Category: Allegory

“You can’t tell any quite a story while not having some kind of a subject matter, one thing to mention between the lines”(Robert Wise). a subject matter is that the message or messages Associate in Nursing author is making an attempt to convey by incorporating them into their writing. Theme plays a very necessary role in each book, serving it to progress and have a temperament. while not theme, a story would be flat and have obscurity to travel. several books have quite one theme. There is sometimes primarily based on the author’s opinion on a precise topic and is tangled with the story, which is why it will be tough to search out a subject matter. The message writer is making an attempt to convey is sin in the Puritan capital of Massachusetts, Massachusetts is blown out of proportion, and he shows this by implementing the gossip at the start, the life Pearl has been given, Roger Chillingworth, and therefore the death of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale.

The allegory, by the writer, begins with the most character, Hester Prynne, who results in jail beside her babe, Pearl. The letter “A” on her breast represents her sin, Adultery. several of the townspeople were gossipmongering and speaking rude and vulgar things concerning her. She should stand on a scaffold and embrace public shaming with open arms. everyone seems to be troubled she’s going to hurt herself or the baby order that they send a doctor in and therefore the doctor seems to be her long-lost husband, Roger Chillingworth. Roger lives with Dimmesdale and he’s suspicious of the reverend being the daddy of Pearl, however, those suspicions are presently complete once he sees the “A” on Dimmesdale’s blank chest. Dimmesdale and Hester decided to run away to England, however that very same day he dies once confessing he slept with Hester.

attainable themes within the allegory may embrace love, hate, betrayal, or perhaps revenge, however, the foremost distinguished theme is sin and the way it’s blown out of proportion. Sin could be a theme as a result of it’s the message writer is making an attempt to convey. Sin is the most vital theme as a result of not sin, the book would, almost, be nonexistent and wouldn’t have the drama and difference of opinion it’s with it. the complete book relies on sin and therefore the hypocrisy of the inhabitants of the Puritan capital of Massachusetts. As the book went on, the author extra several samples of theme and sin changed into this tangible object, like the “A” adorned on Hester’s robe and slashed into Dimmesdale’s heart. On the Author’s note, set at the rear of the book, the readers are advised of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s past. the author was a descendant of Puritan immigrants and it’s mentioned that his great-grandfather was a decide throughout the Salem Witch Trials. He extra a “w” to “Hathorne”, maybe to separate himself from his “self-righteous” ancestors. Thus, the reader will infer author encompasses a bone to choose with the Puritans, creating sin and hypocrisy of faith straightforward to push.

At the start of The allegory, there was a bunch of Puritan ladies. They were all gossipmongering concerning Hester and her sin. “At the terribly least, they ought to have placed the completion of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead”(Hawthorne 38). The gossip same Hester ought to face a harsher penalty than standing before everybody on a scaffold and enduring social embarrassment. They even insisted that she ought to be killed for committing fornication. “This lady has brought shame upon the USA all, and have to be compelled to die. Is there not law for it? actually, there is, each within the Scripture and therefore the statute-book”(Hawthorne 39). These self-proclaimed “gossips” were speaking concerning how Hester ought to die for sin, however, they were conjointly sinning by being gossips. the Bible, says that gossips and slanderers are sinners, so, by their own logic, they ought to be killed for their sins also.

within the novel, Hester’s girl, Pearl, is given an Associate in Nursing unfair likelihood at life. Pearl was suffering from each selection her mother had created and was called the elf-child or the kid of the devil. All of the children blackguard her and decision her rude names. They treated her as if she weren’t human. “Behold, verily, there’s the girl of the scarlet letter; and, of a truth, moreover, there’s the likeness of the allegory running on by her side! return, therefore, and allow us to fling mud at them”(Hawthorne 78). the youngsters would usually chase Hester and Pearl simply to throw rocks and dust at them. Even the adults were guilty of terrorizing the 2. “In giving her existence, a good law had been broken; and therefore the result was a being whose components were maybe stunning and good, however altogether disorder; or with Associate in Nursing order peculiar to themselves, amidst that the purpose of selection and arrangement was tough or not possible to be discovered”(Hawthorne 68). This quote explains, completely, how, Pearl is treated. though she was born stunning, gifted, and intelligent, she’s going to ne’er have an opportunity to be something apart from sin in everybody else’s eyes.

