Lord of the Flies

Lord of The Flies Symbolism Christian Gao Brendan Weissberg Sanam Monjazeb Jenny Boranian

THE iD

According to Freud, the Id is defined as a part of the mind’s unconscious which holds the instinctive impulses to satisfy a personal need.

Jack characterizes the Id:

“ We want Meat.” (Golding 64)

THE iD

The Id Symbolizes Survival

“ The dog–like(Jack), Uncomfortably on all fours yet unheeding his discomfort. Here was loop of creeper with a tendril pendant from a node. The tendril was polished on the under side; pigs, passing through the loop, brushed it with their bristly hide.” (Golding 61)

Jack is on the ground, using his Id instinct to determine if a pig has passed this trail.

Samneric

Symbolizes:

Unity

Loyalty

EX:

“ Listen, Ralph. Never mind what’s sense. That’s gone-”

“ -Never mind about the chief-”

“ -you got to go for your own good” (Golding 188).

Unity: Samneric symbolizes unity because they do everything together from helping each other complete tasks to finishing each other’s sentences. They act as one and the boys on the island start calling them Samneric because they never leave each other.

Samneric

Loyalty:

Samneric are very loyal to Ralph and do whatever has to be done without question. Even when Jack rebels they don’t go with him because they know its wrong and they don’t want to hurt Ralph. They stay with Ralph and resist Jack’s attempts to sway everyone from his noble beliefs. They go with Jack in the end because he tortures them and forces them to become part of his savagery. Even in the end, they are still loyal to Ralph.

“ You got to go, Ralph. You go away now-”(Golding 266)

When they see Ralph they told him to escape while he can instead of turning him in.

Ralph

Ralph represents civilization

When Ralph is elected leader of the boys in the beginning of the book, he tells the group that they should first set up a civilization

Ralph designates a group of hunters to find food and keep a signal fire going in an attempt to return to civilization. He also makes huts for shelter

“ If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us…We must make a fire” (Golding 38).

This quote shows that Ralph is concerned with the advances of the group and is interested in finding the way back to civilization

Ralph

Ralph also represents order

Ralph determines that the conch shell represents authority and whoever holds it has the right to speak

He is the main boy to blow the conch shell, followed by a meeting

Ralph organized what everyone must do so they can survive on the island and eventually be rescued

“ I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak…” (Golding 33).

The Scar

Symbolizes man’s destructive forces

Literally is where the airplane crashed on the island and the dead man in it was mistaken for a beast

Crash demonstrates destruction outside of the world that the boys have created on the island while inspiring savagery in the boys

It’s the root of the boys’ fear of this “beast” that leads to death and chaos in the island

Example: “ the figure fell and crumpled among the blue flowers of the mountain-side, but now there was a gentle breeze at this height too and the parachute flopped and banged and pulled.” (Golding 95)

The Scar

*Simon’s death was due to the mistaken idea that he was the beast

When the “beast” (dead pilot) floated to the island from the sky, it was foreshadowing of the death, destruction, and chaos that was to overtake the island

“ the beast was on its knees in the center, its arms folded over its face. It was crying out against the abominable noise something about a body on the hill.” (Golding 152)

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