Abstract: In lord of the Flies,the first writing of William Golding, symbolism is widely used from the beginning to the end. Each object is symbolized from different perspectives. The story is vivid, lively, touching and tense. All the emotions are achieved mainly by the using of symbolism in writing; Meanwhile they remind us of the decline of rationality and the rise of non-rationality in the 20th century. Symbolism is one of the most important and effective means in English writing. Lord of the Flies written by William Golding is a successful use of it and has received hot discussions from its publication. The symbolic meanings of the characters and the Conch and the Fire in the novel make the novel an allegory that is entirely symbolic. The them is an attempt to trace the defects of human nature. Golding thinks that nature of human beings is evil ,and he is pessimistic. The whole book is symbolic for William Golding attempting to make a point after World War Two, that you can not just blame other nations for the evil in the world, but try and realize that there is evil in every one of us, and that it takes just the right situation to bring it out.
Key words: symbolism; rationality; evil; human nature; lord of flies; William Golding
