Symbolism in William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’

Symbolism in William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ Definition: A symbol is something that is itself as well as something else. In literature it means literal or objective sense coupled with abstract meaning. Symbolism refers to serious and extensive use of symbols in a work of literature. Symbolism in Lord of the Flies: The novel is rich in symbolism. A host of different interpretations of the novel’s symbolism – political, psychological and religious – exists. We will look at some of the prominent symbols employed by Golding and try harmonizing the different interpretations. Since symbolism is an evocative device to communicate the theme of a literary piece, we must first agree on the theme of Lord of the Flies. Theme: Evil inherent in man seems to be the central idea of the novel. It may recall the Christian notion of the ‘original sin’ or the idea of the failure of civilization as seen during the Nazi Holocaust or a general pessimistic view of human nature. It may be all the three combined. A group of boys aged 6 to 12 find themselves alone on an island, without adult supervision. At first they try to organize themselves on the pattern of the civilized world they have known. The attempt fails and most of them regress into savagery and animal existence. The novel was deliberately patterned on the children’s classic ‘The Coral Island’ by R. M. Ballantyne. Only, it turns Ballantyne’s theme on its head. Whereas Ballantyne made the children’s isolation on the island a pleasant interlude in a continued life of civilized existence, Golding shows how thin the veneer of civilization really is and how the animal nature of man breaks through in just a few weeks. It is not so much moral judgment as recognition of the essential tragedy of mankind – its intellectual and spiritual nature losing out to its animal nature again and again. Important Symbols: 1. The Scar: The novel starts with the mention of a scar in the jungle. We learn (or rather, surmise) later that it is a swath cut by the falling ‘passenger tube’ in which the children were travelling. The word scar appears in the text without this preliminary information and serves to create atmosphere. The metaphor prepares us for the horrible things to come. In itself it is also the symbol of man’s disruptive influence on his world. 2. The Conch: It makes its appearance as an accidental find of Ralph and Piggy on the beach. It soon assumes importance as Ralph, on Piggy’s advice, blows it to gather the survivors. Ralph is elected leader of the group mainly because he was the one in possession of the conch. From here onwards the conch becomes a symbol of law and order. At meetings the speaker has to hold it in his hands. It gives him the privilege of being heard uninterrupted. Order starts breaking down in the fifth chapter when Jack speaks without holding it. Later, breakdown of order is signalled by Jack snatching it from Ralph in the eighth chapter. In the tenth chapter Jack raids the shelter occupied by Ralph and Piggy to rob Piggy of his glasses. But he does not bother to take the conch away. It is no longer important. In the eleventh chapter the conch is destroyed, symbolizing the complete rout of order at the hands of chaos. 3. The Man with the Megaphone (Grown-ups): When Piggy meets Ralph, his first question is, â€Å"Where is the man with the megaphone? A few pages later the question is repeated by Jack, â€Å"Where is the man with the trumpet? † This, we can assume, was the man in charge of the boys in the aeroplane He stands for authority and control which has suddenly been removed by the crash. A grown-up appears again only at the end in the form of the naval officer who saves the life of Ralph without realizing the fact and brings an e nd to the chaos. But conversely, the adult is the cause of the boys being there in the first place. The war raging outside is nothing but the conflict on the island on a much grander scale. The appearance of the naval officer at close suggests that civilization has been given another chance, despite the bleak outlook. 4. Beast from Air: In the sixth chapter another adult appears on the scene – a dead parachutist. He has apparently evacuated himself from a warplane that has been hit. The man crashes to his death at the top of the hill on the island. He, with his parachute, is taken to be a mysterious supernatural beast by the boys among whom the talk of a snake-like beast of the jungle is already rampant. The dead parachutist is not, however, just an extension of the ghost metaphor. He also represents the historical past intruding on the scene and influencing it in a profound manner. For the boys the historical past is the war they left behind. For humanity it would be the past of man as an insidious influence in his present. 