Allegory

1. Allegory Symbolism in Lord of the Flies

2. Sucks to your allegory

3. Reader Response: You add meaning To what you read (Within limits)

4. Lots of ways to read lord of the flies • There are LOTS of ways to read the symbolism in LotF, LOTS of possible allegorical meanings • Symbols can mean more than one thing • What’s most important for us is to examine the ways in which the symbols interact with one another. Example: • Piggy symbolizes X • Jack symbolizes Y • By having Jack bully Piggy, Golding shows that X can overcome Y

5. Some basic symbols • Conch = order, civilization, ideals • Rocks = destruction, violence • Coral Island = Idealism, naiveté • Grown Ups = order, rationality • Woods = subconscious mind • Granitite Platform = order, government • Mountain = Hope • Hunting = Growing savagery • Sow = Mother figure • Masks = Anonymity, freedom from personal responsibility

6. Biblical allegory • Lord of the Flies = The devil (Beelzebub); he’s the reason things are “no go,” the reason things get bad; he’s inside of people (Original Sin). • Ralph = Everyman • Jack = Those who are corrupted by sin, who give in to the devil • Island = Eden: A pure, garden paradise without the sins of society • Children = Innocent? • Simon = Jesus (Simon Peter from the Bible is the “rock” Christ builds his church on); he has mystic powers (can prophecy the future, communicate with the devil); he cares for less fortunate; he is a carpenter; he dies after refusing to give in to the devil’s demands

7. The boys represent parts of human Psyche • The boys represent an internal struggle between the id, ego, and superego • Jack = Id (passion, fun, violence, sex) • Ralph = Ego (Conscious voice of reason, seeks interaction with others within socially acceptable limits) • Piggy = Superego (Maintains societal values, uninfluenced by others) • Simon = Superego (Maintains religious/ spiritual values, uninfluenced by others)

8. Political allegory • Conch = Rules, Order, Ideals • Piggy = Science (“Life is scientific” can’t understand other people, unable to accept personal responsibility) • Piggy’s Specs = Technology ; Science’s ability to clearly see society • Ralph = Charismatic political leader • Jack = Dictator • Simon = Religious values, rejected in favor of science/ technology • Simon and Piggy are foils – Priest and scientist

9. Classical Tragedy • Remember that human flaws hold us back from achieving arete • Dionysus = wine, fertility, dirtiness, fluids, passion • Nietzsche saw this as a movement towards chaos and violence, but also as an integral part of human nature that we cannot reject • Apollo = Clear, rational thinking, the sun, cleanliness, lack of emotion • Pagan elements like sacrifices

10. What happens when people are not watched? • Panoptic Mechanism (Michel Foucault): • By suggesting that you are being watched, authority figures can alter your behavior • You monitor your own behavior because you assume someone else is also monitoring it • An actual “Watcher” is not necessary to maintain order, but the illusion of one is • Overtime, you internalize the idea that you are being watched • They self-monitor for a little while (Roger throws rocks to miss, Jack can’t kill the piglet, they make rules and sort of obey them) • Overtime they realize there are no consequences • Without someone watching, the boys go one of two ways: • Do what’s best for others (Ralph, Simon, Piggy) • Do what’s best for themselves (Jack, Roger) • These sometimes overlap (Ralph and Piggy help kill Simon, Ralph enjoys hunting)