Lord Of The Flies

8 Pages 1932 Words

Arguably man’s greatest invention in the history of humanity is language. Language allows an easy and comprehensible means of communication with other individuals, however, it does not always make the intended expressed meaning clear. The Bible is one example of this problem. The Bible relays its messages of Christ’s life though various parables and symbolic stories which many people take literally. Perhaps the most commonly disputed passage is the creation of the universe (Genesis 1:1-31). How could God have created the entire universe in just seven days? Many fundamentalists take this story at face value and do not consider one of many language tools which is used commonly throughout the Bible, symbolism. Symbolism is the practice of representing things by means of symbols or by attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects or events. This means that the duration of ‘seven days’ could be a symbol of seven years or seven millenniums. The authors of the Bible are not the only writers to have used the powerful tool of symbolism and parables; many modern writers use it today to portray their outlook of events in an indirect manner. William Golding is one such writer and his fictional book Lord Of The Flies portrays a group of young English boys trapped on a remote island during a nuclear war. They are faced with many challenges in their fight for survival, specifically the downfalls of human nature. Their situation is symbolic of the evolution of a modern civilization and Lord Of The Flies portrays the collapse of this symbolic society through political, psychological, and religious symbolism.
No society can function properly without a set of rules and regulations. In today’s modern society there are many symbols of this power and organization. In the courtroom, for example, the gavel is the sign of order and command, and a police officer, a symbol of authority. In Lord Of The Flies, the conch is the sign of this ...