Archetype Analysis of Lord of the Flies - 2467 Words

Abstract: William Golding won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1983, for his first writing Lord of the Flies, in which symbolism is wildly used and attributes lots of symbolic meanings to the characters and events. The story thus becomes vivid and profound. This paper aims at using Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung’s collective unconscious and archetypal theories to interpret the archetypes of characters, natural scenes and themes. Key words: symbolism, Lord of the Flies, collective unconscious, archetypal theory 0. Introduction Lord of the Flies is the masterpiece of William Golding. With its medium size, the author exerts his imagination and creativity, and successfully produces plenty of vivid and appropriate symbols, which†¦show more content†¦Thus he matches with the title of being a hero. 2) Archetype of demon The antagonist in this novel, Jack, is the archetype of demon. Jack is described by Golding as â€Å"tall, thin, and bony; and his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness. Out of this face stared two light blue eyes, frustrated now, and turning, or ready to turn, to anger† (251). His eyes are always used in the novel to depict his emotions, as they are above. His appearance leaves a bad impression on our readers. He seems to be crazy in hunting pigs, which turns worse and worse in a situation far away from the civilized society. Gradually, he becomes an animal without reason, so that sometimes he will disguise himself by the mixture of red, white and black dirt, like a barbarian. â€Å"In the beginning of the story Jack, still conditioned by the previous society he had been a part of, could not bear to kill a pig that was caught in the brush. As the plot progresses he becomes less and less attached to any social norms † (Li Xin 104). As structure breaks down, Jack forms his own separate sect separating from Ralph and the rest of the group. In the end, he breaks Piggy’s glasses and leads the others towards Piggy’s murder. He brings the boys into mass hysteria and eventually hunts Ralph down like an animal. Not seeming to care about being rescued,Show MoreRelatedComparative Analysis Of Brave New World And Lord Of The Flies 888 Words   |  4 PagesWorld and Lord of the Flies: Comparative Analysis on Archetypes Sometimes, societies cannot avoid sacrifice in order to thrive. Unfortunately, the purest individuals often make the sacrifices, not the deserving. Jesus Christ, a common archetype among literary characters, sacrificed himself for His community and people around Him. William Golding and Aldous Huxley’s contemporary dystopian novels reflect a similar theme through their use of archetypes. 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