A prime example of the use of symbolism can be found in the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a story depicting the events that happened to a group of stranded English boys on an island and their moral downfall. The settings and symbolic objects presented throughout the story provide the reader with a stunning array of descriptive writing. However, a deeper meaning can be derived from many such elements. Lord of the Flies is filled with scores of underlying themes and objects hidden under the façade.

From the very beginning, the author uses symbolic elements to set the pace of the story. Golding tells of a scar on the island: a symbolic foreshadowing that all is not well with this paradise. He later introduces the first two character, Ralph and Piggy. Ralph is described as an upright young man with sturdy backing and Piggy...