William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, delves deep into the latent side of the human nature which gets exposed under certain circumstances bringing into light the capacity of indulging in savagery and the baleful influence of animalistic impulses. On being deserted on the island, Ralph and Piggy come across the conch shell on the beach at the inception of the novel. They use it to summon all of the boys after they are separated by the crash. Ralph says, “Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things.” (Golding) The conch shell transforms into the powerful symbol of order which governs the civilization. During the meetings among the boys, whoever holds the shell is attributed the right to speak. Thus, the symbol attains to be a paramount signifier of political legitimacy and democracy. The conch shell loses its omnipotence as the civilization descends to savagery. The boys of Jack’s tribe ignore Ralph when he endeavors to blow the conch in their camp. Later in the novel, the conch shell is destroyed by the boulder signifying the demise of civilized instinct among the dwellers of the island.
In stark contrast, the severed sow’s head is offered to the beast by Jack, the leader of the hunter tribe. The author pens, “The head is for the beast. It's a gift.” (Golding) The head becomes a pivotal symbol of power in the chronology of the novel. When Simon confronts the head, it seems to come to life and speak to him declaring that evil is within every human being. The sow’s head moreover declares to have “fun” with him which is like a premonition for Simon’s shocking demise. The Lord of the Flies or the head thus comes across as the physical manifestation of the beast which brings jeopardy and savagery in the lives of these boys. It symbolizes the enormity of evil power and acts like a satanic figure evoking the devil inside everyone’s heart. In its Biblical parallel, the expression ‘Lord of the Flies’ stands for the literal translation of Beelzebub’s name. Just like this powerful devil dwelling in hell, the head too is like the devil which looms over the cursed island.
The novel explores the ominous effect of hunger for power among the young lads. It is the quest for attaining paramount power that makes the boys shatter the orderly structure and causes strife. Once immense power is achieved, it may have a positive impact on the person or may even corrupt him to the core. The Lord of the Flies exercises its power by intimidation. The baleful head says to Simon, “I’m warning you. I’m going to get angry.” (Golding) Ralph stands as the archetypal character which refuses to give in to the dark side of human nature. In stark contrast, Jack is the usurper who goes on to abuse the immense power which is attributed to him.
Another quintessential aspect of the novel is its expression of the power of symbols. Transcendental powers are vested in the conch shell and the sow’s head and they go on to be the omnipotent machinery for governance. In the course of the novel, when things have gone haywire, Ralph “took the shell caressingly with both hands” reminiscent of the times when the conch was the symbol of supreme power. (Goldsmith) In an allegorical representation of humanity and the world, the author aptly portrays how through the establishment or destruction of their markers, the impetus of power is channelized or controlled.
The leaders of both the groups exercise their authority through the symbol of power. While the conch stands for Ralph’s supremacy, Jack uses the sow’s head as the symbolic representation of his transcendence in the domain of the deserted island. Ralph accuses Jack saying, “You’re a beast”, thereby signifying his abuse of power. (Golding) The symbols are noting but the microcosm of the cultural markers or institutions which are utilized by the leaders across the globe to govern and condition the masses. Thus, Lord of the Flies asserts its portraiture of human nature and society and delves deep into the psyche of human mind to decipher the inner demons. The thirst for power and innate nature of savagery are aptly weaved in the story by the author.
Works Cited
Golding, William. Lord of the Files. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1954. Print.
