Student Question
In Lord of the Flies, what is the role of religion in the boys' lives?
Quick answer:
In "Lord of the Flies," religion plays a subtle yet significant role, primarily through symbolism and allegory. Simon is depicted as a Christ-like figure, embodying spiritual qualities and ultimately dying for the boys' sins. The boys' belief in "the beast" leads them to create a pagan-like religion, complete with rituals and sacrifices, despite their origins as choir members. This reflects their descent into savagery and the absence of genuine religious guidance on the island.
Many people see Lord of the Flies as a type of a Christian allegory with Simon as being a type of a Christ-like figure. Simon is the only overtly spiritual one in the novel who cares for the sick and infirm, he respects all life, he is quiet, meditative, and often returns to nature to commune with God and the natural world. When Simon is "sacrificed" he dies for the sins of the boys as Jesus died for mankind. The boys like the people of Jesus's time, "know not what they do."
Some critics identify the beast, the pig's head / Lord of the Flies as Beelzebub.
The other boys have to choose which "camp" they wish to stand with--Jack's band of warriors or Ralph's band of rationality. They are kind of making a religious choice although it isn't explicitly stated.
I see religion as not playing...
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a "dominant" role in the novel and in the lives of the boys, but it still is a viable aspect of the novel.
I see the boys making up their own pagan religion as life continues on the island. This is ironic, especially considering Jack's group were former church choir members. Their religion has its roots in the discovery of "the beast". I have heard it said that one often becomes like what one worships. Since the beast is seen as evil, the boys become more evil in their everyday lives, Eventually, the boys raise "the beast" to an almost god-like stature and sacrifice the pigs' head to the it. They also begin to take part in ritualistic dancing. It is during on of those dances that the angelic Simon is killed because the boys mistake him for the demonic beast. Although the boys do not intend to have a '"religious" society, their fears and lack of real religious teaching leads them toward a belief in an evil, pagan "beast" who must be sacrificed to in order to be placated.
Discuss the role of religion in Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
While there is no explicit reference to religion in William Golding's Lord of the Flies, there are many religious aspects to this story. In fact, in one sense the novel is a kind of religious allegory which is set in a figurative Garden of Eden.
The tropical island is a place which is free from evil at the beginning of the novel. It is a pristine place where the boys have the opportunity to create a kind of perfect world until they are rescued. Unfortunately, the boys are soon tormented by things the littluns refer to as "beasties," though it is clear they are the "snake-like" tendrils which are common in a tropical setting (like the snake in Eden).
Simon is the most obvious religious symbol, as he is the character who has a spiritual sense of what is wrong with this island--it is the heart of man. He is killed while trying to speak the truth to them. As his body floats out to sea, the imagery is of a saint who has a halo glowing around his head.
The water rose farther and dressed Simon’s coarse hair with brightness. The line of his cheek silvered and the turn of his shoulder became sculptured marble. The strange attendant creatures, with their fiery eyes and trailing vapors, busied themselves round his head.
On another level, this is a novel full of pagan rituals, such as the pig hunts and the sacrifice of the pig's head known as Lord of the Flies (another name for Beelzebub, or Satan). The only real "god" (with a lower-case "G") in the novel is Jack presiding over his tribe of savages.
It is perhaps too much of a stretch to presume that Golding intended for this novel to be a purely religious story; however, he certainly included plenty of religious trappings and imagery.
In Lord of the Flies, what role does religion play in the boys' lives?
This is a good question. There are many ways in which religion is part of the novel. Let me name a few of things ways.
First, the most obvious way religion plays a role is through Simon. He is the boy that is the more religious of the group. There is a supernatural quality about him in the book. For example, he say one of the most memorable lines in the whole book: "What I mean is . . . maybe it’s only us." In these lines he is referring to the beast. In other words, perhaps the beast is within. From this perspective, Golding might be referring to original sin and human depravity. Also Simon dies as a Christ figure.
Second, the very fact the the island is a secluded place and pristine suggest edenic overtones. More importantly, it shows that even within a place where there is no "sin," as we are dealing with children, there is a loss of innocence. This is directly communicated in the following lines:
"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy."
Finally, we need to remember that the boys sang in a choir. This shows that they had a religious education, which in the end did not help all that much.