Use of Symbolism in The Lord Of The Flies

Lord of the Flies William Golding uses much symbolism in his novel, The Lord of the Flies, to help readers gain a greater understanding of his message. He uses symbolism in three important areas: objects that have symbolic value as references to ideas, characters that symbolize important historical and religious people, and the setting which frames the conflicts on the island in comparison to the whole world. Objects are the first part of the story …

…just like people in the world who build castles and armies and defenses. The Lord of the Flies is filled with symbolism that makes an important comment about Humankind. The objects, characters, and setting of this story all have parallels in the real world. They show us that what happened in the story is not just a story. They help prove the author's belief that Humankind is savage and evil under its facade of civilization.