Discussion Topic
The symbolism of colors in Lord of the Flies
Summary:
In Lord of the Flies, colors symbolize various themes and emotions. The color red often represents violence and bloodshed, while black symbolizes death and evil. The use of white can imply innocence and purity, and gold represents power and authority. These colors enhance the novel's exploration of human nature and societal breakdown.
How are symbols and colors used to depict the island as a living entity in chapter 1 of Lord of the Flies?
In Chapter One of Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses color and detail to characterize the island as being alive and vibrant. He carefully includes snatches of color throughout the introduction as the boys climb through the jungle and onto the beach:
"He was clambering heavily among the creepers and broken trunks when a bird, a vision of red and yellow, flashed upwards with a witch like cry" (7).
Golding paints the island in flashes of reds, yellows, blues, greens, and purples. His use of color and imagery makes the island come alive; the scenery feels real to the reader, because Golding includes such vivid detail. The bright colors of the island challenge and contrast the drab grays and blacks of the boy's school, and Golding shows the boys quickly stripping away the vestiges of their formal uniforms to be surrounded by the natural vibrance of the island. ...
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At one point,Ralph looks down and sees the sand "thick over his black shoes," and it is as if the sand, the beach, the island, envelops him and the other boys. Only seconds later he tugs off his socks and shoes. The play of color in this first chapter of Lord of the Flies makes a bold statement about the ability of the island to draw the boys into the lush, sensory jungle environment.
How is color symbolized in Lord of the Flies?
In Lord of the Flies, the reader is gradually drawn into the dramatic story as the boys change from innocent schoolboys, shocked but exhilarated by their isolation on this most beautiful island with a "vision of red and yellow" (a bird) and a lagoon so inviting with "blue of all shades," contrasted against the "white" surf and "dark blue" sea. The reader is, therefore, made aware that appearances can be deceiving and color, used symbolically, helps him to recognize the potential for success or failure in what will follow. In chapter one there is still hope as 'pink" contrasts with "dense green," but there is also an apprehension as "Jack's face was white under the freckles," an intense white, a penetrating white almost, after having missed the piglet.
In chapter 2, Jack's "bright blue eyes...nearly mad," reveal that there is potential for him to be an asset or an obstacle to the boys' collective future. The innocence of the boys and their transformation as they become more savage, is, therefore confirmed through the use of color. At first, they are noticed for their "grey, blue, fawn" jerseys and their "brown, fair, black..." hair and the difference as Jack's choir approaches is noticeable as they are "hidden by black cloaks..." (ch 1) This vision forewarns the reader.
It is important to note that the conch is "deep cream..with fading pink," (ch 1), which creates a visual image of something reassuring and gentle and belies the ultimate image of the shell as it smashes against the rocks when Piggy is killed.
The "acres of black and yellow" used to describe the fire (chapter 2) reinforces the contradiction of this island; the beauty but the potential for destruction.
Jack's "dazzle paint," (ch 4) significantly alters Jack's appearance to the point that he feels as if he is "an awesome stranger." His "bloodthirsty snarling" belies the tranquility of the mere (lake) with its "white water-lilies."
In chapter 6 as the beast become more of a reality for the boys, color highlights the reality and the illusion. The "blue flowers of the mountain-side" are the constant but the gentle breeze appears to bring life to the dead parachutist and contradicts the reality. Simon will realize, too late, that there is no real beast and the description of Simon, in chapter 8, as a "small, brown image," against the pig's head with its "blackening" teeth and the "black blob of flies," basically seals his fate, as "the blackness spread."
The seeming lure of "chocolate-colored earth" (ch 12) is no longer mistaken for a sense of hope but only leads the reader towards the inevitable conclusion. However, when the naval officer arrives, color becomes a symbol of hope again as the "white-topped cap" is more than a match for Jack with his "extraordinary black cap on his red hair..." Evil has been defeated but it will forever be present.
How do symbols and colors suggest the island is a living thing in Lord of the Flies?
Golding utilizes symbols and colors on the island in Lord of the Flies in three distinctive ways:
1. To emphasize the power of the natural world-- A great example of Golding's use of symbols and color is when the boys' first fire on the mountain gets wildly out of control:
"The flames, as though they were a kind of wild life, crept as a gaguar creeps on its belly toward a line of birch-like saplings that fledged an outcrop of pink rock" (44).
Golding's portrayal of the enormous fire serves as a harsh reminder to the boys of the power of the natural world, something that they should not underestimate in its ability to be destructive. In this way, nature's destructive power reflects the boys' innate capacity for destruction; the boys' first act as a group, building the fire, results in an enormous natural catastrophe costing the lives of one of the boys. Golding uses the imagery and metaphor of the deep "drum-roll" of the fire continuing on, his way of foreshadowing more deaths and destruction to come (47).
2. To suggest the fragile balance of the natural order of things--Golding also uses natural imagery to emphasize the fragile, delicate state of the island. Like the conch, life on the island existed on a delicate balance. From the green candle buds to the clear water of the beach to the pigs living on the island, Golding portrays the island as being pristine and untouched. The boys' arrival upsets the natural order of things. The plane crash leaves a visible "scar" on the island; Jack slashes at the candle buds; the hunters target and kill the sow mercilessly.
When the boys first arrive, the island still seems bright, vital, and full of life--as if the island were its own kind of living organism-- but the boys' arrival upsets that delicate balance. Like an infection, the boys begin to ruin the fragile beauty of the island, and as the novel progresses, the island seems to sicken and weaken. Golding's imagery, particularly in "Gift for the Darkness" suggests decay and rotting. His use of the sow's head, as the Lord of the Flies, acts a perfect metaphor for the slow destruction of the island. What once was a valuable part of the island's life force (the sow), now hangs rotting and fly-infested on a stick. The boys' actions defile the island, changing it from being a "good island" to a place of death and violence.
3. As a metaphor for the boys' descent into
savagery--
Similar to his use of the metaphor of the Lord of the Flies to represent the
state of the island, Golding also uses the setting and details of the island to
reflect the state of the boys' emotions and feelings. When the boys first
explore the island, Golding portrays the island to reflect their own joy and
vigor; everything seems bright, golden, and welcoming. As the story
progresses and the boys begin their own personal descent into savagery,
Golding's descriptions of island life become increasingly dark and
forbidding. Golding's details and imagery in the setting helps to define
the mood of the story; for example, the jungle is never so dark and dangerous
as it is on the last day when Ralph attempts to hide from the
savages.