5. The Beast – Lord of the Flies: The title of the novel is itself symbolic. The phrase is a literal translation of the Hebrew ‘Beelzebub’, one of the demons named after a philistine god. Later the term was often used in Christianity as a name for the Devil. The metaphor is one of regression (in its original sense of paganism) and evil (in its later meaning of the Devil). In the novel one of the younger boys, who is referred to as ‘the boy with the birthmark on his face’, tells the others about having seen a snake-like beast on the trees. Though Ralph tries to allay their fears as unfounded, the belief in the beast persists. It is strengthened by the unexplained disappearance of the boy with the birthmark. It is reinforced by the ‘beast from air’ mentioned above, so mush so that even Ralph and Piggy start entertaining the possibility of a beast. Jack, half believing himself, uses the fear cleverly to keep his followers under control. He makes the ritual sacrifice of a wild sow to the beast and lets the head of the animal hang on a stick, ostensibly to appease the beast. Only Simon does not believe in the existence of a beast. In his wanderings in the forest he comes across the head of the sow and the entrails of the animal which have attracted a lot of flies by now. He has a hallucination in which the head appears to him as lord of the flies and speaks to him. The symbolism of the beast is also stated in this imaginary conversation in so many words, as follows: â€Å"You knew, didn’t you? I am part of you?†¦ I am the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are? † The beast is within man, not without. It is the darkness in men’s hearts. It is their primitive nature, hidden behind a thin layer of civilization. 6. The Signal Fire and the Shelters on the Beach: The signal fire and the shelters symbolize ordered society, civilization and hope. They are contrasted with the barbaric and blood-thirsty hunts. The signal fire is Ralph’s idea. He believes that the children will be rescued soon and therefore there should be a smoke signal going all the time for a passing ship to spot. Piggy, who is more of a realist, realizes that those who were expected to know about the children are all dead and it may be a long time before rescue comes. So he suggests the building of shelters. Though both symbols together stand for civilization against barbarism, there is this subtle difference between them, arising as they do from their originators’ differing perceptions of the situation. 7. The Hunts and Mock Hunts: Together with painted faces and long hair the hunts and mock hunts symbolize regression into primitive savagery. The hunters not only seem to have lost all hope of returning to civilization, but they seem to actually enjoy the prospect and neglect to keep the signal fire burning. The hunts can be interpreted as symbolizing the boys' primal urges or even anarchy. Soon after the hunts start, they cease to be a necessary activity aimed at gathering food. The lust for blood becomes more important. Ceremonies and chants invented by the hunters similarly denote regression. The mock hunts of Chapters 4 and 7 are manifestations of regression too. The mock hunts serve another purpose. In Chapter 4 the mock hunt is a mild affair, performed largely for fun. In the seventh chapter it turns into a violent affair in which the boy playing the hunted animal suffers injuries. Thus the mock hunts define the regression of the hunters as civilized humans. The scene in Chapter 7 also shows the good and sensible Ralph feeling the excitement of the mock hunt, thus showing how evil can take hold of any human, unless resisted. 8. Painted Faces and Long Hair: This is the heading of Chapter 4. The degeneration of the boys' way of life is symbolized by clay-and- charcoal masks and long hair. When concealed by masks, the hunters, especially Ralph, seem to have new personalities as they forget the taboos of society that once restrained them from giving in to their natural urges. When Jack first paints his face to his satisfaction, he suddenly becomes a new, savage person. â€Å"He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. He capered toward Bill, and the mask was a thing of its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness†. The feeling of liberation that results from wearing the masks allows many of the boys to participate in the barbaric pig hunts, the savage ceremonies and the mock hunts. 9. The Island: Those who incline towards a religious interpretation of the novel’s symbolism maintain that the island is the symbol for the Garden of Eden, which is touched by original sin on contact with the human race. This interpretation may have some merit. But the symbolism can be equally validly interpreted as the state of nature to which the civilized children have been returned. It provides the setting for the opening up of their fundamental urges. 10. The Characters: The principal characters – Ralph, Piggy, Simon, Jack and Roger – symbolize certain attitudes and qualities. Ralph and Piggy are on the side pf law and order. Jack and Roger represent primitive urges and tyranny. Simon is a mystic who has clearer view of reality than the intellectual Piggy, the sensible Jack or the manipulative Jack. But we have to be careful not to over-emphasize the point. Otherwise the realistic and believable quality of the characters will be compromised. The symbolism lies more in how the characters grow or regress rather than in their basic make-up. Jack’s character is the most significant from this point of view. From the leader of a choir group he regresses into the leader of a violent and primitive group which calls itself a ‘tribe’. The above list of symbols is by no means exhaustive. The novel is replete with metaphors and symbols. Lord of the Flies is called a twentieth century allegory. It is also one of the most carefully crafted novels of the century. In consequence the careful reader can find a symbol on almost every page. s

