Silly Little Boy example essay topic

Lord of the Flies Essay In the compelling story Lord of the Flies, author, William Golding uses symbolism to help the reader comprehend the concept of this story. Lord of the Flies takes place in the 1940's, around the time of WWII. A plane containing a group of young British boys around the ages 7-14 crashes on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean. Any adults on this plane were killed by the crash, and now only children are on this island. A young boy by the name of Ralph is elected by the other boys to be leader. This enrages another young boy named Jack, since he wanted to be leader.

Conflicts emerge, and boys start splitting up, causing hostility between the groups. Emotions are soaring and lives are being taken as if they were meaningless. In the end the reader is left wondering how things could have gotten so chaotic, and how humans could be so animalistic. I have chosen the fire, the dead parachutist, and the dead pig's head on the stick as key symbols in this story. These symbols played an immense factor in the writing of this book.

They represented the animalistic and human nature that is brought out of these boys as well as the unfamiliar emotions that they are forced to deal with. The fire, I thought represented the boys hope and dedication to being rescued off the island. The importance of this fire can be seen when Golding writes, "I'm scared. Not of the beast. I mean I'm scared of that too. But nobody else understands about the fire.

If someone threw you a rope when you were drowning. If a doctor said take this because if you don't take it you " ll die- you would, wouldn't you? I mean? Can't they see? Can't they understand? Without the smoke signal we " ll die here?

", (Golding, Pg. 139). This fear of possible death keeps them re-lighting the fire so that they can possibly go home. The fire keeps some of the boys from just giving up on everything that matters to them. When the fire is lit, a sense of relief is felt because they know that maybe somebody is on their way at that very moment to rescue them. The fire was such a key concept throughout the whole story. It caused hope and happiness, and it also caused anger and animosity towards others.

In the end the same fire that was used as a way of trying to kill also led to Ralph being rescued from the island. The dead parachutist, which the boys thought was the "beast", represented the extreme fear and the things people would do when faced with something that scares them. I also think that it represents how people's imaginations can make a situation worse. This is clearly shown when Golding writes, "It was furry. There was something moving behind its head- wings. The beast moved too-There were eyes.

Teeth. Claws. We ran as fast as we could. Bashed into things. The beast followed us. I saw it slinking behind the trees.

Nearly touched me!" (Golding, Pg. 100). This quote is a prime example of what fear mixed with imaginations does to people. The boys completely fabricated the entire story but yet they were convinced that the beast was exactly how they described it. The whole "beast" problem is a main problem that caused the splitting up of the boys.

The fear that these boys had swelled into something completely ridiculous, and it cost some boys their lives. The dead pig's head on a stick was such an important part of the story. The minute that Jack and his tribe of hunters killed and sacrificed the dead pig to the "beast", they lost any type of humanistic traits that they once possessed. The head symbolized everything that is evil inside of the boys. Golding represents how evil one of the kids views the head in this piece from the book, "You are a silly little boy.

Just an ignorant, silly little boy. Don't you agree? Aren't you just a silly little boy? You'd better run off and play with the others. They think you " re batty. There isn't anyone to help you.

Only me. And I'm the beast. Fancy thinking that the Beast was something you could hunt and kill. You knew didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close!

I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are what they are. I'm warning. I'm going to get angry. D'you see? You " re not wanted.

Understand? We are going to have fun on this island. Understand? So don't try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else! Or else, we shall do you? See?

Jack and Roger and Maurice and Robert and Bill and Piggy and Ralph. Do you. See?" (Golding, Pg. 143-44). Jack and his tribe of hunters lost any kind of respect for life once they got used to killing pigs.

The head was a symbol of the animalistic savages they had become. The head symbolized upcoming tragedy and death. The majority of the boys lost what they had learned from civilization. They lost the emotion to sympathize and to be compassionate.

By losing this they were able to kill anyone who they disagreed with. The head showed how evil and disgusting a human could become when they lose everything they stand for. It graphically brought you to reality that humans are really like this today. The head represented every war, every massacre, and every person that was slain for some petty reason. It showed the darkest things that arise out of humans, and how sick and twisted some can get. In closing, it is quite evident that symbolism played a massive factor throughout the story.

The fire represented the hope and dedication that can keep a human going through the worst of times. The dead parachutist represented the fear and the way fear can be blown out of proportion when your imagination is working against you. Finally the dead pig's head on a stick represented the hate and the evil that was brought out of the boys. It also symbolized the total lack of humanitarianism in Jack and his band of hunters. Without these key symbols, Lord of the Flies would not of been what it is today, and it would not have made such a dramatic impact on people as it has today.

It has made people think about the human race and what it's becoming as technology progresses. It has also made people think about their own lives and who they are as a member of the human race.