Ocean Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies
A symbol is anything that represents an object, an idea, a character, an action, or an
animal in the story. Many times, these symbols signify something conceptual, like
a force of nature, a condition of the world, or an idea. In the book, Lord Of The
Flies, there are many symbols that signify the beginning or end of something new
in the story. For example, the island and the ocean, the water current flowing
backwards, and the beast all symbolize a new change and realization to the story.
The island and the ocean symbolize an uncharted, untouched area, the indefinite
and endless nature of life that can change from calm to chaos in seconds, and, also,
strength, tranquility, and stability. The island and the ocean symbolize both a
paradise and also the destructive nature of humanity. The island can symbolize a
Garden of Eden, a pristine and bountiful place where the boys can begin anew. In
the beginning of the book, Jack says, we are going to have fun on this island
(Golding 104). The boys really did think of this island as a paradise, or at least
Jack did. However, much like the biblical Garden of Eden, paradise can be
suddenly lost when the boys are enticed by evil. The advent of the boys pollutes
the sanctity of the island, as did the advent of Satan and the eventual temptation of
Eve and loss and innocence ( Lauryn Galloway ). The pristine paradise is set on fire
by the boys and everything gets destroyed but luckily it saved them because a ship
saw the smoke. The ocean can symbolize the incessant and endless nature of life
but it also symbolizes becoming astray and then finding one s way through life.
The ocean is a boundless space isolating the boys from all they once knew about
the world. But after Simon dies and gets washed out into the sea, the ocean
symbolizes all good getting washed away, getting replaced by evil. Simon becomes
the good bygone and Jack becomes the evil washing over. But the island and the
ocean aren t the only symbols in the book. The water current flowing backwards, that
deceives many into thinking it is just a detail, actually symbolizes more. The water
current flowing backwards can symbolize many things. It could be giving the subtle
impression that civilization may be