The Symbolism of Masks in Lord of the Flies by William...

Mask Red, brown, green, blue, colors that surround us everyday, yet somehow the human fascination of applying them to their face makes them seem all the more fun, and interesting. This newfound interest could even leak through to the mind beneath, giving way to a whole new person. In his 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding illustrated this idea in a way that captured the hearts of many and led the story to fame, concocting a reality that had since resided only in the nightmares of children. Inventing a world in which masks of paint were not a fun thing you got at a fair, but a living horror and uncontrollable enemy. Masks are common in our world. They are worn on holidays and to parties. Nearly everyone can recognize at least on†¦show more content†¦We can light up again-† This ordeal later led to the breaking of Jack and Ralph’s friendship and the destruction of the original tribe. In this instance the face paint gave Jack the strength to stand up to the chief and shun the responsibilities that he had â€Å"signed up† for, so to speak. The painted masks also speared to free the members of the tribe from what could be considered as appropriate behavior. This can include the lack of self discipline in fulfilling assigned tasks as well as disobeying rules and the violent nature adopted in hunting. In spite of the fact that when the boys landed on the island they were naturally freed from all of the laws of the adult world, they still came together to form a tribe. Though some saw this as an important step, such as Ralph, Piggy, Simon and somewhat Jack, many just viewed it as a game to be played whenever they pleased. After Jack began wearing face paint, many of the younger children viewed him as a chief and wanted to follow him over Ralph. As they began following him he, hiding behind the mask, influenced them to do things that they would normally consider wrong, such as adopting such a violent nature when hunting. In hunting they fulfilled their basic need for meat, but they quickly began centering their lives around it, and almost worshiping the hunt through dance and reenactments. This led them to create a tribe centered on theirShow MoreRelatedLord Of The Flies Character Analysis947 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 10 2 January 2018 Title In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, a group of children are deserted on an uncharted island due to the conflict of a world war. As the boys live on the island, they begin to have conflicts among themselves, and Jack, an older boy on the island, begins to become power-hungry. Jack falls far from the rules of society as he is overcome by the power of the mask, Jack also conceals his humanity by using his war mask; Golding uses this to portray one of the mainRead MoreThe Importance Of Fear In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding751 Words   |  4 PagesHardy English IV Period 2 17 September 2017 The Importance of Fear In Lord of the Flies, William Golding applies literary devices like characterization and symbolism to develop the theme: the power of fear. From the beginning to the end of the story, Golding suggests to the reader that the most destructive emotion humans have is fear. In the novel, the boys find out that the only fear that is inevitable is fear itself. 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Ralph is concerned about keeping a rescue fire lit so they will have a chanceRead MoreTheme Of Fear In Lord Of The Flies1006 Words   |  5 PagesThe power of fear, affects everyone differently, some descend into a more savage primitive like nature, and others want to curl up into a ball and wait for something or someone to help them. William Golding in the book Lord of The Flies uses fear throughout the whole book to make the reader feel more â€Å"on edge† when they’re reading the book. The main characters that are more predominant with this theme are Jack, Samneric, Piggy, and Ral ph. Jack descends into the more savage like nature, while as Ralph