Hubble Studies Giant Gas Bubbles Near our Galaxys Core

Hubble Studies Giant Gas Bubbles Near our Galaxy's Core Its an ancient galactic mystery with a modern explanation: two million years ago, something happened at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Something energetic. Something that sent two huge bubbles of gas billowing out to space. Today, they stretch out across more than 30,000 light-years of space, extending above and below the plane of the Milky Way.  No one was around to see it then at least no humans on Earth. Our earliest primate  ancestors were just learning to walk upright, and astronomy was not likely on their list of activities. So, this major explosion went unnoticed. Yet, it was a titanic event, driving gases and other material outward at two million miles per hour, didnt affect our plane then and it wont likely affect us in the future. However, it does show us what happens when a massive explosion occurs some 25,000 light-years away from our planet. Hubble Sleuths the Cause of the Explosion Astronomers used  Hubble Space Telescope  to look through one lobe of the bubbles toward a very distant quasar. Thats a galaxy that is very bright in  both visible and other wavelengths of light. The quasars passed through the bubbles of gas, which allowed Hubble to peer inside the  bubble to learn more about it- like  looking at a distant light shining through a fog bank.   The enormous structure illustrated in this image was discovered five years ago as a gamma-ray glow on the sky in the direction of the galactic center. The balloon-like features have since been observed in x-rays and radio waves. The Hubble Space Telescope presented a good way to measure the velocity and composition of the mystery lobes.  With the data from HST,  astronomers will work on calculating the mass of the material being blown out of our galaxy. That might also let them figure out just what happened to send all this gas billowing out of the galaxy in the first place. What Caused this Massive Galactic Explosion? The two most likely scenarios that explain these bipolar lobes are 1) a firestorm of star birth at the Milky Ways center or 2) the eruption of its supermassive black hole.   This isnt the first time that gaseous winds and streams of material have been seen coming from the centers of galaxies, but its the first time astronomers have detected evidence for them in our own galaxy.   The giant lobes are called Fermi Bubbles. They were initially spotted using NASAs Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to track gamma-rays.  These emissions are a powerful clue that a violent event in the galaxys core aggressively launched energized gas into space. To provide more information about the outflows, Hubbles Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) studied the ultraviolet light from a distant quasar that lies beyond the base of the northern bubble. Imprinted on that light as it travels through the lobe is information about the velocity, composition, and temperature of the expanding gas inside the bubble, which only COS can provide. The COS data show that the gas is rushing from the galactic center at roughly 3 million kilometers an hour (2 million miles an hour). of the gas at approximately 17,500 degrees Fahrenheit, which is much cooler than most of the 18-million-degree gas in the outflow. This cooler gas means that some interstellar gas could be getting caught up in the outflow.   COS observations also reveal that the clouds of gas contain the elements silicon, carbon, and aluminum.  These are produced inside stars.   Does this mean that star formation or star death is involved in the original event that formed the bubbles? Astronomers think that one possible cause for the outflows is a star-making frenzy near the galactic center. Eventually, those hot, young massive stars die in supernova explosions, which blow out gas. If a lot of them exploded at once, it might spur the formation of a huge gas bubble.   Another scenario has a star or a group of stars falling onto the Milky Ways supermassive black hole. When that happens, gas superheated by the black hole blasts deep into space and that could be what filled out the bubbles.   Those bubbles are short-lived compared to the age of our galaxy (which is more than 10 billion years old). Its possible that these arent the first bubbles to billow out from the core. It could have happened before.   Astronomers will continue to look at these bubbles using distant quasars as illuminators, so it might not be too long before we hear just what it was that caused a huge commotion at the heart of the Milky Way Galaxy.  They may well also be interested in studying smaller such bubbles that form as a result of supernova explosions and the actions of hot young stars. Such bubbles actually work to protect systems encased within. One example is the Local Interstellar Cloud, which encases the solar system today. In a few tens of thousands of years, the Sun and planets will move outside of it, exposing our system to radiation levels it hasnt experienced for a long time.

