This is a teaching resource on the themes and symbols found in the novel Lord of the Flies for high school students studying the novel.

2. The Pig’s
Head
Castle
Rock
The
Mountain
The
Parachutist
The Conch
The Lagoon

3. The Conch
After Ralph and Piggy discover the Conch it becomes a powerful symbol
reflecting themes of civilisation and authority in the novel. It embodies law and
order and holds the right to speak. It then becomes the vessel of democratic
power and political legitimacy for the boys.
It is fitting that when Rodger rolls the boulder onto Piggy, causing his death, the
conch is also destroyed. The crushing of the conch shell signifies the final
destruction of the civilised instinct in almost all of the boys on the island.

4. The Pig’s
Head
Castle
Rock
The
Mountain
The
Parachutist
The Conch
The Lagoon

5. The Parachutist
It represents the ‘beastie’ that the boys fear. This fear is based on natural
instincts but it is brought to life in a physical form of the parachutist. It
represents the fear within all the characters on the island. They fear the beast
because it exists within each of them. It also symbolises and foreshadows
violence and tragedy, as the parachutist clearly suffered a violent and tragic
death. The rotting of the parachutist’s body represent the rotting away of
civilisation, law and order on the island and the fall of mankind.

6. The Pig’s
Head
Castle
Rock
The
Mountain
The
Parachutist
The Conch
The Lagoon

7. The Pig’s Head

8. The actual head itself represents the ending of a life or
of hope. The head is surrounded by flies and becomes
the Lord of the Flies.
It represents the evil growing within the boys; like the
disgusting smell that gets worse and worse. It shows
that evil never leaves and will remain. It shows that
evil lies within every human heart.
The head becomes a physical representation of the
beast, a symbol of the power of evil or the devil inside
the boys. Lord of the Flies is a translation of the
original Hebrew name, Beelzebub. A name used to
refer to a powerful demon in hell or the devil.

9. The Pig’s
Head
Castle
Rock
The
Mountain
The
Parachutist
The Conch
The Lagoon

10. The Mountain
The mountain is the highest peak on the
island and could be seen as the pinnacle of
life and civilisation on the island. It signifies
the truth as many characters climb to the top
of the mountain in search for truth about the
beast.
The signal fire which begins at the mountain,
is a symbol of the boy’s connection to
civilisation. It serves as a means of rescue
and return to society, a symbol of hope.
Ironically, it is not the signal fire that leads to
their rescue it is the fire of savagery to kill
Ralph.

11. The Pig’s
Head
Castle
Rock
The
Mountain
The
Parachutist
The Conch
The Lagoon

12. Castle Rock
Castle Rock is a fortress, which Jack can defend. It is small and has
no food or soft ground to live on. On Castle Rock there are no rules,
no adult figures and no authority. Here the boys grow to believe they
must hunt or be hunted. It becomes a place where the ‘strong’ thrive
and the ‘weak’ perish. The Castle Rock symbolizes hell on earth.

13. The Pig’s
Head
Castle
Rock
The
Mountain
The
Parachutist
The Conch
The Lagoon

14. The Lagoon
The bright shimmering lagoon represents excitement and adventure at the
beginning of the novel. While at the same time it shows their isolation and the
private utopia they have stumbled upon. Similar to the garden of Eden, the are
handed utopia. As the boys move further and further into the island away from the
lagoon the loss of this excitement and innocence.