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Lord of the Flies

by William Golding

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Why is Golding's novel named Lord of the Flies?

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The title Lord of the Flies symbolizes the novel's theme of inherent evil within humanity. It refers to the pig's head on a stick, a symbol of savagery and chaos among the boys on the island. This name is a translation of "Beelzebub," a term for the devil, highlighting the demonic nature within each character. The title underscores Golding's exploration of how, without societal constraints, humans revert to their baser instincts.

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For a novel that deals with the theme of innate evil, Golding's story about boys who turn to violence and savagery on an deserted island is aptly named Lord of the Flies.  Interestingly enough, Lord of the Flies was not Golding's original title, which was Strangers from Within.  The publisher and editor tried out eighteen different titles before suggesting Lord of the Flies, after the iconic symbol within the book in Chapter Eight, "Gift for the Darkness," and Golding liked it more than his first choice. 

The Lord of the Flies who appears in Chapter Eight is a pig's head on a stick, Jack's sacrifice left for the beast.  As Simon finds the gift, flies have begun to swarm:

"They were black and iridescent green and without number; and in front of Simon, the Lord of he Flies hung on his stick and grinned" (138).

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Lord of the Flies is also a religiousallusion to Beelzebub, which translated literally means "Lord of the Flies" (Notes on Lord of the Flies 205).  In Golding's novel, he is the epitome of evil, and taunts Simon that the beast is from within:

"You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason it's no go?  Why things are what they are?" (143)

Golding's title Lord of the Flies fits perfectly with the larger theme of the novel, man's irrevocable urge toward baser instincts and innate evil.

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Flies have long been associated with the devil and his evil.  "Beelzebub," a name for the devil, is Hebrew for "god of the fly," "host of the fly," or literally, "lord of the flies." 

Stumblling through the brush upon the pig's head, Simon, the most intuitive of the boys on the island senses the evil indicated by the killing and decapitating of this pig.  Jack and the other hunters, masked and muddy, have descended into savagery in their slaughter.  Confronted by this Lord of the Flies, Simon imagines a conversation with it.

'Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!' said the head....'You knew didn't you? I'm part of you?  Close, close, close!  I'm the reason why it's no go?  Why things are what they are?....I'm warning you....We are going to have fun on this island!  So don't try it on, ny poor misguided boy, or else....we shall do you...'

Simon realizes that the evil, symbolized by the pig's head on the stick with flies swarming around it, is the evil within the boys, the evil that Jack and Roger and the others have embraced as they reject the rationality of Piggy and sensibleness of Ralph. These resulting actions underscore William Golding's theme that without the restrictions and controls of an orderly society, human beings will regress into degenerate and savage behavior.

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The Lord of the Flies is the name of the severed pig's head that Jack and his hunters place on a stake in the forest as a sacrifice for the "beast." Simon ends up coming to face-to-face with the Lord of the Flies and has a discussion with the severed pig's head while he is hallucinating. During his hallucination, the Lord of the Flies confirms Simon's belief that the beast is not a tangible being and is actually the inherent wickedness inside each boy on the island. Lord of the Flies is also the literal translation of the Hebrew name for Satan, which is Beelzebub. Golding's novel examines humanity's inherent wickedness and the Lord of the Flies is associated with the demonic nature in each individual. The presence of evil on the island is undeniable and inescapable for civilized characters such as Simon, Ralph, and Piggy. The inherent wickedness in each boy and their desire to act like savages is responsible for their inability to establish and maintain a civil society. Many adherents of western religions believe that Satan, also known as Beelzebub, is responsible for humanity's inherent wickedness, which is why William Golding appropriately entitled the book Lord of the Flies.

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