parts of society. What features are they, what do they represent and how

Although William Golding's, 'the Lord of the Flies', occurs on an island, many of it's

features clearly represent a microcosm of the society we live in today. Most of these

features are conveyed successfully, yet some are not. This essay will explore the

ways in which William Golding has represented modern western society throughout

the text. Features to be analysed are; Ralph who portrays democracy and logic,

Piggy who represents rationality and intellectualism, a "Christ-like figure"

illustrated by Simon, Jack who signifies savagery and anarchy, the conch which

delivers law and order and the beast which mirrors the evil, sins and darkness of

On the island, democracy and logic is represented by Ralph. Golding describes him

as tall, blonde, attractive and is 'built like a boxer', as is stated in the novel. Ralph is

calm and rational with sound judgement and a strong moral sensibility. His

handsome features and the conch as a symbol of power and order, make him stand

out from the other boys and led to his being proclaimed Chief: "Th

feels his society can properly function, showing that he is well organised and is

the island, as it is because of these features that he is brutally murdered.

until reduced to a manageable system. He insists on collecting the names of all the

realises the truth about the beast, discovering that it is a force of evil or savagery

because of this feature that Ralph's once democratic society is brought down to it's

and intelligence. He represents rationality, intellectualism and the ways of thinking

kill?" "Which is better - law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up?" (p.

things test the conch one of which is the beast.

island, as there are more powerful forces than he can account for.

"A deep harsh note boomed under the palms, spread through the intricacies of the

partly successful. We are unaware what happens to Jack at the end of the novel,

island to deteriorate. It goes from being a nightmare in some little boy's dreams in

appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch." This

On the island, the evil, sins and darkness of society is represented by the Beast. For

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1548
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)