Research Paper on The Lord of the Flies
Research Paper on The Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding�s Lord of the Flies can be viewed as a political allegory with characters representing world leaders during World War II. It can also be seen as symbolic, with many different objects representing other things or ideas. On the island, Ralph wants democracy, Jack wants dictatorship, and Roger is the sadistic one who provides evil. In The Lord of the Flies things such as the conch, the fire, and the beast each provide their own symbolic meaning.
The story seems to be a political allegory when examining the main characters. According to literary critic Diane Andrews Henningfeld, �Ralph , for example, stands for the good hearted but not entirely effective leader of a democratic state, a ruler who wants to rule by law derived from the common consent� (188). Ralph feels he needs to establish rules in order to ensure order and stability. The only way for this to be sustained is if these rules are not broken. This idea of rules being made supports a democratic society. Being the oldest boy, Ralph was chosen to be chief and he continues to tell the others what they need to do in order to survive. However most boys disagree and think of Ralph as demanding, bossy, and an ineffective leader.
Piggy is another boy stranded on the island who helps and gives advice to support Ralph. Henningfeld adds, �Piggy is his advisor, someone who is unable to rule because of his own social and physical shortcomings, but he is who is able to offer sound advice to the political leader� (188). Piggy helps Ralph in every way he can and tries to prevent Ralph from giving up his democratic rule. Toward the end of the novel, some of the boys decide to join Jack�s tribe and abandon Ralph. This wipes out the democratic rule on the island, just like several European countries were wiped out during World War II. Henningfeld stated, �In the early 1950�s, the world appeared to be divided into two camps: the so called Free World of Western Europe and the United States, and the so called Iron Curtain World of Communist Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union� (188). The island itself had two groups separated: Ralph�s group of democracy and Jack�s group ruled by dictatorship....
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