1. Lord of the Flies
Last of the Allegories

2. LOTF: Last of the Allegories
What is an ALLEGORY?
A figure of rhetoric
The use of symbols to portray a moral or message
Fables or parables are short allegories with one definite message
Example: “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”
In this fable, the boy is an allegory for children who do not tell the truth and are not believed in the end

3. LOTF: Last of the Allegories
Allegory VS. Symbol
They are similar, but an allegory is sustained longer, and is more fully detailed.
Example: In LOTF, Piggy’s glasses symbolize intellect, knowledge, and civilization.
Example: In LOTF, the allegory of Piggy’s glasses express the eventual and unavoidable decline of mankind when faced with terms of survival.

4. LOTF: Last of the Allegories
The Role of an Allegory
Allegories were the method of choice for education many years ago. Why?
Entertainment
Easy to remember = Easy to pass on
Underlying principles were used for teaching lessons

5. LOTF: Last of the Allegories
The Decline of the Allegory
We are a LITERALISTIC CULTURE grounded in an era of INSTANT GRATIFICATION (that including the information we receive). We are tired of figuring out “the message”; rather, we want it clearly delivered upfront.
Proves why allegories are difficult to comprehend
LOTF is one of the last novels to have substantial allegories

6. LOTF: Last of the Allegories
Allegory Exposed in LOTF
Political Allegory (think: WWII, Cold War, atomic destruction)
Psychological Allegory (think: human psyche)
Religious Allegory (think: Garden of Eden, Christ-like characters, God VS. Satan)

7. LOTF: Last of the Allegories
Political Allegory
The world was divided into two “camps”: Free World VS. Soviet Union. Which characters represent these two camps? Ralph and Jack
The Cold War brought about fears of atomic destruction – those of which were materialized in LOTF.

8. LOTF: Last of the Allegories
Psychological Allegory
Freudian Understanding of the Human Psyche:
The Id: The part of the unconscious mind that works to gratify its own impulses. Character? JACK
The Superego: Part of the mind that seeks to control impulsive behavior (of the Id). Character? PIGGY
The Ego: Part of the mind that mediates between the Id’s demand for pleasure and the controlled thoughts of the Superego. Character? RALPH

9. LOTF: Last of the Allegories
Religious Allegory
The Garden of Eden = the island
Describes the perfect living condition with food/water, good weather, etc. Favorable details show its (close-to) “perfect” state: UTOPIA.
Golding portrays this “Eden” with a sense of evil at the same time to create a foreboding of something terrible. The island ends up in a state of misery: DYSTOPIA.

10. LOTF: Last of the Allegories
Religious Allegory
Lord of the Flies = Satan/evil (living inside mankind)
Simon = quiet/observer; always does good to benefit others (littluns); used as the sacrificial lamb; he is the Christ-like symbol. His encounter with the Lord of the Flies is important because it represents something pure; good VS. evil in its worst form (Satan).