The Darkness of Man's Heart
In his novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding informs the reader that all men are susceptible to evil because of a darkness in their hearts. To present his theme, Golding relies heavily on symbolism. Three important symbols in the novel are the conch, Simon, and the pig's head impaled on the stick. Although Golding uses many literary devices, his effective symbolism is the basis for the success of this novel.
Among the many symbols Golding uses, the conch is one of the most important because it represents democracy. Piggy suggests that the boys use the conch at meetings to provide order. Democracy cannot flourish without intelligence, which is why Golding associates the conch with Piggy. The conch is more than just a symbol of order. Golding also stresses the beauty and fragility of the shell, along with its noble, echoing sound (Cox 49). When the boys murder Piggy, the beautiful and delicate conch shatters into a thousand pieces. The......

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Title: The Darkness Of Man's Heart
Approximate Word Count: 617
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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