Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, as an allegorical novel
by Marijane Suttor
The Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel written by William Golding in the post World War II era. Golding uses the concept of stranding young boys between the ages of 6-12 on an island due to a plane crash as a way of pointing out all the warts and flaws of mankind.It presents the age old question of whether goodness and evil are inborn characteristics or if it is learned behavior. Would young boys imitate adults if they had the opportunity to be independent of themselves? In the novel, Golding explores these quandaries while using allegory and symbolism to elevate the tale beyond simply the plot of an adventure story.
First we must establish a definition of allegory. An allegory is an extended comparison that encompasses a longer work of literature. If we throw out a phrase such as life is a rollercoaster, we get the impression that life has ups and downs. In an allegory we may establish that life is an amusement park as an overall theme, and then there are several smaller allegories that can be held in comparison about life to the amusement park. Allegory is more in depth than a simple metaphor or simile. With allegory a case is made. To analyze one can find a series of pieces of evidence that make up the comparison and the message that the author is trying to convey.
There are several levels of allegory in the novel including government, intellect, power, and religion which will be addressed here. Lord of the Flies is rich with allegory beyond just these areas as well.
GOVERNMENT
One of the most dominant allegories in the novel is government. Golding early on establishes Ralph as chief. Within a few chapters Jack is already jockeying for power. Later on in the book there is an underlying hint that Roger is increasingly desirous of power too. With this, Golding establishes that leadership is a very tenuous string that is easily cut by those that wish to usurp its strength. The conch is a symbol of government on the island. It provides initial order and control. The boy that has the conch has the right to speak. As the novel progresses, the boys increasingly abandon the conch which was a symbol of order and control. With the later destruction of the conch, it is symbolic that government, order and control have been abandoned on the island. Through this allegory Golding conveys the fragility of government.
INTELLECT
Another important allegory in the novel is intellect. Piggy, with his glasses, embodies the importance of intellect in the world. Piggy is able to see the problems as see the truth from early on. He realizes the boys are acting rashly with the early lighting of the fire. He sees the growing unhappiness of Jack and views him as a threat. He understands that gathering names and shelter are important to their fledgling society. On the other hand, Piggy's intellect is not valued by the boys.
Intellect does not always come in a pretty package that sells well. Piggy was not a pretty package nor an articulate messenger. He was insecure, but correct in his judgments. Ralph immediately disregarded Piggy due to his outward appearance. By the end of the book Ralph can see the value of intellect. He sees through the pretty packaging of Jack and understands that truth is not always pretty.
With this allegory, Golding establishes how society regards intellect. It is something that is disregarded as unimportant. Power trumps intellect in the society of mankind just as it does in Lord of the Flies.
POWER
Power is another level of allegory in Lord of the Flies. At the beginning of the novel, power lay in government, order and control. Increasingly power comes to lie in the ability to hunt and gather food. Jack grows in power because he has the ability to gather food for the group. The lure of food is much like a baby. A baby does care who is holding the bottle, if it is hungry it will suck. The boys represent citizens of the world. They are depicted as simply going along with the events of the world just as the boys go along with Jack just because he supplies the food. They throw their lot in with the one that they feel will benefit them the most.
As Ralph's power degenerates and Jack's power accelerates, the abuse of power becomes an increasing temptation. This level of allegory depicts that whoever is in power as letting it go to his head. Just as Ralph's power is usurped, there is a growing sense of power in Roger. Roger represents and even more extreme abuse of power: brutality and bloodlust. With the killing a Piggy and the hunting of Ralph, brutality and blood lust have trumped order and intellect.
RELIGION
On a different level The Lord of the Flies represents a religious allegory. Simon is often analyzed as Jesus figure in the novel. He represents goodness and truth, but when he comes to tell the truth to others he is symbolically crucified for it. With the destruction of the symbol of religion in the novel it opens the door for all other forms of evil and brutality to dominate the characters. Mankind is depicted as sinners in this level of allegory. Power trumps religion as well.
With these multiple layers of allegory, Golding depicts the world of mankind in an unflattering light. There is good, order and intellect in the world, but they are triumphed over by evil, brutality and bloodlust. Golding is trying to depict to his audience that the island in The Lord of the Flies is just a microcosm of the real world.
