How Does Golding Use Symbols In Lord Of The Flies

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One of the greatest literary devices that is widely used by William Golding in Lord of the Flies is symbolism. This novel is not just a simple adventure on a deserted island island; it goes far beyond the evil within the animal driven boys (Epstein). Symbolism reveal the true nature of humanity and reflect the personalities of society. One of the most significant symbols presented in the novel is the "Lord of the Flies". The beast embodies cruelty, darkness of man's heart, envy, the loss of innocence and Beelzebub. The title The Lord of the Flies carries a variety of meanings. This term is derived from the Assyrians and Hebrew Scriptures (Baker). It was given as nickname after the corruption of Ba’al (Ba'al Zebub), Master of the Heavenly House. After his corruption he was thus known as Beelzebub, Prince of Demons.When Satan first rebelled, he recruited many powerful angels, including Beelzebub. Once they moved to their new residence in Hell, Beelzebub among the other Fallen Angels became known as Seven Princes of Hell (Catholic Encyclopedia). In his new residence, Beelzebub learned to tempt men’s pride .When he was summoned by witches he would appear in a form of a fly. He obtained this new form of himself in Canaan (Occultopedia). In the Biblical sources he…show more content…
In the beginning, the children, especially the littluns’ are afraid of the evil that lives within the island and refer it as a snake-like thing. Later during that day Ralph holds a meeting, to try and convince the rest of the boys that there is no beast. When they ask Simon’s opinion on the beast, he suggests that the beast is within each of the boys and it isn't an external force that lives in the jungle but an internal force. Simon recognizes that the beast represents a kind of savagery and evil that exist within each of the boys. He recognized that “the only enemy of man was man himself”
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