The Georgia Colony was one of the 13 original colo Essays

The Georgia Colony was one of the 13 original colo Essays The Georgia Colony was one of the 13 original colonies in America. The 13 original colonies were divided up into three regions including the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The Georgia Colony was one of the Southern Colonies which also included the Maryland Colony, the Virginia Colony, the North Carolina Colony and the South Carolina Colony. The Georgia Colony was the last of the 13 original colonies to be established. It was founded in 1732 by several colonists including James Oglethorpe. The Georgia Colony was named after King George II of England, as specified by the king himself in the charter granting the colony . Some of the struggles colonists faced were shortages of food, adjusting to the new climate, and in the first summer many people died of yellow fever . Most people in colonial Georgia were small farmers. Each family was given a small farm, which descended to the male heir. The people were somewhat isolated from the rest of the colonies, and mail hardly reached Georgia, especially farther from the coast. There weren't roads to connect settlers, and the only town was the small village of Savannah. I n colonial Georgia, women worked hard cooking, cleaning, raising vegetables, spinning wool and yarn and raising children. They also knitted clothing, like stockings and sweaters, and they made their own soap and candles. Women were also tasked with milking cows, churning milk to make butter and gathering berries and nuts as additional food sources. Some fun facts about colonial Georgia are that Georgia's original name was Province of Georgia. Georgia was the last American colony founded , nearly 50 years after the other 12. Georgia's capital has moved four times since it was founded. Georgia went through many hardships. Colonist struggled with the summer heat, and did not have much land to work with. Women had it especially hard because they had to raise their children while doing many different tasks. This last American colony to be founded has managed to survive after all their hardships and isolation from the other colonies.

Characteristics of the Green Roof and How It Reduces Energy Cost Assignment

Characteristics of the Green Roof and How It Reduces Energy Cost - Assignment Example This layer of materials accommodates water and contains nutrients for the green roof plants. Another characteristic feature of the green roof is its potential to emulate a real garden. This feature allows the roofing system to be used as an economic and social resource. It makes an economic contribution from its potential as a garden and social impacts from its capacity to be used for recreation purposes. In its application, the green roof shelters dwellers of a building in the same way as the traditional roofing works but doubles as natural vegetation (Voelz and Loux, p. 2). Based on its features, the green roof plays significant economic roles. The agricultural aspect, for instance, generates food resources among other materials. The system particularly plays a significant economic role in regulating expenditure in energy costs. Since it is a poor heat conductor, the green roof is able to maintain a favorable room temperature irrespective of the environment. It subsequently saves the amount of money that could be used in warming houses during cold seasons and cooling houses during hot seasons. The technology is however not yet popular among people and has therefore not been appreciated (Voelz and Loux, p. 4, 5). EPA regulations, for EPA buildings, are associated with a number of efficiencies to the environment. Examples of the efficiencies include â€Å"water efficiency, waste reduction, toxics reduction, and indoor air quality† (Epa, p. 1). Departments in the Environmental Protection Agency with the aim of ensuring safety and improving environmental conditions run these efficiency programs. The water efficiency program facilitates manufacture and distribution of water facilities and water services to the public. As a result, water efficiency provides for quality in water supply and services to promote healthy living standards among the public. Waste reduction efficiency, on the other hand, protects the environment from pollution.

Marketign Strategies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketign Strategies - Research Paper Example According to Neyman (n.d.), there are three fundamental strategies that can be used to maximize profits in a business: 1. Maximize every order’s dollar size 2. Maximize the frequency of sales 3. Maximize the volume of customers. Some of the useful ways in which each of these three marketing strategies can be implemented are discussed below: Businessmen should look out for ways in which they can increase their sales, without having to compromise upon profitability. One way to achieve this is by making use of the â€Å"buy one get one free† strategy. For instance, let’s suppose there is a businessman who owns a pizza hut. The businessman can achieve the three objectives mentioned above by offering the customers to have one personal size pizza for free upon purchase of a family size pizza. Then, when a considerable number of customers are able to make use of this deal, the businessman can upgrade the offer by offering the customers a family size pizza for free upon purchase of one family size pizza but with an addition of only five dollars. A customer loyalty program can often work wonders when maximization of profits is the goal. Such programs require the owner to provide the customers with a pre-defined discount upon shopping of a certain level. For instance, if a customer spends up to $100 at a shop, he/she can be granted a discount of 10 per cent upon the next order.

Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical Thinking - Essay Example Performing a critical analysis is not usually easy for an individual because of the abundance and ambiguous status of the facts pertinent to the scenarios that are to be analyzed. Some cases require further scrutiny to uncover unknown details, which are really important thus initial skepticism and open-mindedness are often required in developing good critical thinking. (Bloom's Taxonomy Internet) Take for example a certain job regarding work relation in a specific office. A certain piece of valuable went missing and the whole work community in the office is already chattering blaming a shy and timid employee as the thief who stole the missing valuable. Employing critical thinking would not let someone to hastily judge that employee because of his social diffidence. Instead of inappropriate judgment, analyze first the case at hand and evaluate the details pertinent to it to find clues and information leading to the solution. Failure to practice critical thinking will only lead to inac curate and often wrong conclusion thus neglecting the purpose of the human logical capabilities. Proper judgment requires the critical thinking and analysis of the available information and specific details. It is very important that one must first utilize his or her brain before jumping to any hasty judgment to avoid mistakes and further aggravation of the problem already at hand. Thus, solution and accurate knowledge can only be attained by having critical analysis of the facts leading to the plausible conclusion. Several factors of education explain a person's pattern of learning. The aspects of philosophy of thinking and learning which merely refers to the thought provoking a person to have a yearning for learning usually helps an educator determine the progress of his student with regards to what he is teaching and what his student is able to grasp for learning.(King 3) The following paragraphs shall discuss the mentioned factors of education and shall clarify some points of consideration concerning the principles of learning involved in education. (King 4) Learning involves the utilization of reality. What does the context of reality actually mean Reality as defined refers to the facts that are present in the society. These so-called facts support the existence of several things in the environment. Through the utilization of the realties in educating a person, an educator is supposed to help the student reject the impractical and visionary aspects of learning. Through this matter of teaching, a student is able to see the importance of what is obviously seen and not what is simply imaginary. Gaining knowledge through this way would naturally help a person understand his being and his environment as well based on constructed foundation of belief. Naturally, learning in a perennial way gives an individual the most important knowledge he has to learn from life. His experiences are generated to become sources of practical understanding, which in turn would help him cope up with life's challenges due to the fact that he has learned to face h e said obstacles through his experiential learning. (King 5) One's ability to value what he learns follows the process of learning. His capability of applying the knowledge he has gained is the turning point of his learning and the fact

Throughout his novel Essay Example for Free

Throughout his novel Essay Reread the begging of section one of the novel. Write about the ways the writer uses details in this passage to make the reader think about the changes, events and ideas in the novel; in the way the writer uses detail in his passage to prepare the reader for the ending. Throughout his novel, Of mice and Men John Steinbeck presents many ideas about the bias system that prevents working class people from amounting to anything, and how the fates of ranch hands and particularly the character of Lennie are inevitable. His use of language and literary techniques in order to develop his character and setting are used to prompt the reader to consider these ideas. The vocabulary that Steinbeck choices to describe the brush in both sections one and six of the novel mirror each other. Steinbeck has Lennie repeating the actions from section one to make us think back to the beginning of the novella, and consider the characters that he has created. Steinbecks meticulous use of detail throughout the novel makes it more memorable to the reader and so when in section 6 Lennie appear[s] out of the brush they are instantly reminded of the opening, as though the novel has come full circle. Steinbeck chose to set the ending to Of Mice and Men in the same setting as he chose to set the first to show the monotony and routine of the ranch hands and despite the dreams they may have, the reality of the situation makes hopes impossible. We, as the readers are aware from the start that the text is likely to end where it began as Steinbeck has the character, Lennie repeating what George said about the brush so [he doesnt] forget it, consequently the repetition also had the phrase stick in the minds of the novels audience. So when Lennie remembers his instructions from George in section Six, so do the audience. Steinbeck sets section six of the novel after the sun had left the valley which mirrors the first section which was also set in the evening. However the night also serves another purpose of suggesting that at the end of the day also comes the end of Lennies life, making the reader consider what has happened in the novel between sections one and six to lead to this moment and the comments Steinbeck was trying to communicate. The language choices Steinbeck makes to describe Lennie are throughout often quite animalistic. Although to demonstrate his size when Lennie is described as a bear, these terms serve a secondary purpose of making Lennie seem more animal than human. The very end of the novel and Lennies death are foreshadowed by the events in section 3 when Candys dog is led away to be shot. Later on Candy reveals that he feels that he should have shot him myself, which is what George does in the way Carlson describes in the bunkhouse. These similarities make Lennie seem like an animal however the metaphor goes further, suggesting that people at the time were all treated badly or like animals as Lennie is in this novel. In conclusion, the details that Steinbeck presents the final section of the novel Of Mice and Men make the reader think about other sections of the novel, particularly the begging as much of the imagery used in the final section is either the same or similar.