Significance of the Title in Lord of the Flies

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General Introduction

Lord of the Flies is a notable work of a British novelist, William Golding. The book hit the shelves in 1954. Golding won Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983 on the basis of the very novel. The title of the novel has a multi-dimensional significance. The first title of this novel was Strangers from Within. Later, it was changed with Lord of the Flies. Although Lord of the Flies is used as a literal translation of a devil Beelzebub, who is also known as Lord of the Dirt, the novel derives its title from the molested skull of a pig that is surrounded by the flies. After breaking the title apart, we come to know that the word 'Lord' is associated with power while flies are often used as a symbol of decay and death. Thus, the collective and literal meaning of the title is decay and death with competition for power.

Meaning of the Title in Lord of the Flies

Thematic Significance

The title of the novel plays a central role in explaining the theme of the novel. The central theme of the novel is the evil associated with power and authority. This theme is further made clear by Jack who is depicted adoring Satan. He is hungry for power and authority, and can go to any length to claim his order. Perhaps he is like the Satan in Paradise Lost who wages a battle against God. But this time, God can be taken for civilization. His attempt to claim power is made successful by his brutal lust of blood which attracts more boys and even Ralph. The theme of the conflict between evil and good is transitioned into rescuing of evil through the feast of evil when a naval officer comes for them to rescue.

Allegorical Significance

The title is allegorical in the sense of illustrating evil as a primary driving force of humanity. It must be noted that Golding wrote this novel at a critical time when the whole world had barely come out from the tremendous damage caused by the humans to the humans and their properties, and the cold war between Russia and the US was in its action. The two tribes may allegorically signify the conflict between the Capitalists and the Socialists through Ralph's 'civilized' rule and Jack's uncivilized rule respectively. The boys allegorically stand for the whole of humanity and the island as the whole world.

Simon's "Realization"

The realization of Simon plays a key role in explaining the nature of the title of this novel. In his hallucination, Lord of the Flies orders him not to stay there and join the hunting party because Simon belongs to them. Simon, who can be considered as the inner voice of civilization, later emerges as the inner voice of the evil, spanning over the whole of mankind.

You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you?

Just after the realization of "Simon", a pack of the boys misunderstand him as the breast and kill him in the most uncivilized and animalistic ways possible. His murder signifies that the values of civilization end when the evil becomes an inherent part of humanity.

Naval Officer's Limitations

At the end of the novel, a naval officer happens to rescue them through the smoke when the whole jungle is set on fire. He is flared up to witness the savagery of the "most civilized nation". He scolds all the boys for forgetting the civilized ways of leading their lives. He fails to get the wind of the terrible experience the boys had gone through. He even fails to recognize the evil lingering inside him because he is a soldier who fights wars and war is the ultimate showdown of the evil living inside humans. Because,

Wars don't decide who will win. It only decides who is left.

Conclusion

The title of this novel is so important that without the title, it is difficult to understand the central idea of the novel that is the development of the evil inside the flesh of humanity.