SYMBOLS AND INNOCENCE LOSS IN WILLIAM GOLDING’S ‘’THE LORD OF FLIES’’

Abstract

This article explores intricate themes of civilization and savagery in The Lord of Flies, examining how the writer reveals complexities of human nature and tensions between man’s urge fore savagery, controlling and also loss of innocence. Novel was first published in September,1954. Lord of Flies is the most banned or challenged book in USA, however it has not been sixteen years. William choses the title ‘’The Lord of Flies’’ because it is a direct translation of biblical term ‘’Beelzebub’’, a name associated with demon, and the pig’s head becomes symbol of the boy’s decent into savagery and evil. British airplane crashes on isolated island, the only survivors were schoolboys. Ralph is the protagonist and other boys elect him chief over Jack, and he does is all best to keep things civilized. Jack Merridew is the main antagonist; he loses vote for chief to Ralph and he adopts authoritarian style of leadership. The boys soon forget their plans for rescue, silences the few voices of reason, and blindly follows Jack to the edge of sanity, and edge of island. Novel also portrays the tension between group and individuality, rational and emotional reactions, between morality and immorality. There so many symbols in this novel, Piggy’s glasses, the conch shell which it could be the symbol of unity and democracy. Lord of Flies categorized as an allegorical, philosophical and adventure fiction.