Allegory In Lord Of The Flies Essay - 1148 Words

Authors and writers use allegories in their writings as literary devices that convey hidden meanings through characters, events, or imagery, which come together to develop moral, spiritual, or political ideas (â€Å"Allegory – Examples†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Many people believe that William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel in which its main characters represent political ideas. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an allegory as a symbolic representation (1). Ralph, a good-looking, charismatic boy, represents the democratic government. Piggy, a weak, yet smart kid, embodies a few different parts of government that society usually forgets are a part of government. Jack, one of the older boys and the leader of the choir group, symbolizes an†¦show more content†¦Ralph’s leadership skills help demonstrate that he is an allegory for a democratic government. Like democratic governments, Ralph tries his best to maintain law and order within the group of boys. Ralph knows that to maintain order between the boys that there needs to be a chief to decide what they should do to help the group be rescued (Golding 22). Like governments have kings, popes, leaders, and Presidents, Ralph is the leader of the group of boys. Ralph knows there should be a great leader who will keep all the boys safe until someone can rescue them. A journal written by two women examines how the characters in the novel symbolize something more than just characters in the book. The journal states that the first thing the boys think about is how to maintain order and law; they decide to set up hierarchies (Thapliyal and Shakuntala 2). The group of boys take on a democratic role by voting for who will become the chief over them. Ralph wins the vote and takes on the chief position which immediately brands him a symbol of a democratic government. Even as the story progresses, Ralph still tries to maintain order. In chapter five, Ralph talks to all the boys and he basically tells them that in order to be rescued, they need to start following the orders that he commands them to follow. He tells them that they made him chief and that they will do as he says (Golding 79-81). RalphShow MoreRelatedEssay on Allegory in Lord of the Flies1473 Words   |  6 PagesAllegory in Lord of the Flies In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, which is set during World War II, English school boys, escaping war in England, crash on a deserted tropical island. From the protected environment of boarding school, the boys are suddenly thrust into a situation where they must fend for themselves. In order to survive, the boys copy their country’s rule for a civilized life by electing a leader, Ralph. 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