack. He is killed by a rock dropped on him by Roger. Simon: He is a wise and fearless brave boy. He symbolizes wisdom and goodness. He is the only boy who helps Ralph building the shelter. He is the only boy who is

6

not afraid of the beast. He observes what the real beast is, but when he comes to tell the other boys, they kill him during a dancing. Roger: He is a mysterious boy. He is violent and brutal. He is regarded as the right wing of Jack. He is the one who kills Piggy.

4.2 The Style of Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies is described as an allegory in which Golding uses literary elements as symbols to express his point of view and ideas about the essential features of human nature. The novel is full of literary devices. The novel is narrated by third person point of view to allow the reader react toward the characters’ thoughts and emotions. ... hair much too long, tangled here and there, knotted round a dead leaf or twig; clothes, worn away, stiff like his own with sweat, put on, not for decorum or comfort but out of custom; the skin of the body scurfy with brine (Golding, 2012, p. 136). The above quotation shows the use of language when Golding describes the appearance of the boys which has become less civilized by time. So, their outside appearance reflects their inside state. Also, Golding wants to show the effect of class system through the broken language of Piggy which implies that he is from the lower class.

7

5. Symbolism in the Novel Lord of the Flies is really rich in symbols. It contains different types of symbols. They differ in setting, characters, and objects. In this paper, some main symbols will be covered to reflect its essential aim.

5.1 Symbolism in Setting Golding chooses an island to put these boys which is free of adults. This island represents loneliness and heaven in which the boys transform it into hell. This reflects the nature of mankind: "But this is a good island. We--Jack, Simon and me-- we climbed the mountain. It's wizard. There's food and drink, and--""Rocks--" "Blue flowers--"Piggy, partly recovered, pointed to the conch in Ralph's hands, and Jack and Simon fell silent. Ralph went on." (Golding, p.45)

The forest that the boys get food and wood may represent the fear of unknown. It is dark and it is where the boys find the beast. It may also represent civilization because they get their daily supplies from the forest: "Now he says it was a beastie." "Beastie?' "A snake-thing. Ever so big. He saw it." "Where?" "In the woods." (Golding, p. 46) 8

5.2 Symbolism in Characters Ralph is the protagonist in the story. He represents order, civilization and democracy. He wishes to build a civilized society in the island so he blows the conch to call and arrange the deserted boys together: "He blew from down here." Ralph grasped the idea and hit the shell with air from his diaphragm. Immediately the thing sounded. (Golding, p. 23)

Jack is the antagonist of the story and he hates Ralph. He represents savagery and dictatorship. He is a symbol of the dark and evil side of human nature. From the beginning of the story, he shows his desire of power, Jack claims: "I ought to be a chief", but he fails in the vote.

On the other hand, Piggy is a smart boy who cares about the others. He represents the lower class, but they seem useless even they are smart in the eye of the society. Despite his smartness, he is seen inferior. The fat boy glanced over his shoulder, then leaned toward Ralph. He whispered. "They used to call me 'Piggy.' " (Golding, p. 16).

Simon, who seems older than the other boys, represents the innate goodness and virtue of human. Simon explores the forest and discovers a secret place while the others are enjoying the freedom. While, Roger is Jack’s right wing, he represents sadism and the worst of mankind. He enjoys causing pain to other 9

people. Sam describes him to Ralph says: "You don't know Roger. He's a terror." (Golding, p. 233). Roger contributes in killing Simon, and kills Piggy.

5.3 Symbolism in Objects The most important object symbol is the conch. The boys use it to be united and the first one, who holds it, gets to speak first. It represents order, law, and civilization. When the boys are having a meeting, everyone is silent except the one who holds the conch. When the conch explodes, the island civilization dies with it. Ralph smiled and held up the conch for silence. "Listen, everybody. I've got to have time to think things out. I can't decide what to do straight off. (Golding, p. 31)

Fire in Lord of the Flies represents hope and rescue, especially at the beginning of the story when Ralph suggests making afire to attract the attention of ships. While in the rest of the story, it represents savagery and power. Another object which is Piggy’s glasses represent rescue and it helps the boys to make fire by using it.

10

CONCLUSION This paper has concluded that writers use symbols to convey their messages and their points of view. Symbolism is like a machine in which they express their own ideas and thoughts. The emergence of such literary movement was a reaction against the rationality of the capitalist society which was the main reason for major disturbing events of their countries and brought destruction. Golding, as a man who witnessed and experienced the horror of war, he attempts to convey his message and his views on the human nature by using such technique. Lord of the Flies is full of symbols which represent the themes of order and disorder, loss of innocence, and the struggle between good and evil. By using such symbols, Golding wants to make his novel interesting to the reader and to make them think or experience the situation. Finally, Golding main aim by using such symbols is to convey and transfer his own thoughts and views of the evil inside of the man and the primitive nature of mankind.

11

List of References

Baldick, C. (2001). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cuddon, J. A (1998). The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms. 4th ed. London: Penguin Books. Golding, W. (2012). Lord of the Flies. London: Faber and Faber Ltd (1954). Meuronen, J. (2013). Construction of Otherness in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Jyvaskyla: University of Jyvaskyla (Department of languages English). Milne, I. (2009). Literary movements for students. Volume 2. Detroit, Mich.: Gale. Patil, L. (2011). Analy...