A STUDY ON THE REFLECTION OF BIBLICAL CHARACTERS AND CONCEPTS IN LORD OF THE FLIES

There is no explicit or direct connection to Christian symbolism in Golding’s Lord of the Flies. The extracted biblical parallels function as a kind of subtle motif in the novel. They add thematic resonance to the main idea of the story. The island itself reflects the Garden of Eden in its status as an originally pristine place that is corrupted by the introduction of evil. Similarly, one may see the Lord of the Flies as a representation of the devil, as it works to promote evil among humankind. The initial identification of the beastie as a snake reminds the story of the Fall of Man. Indeed, it is possible to read the fall of the parachutist as the event which leads to the ouster from Eden of the boys. Further, Jack's identification with hunting and Ralph's identification with shelter as well as their natural antagonism appear to be allegorization of the Cain and Abel story. Many critics have drawn strong parallels between Simon and Jesus in the novel. Simon’s conversation with the Lord of the Flies also parallels the confrontation between Jesus and the devil during Jesus’ forty days stay in the wilderness. The names given to the characters in the novel closely reflect to the biblical names. This article tries to investigate these biblical parallels and reflections in the novel.