Golding's Christian Symbolism
“The truth about man is not merely that he is, by nature, savage and afraid, but that he refuses deliverance, and murders the messenger of light”(Dick, “Criticism” 197). This view of our nature as human beings is based on the teachings of the Christian doctrine of original sin, a theory that has been used as a theme in many works of literature. One of these is William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies. Throughout the work, Golding conveys his faith in the theory of original sin through the use of vivid Christian symbolism. He takes his characters, a group of British schoolboys marooned during a futuristic nuclear war, and places them on a small island, establishing a microcosm in which the reader can study and analyze the regressive and savage behavior of mankind as he returns to his primitive state. As an author who is convinced of original sin, Golding shows the gradual effacement of societal values on the island, and the change of the boys from proper, innocent schoolboys, into young savages (Baker, “Essays” 17). Golding wrote the novel as a Christian allegory, and thus presented numerous Christian symbols including a Christ-figure, the clairvoyant Simon (Swisher 36). Through his development of characters and plot in th
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Dick Golding, Joseph Arimathea, Lord Flies, Baker Golding, Kingdom God, Jack Piggy, Adam Eve, Simon Christ, Throughout Golding, Knowledge Evil, lord flies, beast simon, pigs head, original sin, adam eve, head stick, creatures fiery eyes, nature beast, simons death, boys aware, dick golding, inquisitive bright creatures,
Approximate Word count = 3854
Approximate Pages = 15 (250 words per page double spaced)
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