Roger Chillingworth was the husband of Hester Prynne. He was captured by Native Americans for 2 years before he turned up in the capital of Massachusetts. whereas he was away Hester believed he had died, therefore she started up a replacement relationship with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Later in the novel, Roger is speaking with Hester concerning their health of Arthur. Roger blames Hester for him turning into a foul person by speech “I have already told thee what I am! A fiend! UN agency created Maine so”(Hawthorne 132). Hester was pelted with such a lot of blame and hurt that she may barely operate as an individual. once Roger arrived, he greeted her with a speech “The kid is yours, she is none of the mines”(Hawthorne 54). She had no plan Roger was alive therefore she determined to maneuver on. The very last thing Roger ought to have done was pour salt in the wound by insulting Hester.

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale was arguably the worst trickster of all. He stayed hidden as Hester endured all of the hardships. He stood within the shadows as she contemplated suicide and struggled to boost Pearl on her own. once Dimmesdale finally decides to confess, he will it in the hours of darkness, on a scaffold, once nobody is listening. he’s selfish and solely cares about himself. Not solely will Roger blame Hester for his hardships, therefore will Dimmesdale. “O Hester Prynne, yard very little, little, knowest all the horror of this thing! and therefore the shame! The indelicacy! The ugly appearance of this exposure of a sick and guilty heart to the terrible eye that will gloat over it! lady, woman, yard art in command of this! I cannot forgive thee”(Hawthorne 150). He later forgives Hester for keeping the key of Roger being her husband, however, the reader will infer that he still could also be upset.

One might argue that the foremost distinguished theme within the allegory is revenge as a result of several characters hinting at desirous for actual revenge. This merely isn’t correct as a result of a subject matter must stretch throughout a complete add order to assist from the book. Revenge could be a sub-theme that helps the theme, of sin, develop throughout the whole story. “Come on, Madam Hester, and show your allegory within the marketplace”(Hawthorne 41). The “A” stands for fornication which could be a sin. the complete book relies on fornication which implies the whole book is based around sin and its consequences. typically those consequences will go overboard.

In The allegory there are a large number of sub-themes, however, the theme is Sin and its consequences. The message writer conveys is sin in the Puritan capital of Massachusetts, Massachusetts is blown out of proportion, and he shows this by implementing the gossip at the start, the life Pearl has been given, Roger Chillingworth, and therefore the death of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. writer needed to warn the reader that faith will be shady. He conjointly warns the reader of all the hypocrisy that may follow turning into a Puritan and warns against it. Some would argue revenge is additionally distinguished as a subject matter, however, it’s undoubtedly an additional of sub-theme that supports the event of the most theme, sin. though the author was bent on showing the dangerous sides to faith, there are several sensible sides, {after all|in Associate in Nursing case|in spite of everything|, in the end, |finally|on balance} it’s simply an opinion.

In the modern context, the concept of ‘old’ and ‘new’ money is difficult for an average reader to understand. With a massive influx into the ranks of the hyper-rich by those who have gained their wealth through means like the Internet, values and perceptions of these concepts have drastically changed. Today’s culture among developed nations romanticizes the concept of a ‘rags-to-riches’ story, a self-made person who makes their own fortune through hard work and entrepreneurial efforts.

In the environment of the American

In the 1920s, however, this was not the situation at all. It was a coarse and crude method to build one’s own fortune; the only wealth valued was the money that sailed its way across the Atlantic! In the economically prospering New York, you either didn’t have it, you had it, or you had it far before anyone else. This world was the world F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in while creating his initially unsuccessful novel, The Great Gatsby.

In the story Fitzgerald created while under these influences, the divide between old and new money isn’t just a conceptual difference, it’s a tangible one. The elite of the wealthy, or the ‘Old Money’, (people such as Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby’s affixation) live in the neighborhood of East Egg, while the nouveau riche (those perceived as lacking in good taste and ostentatious because of their newly acquired wealth), including the titular character, have settled West Egg. These two eggs are pretty much identical to the casual observer, yet to a ‘sophisticated’ eye the differences are painfully obvious.

The gaping social chasm between Gatsby and Daisy has impeded their relationship from its very beginning. Gatsby doggedly made his fortune with one goal in mind; winning Daisy. With a lot of work, scrupulous and unscrupulous, the name Jay Gatsby becomes staggeringly wealthy, with parties, clothes, and a mansion to prove it. The only problem? What would you do if the love of your life and the inspiration for all of this had gone off and married Tom Buchanan? It seems all of your work has gone to nothing, and there was no point in all of this!

Fitzgerald’s novel is seen from many points of view as a socio-economic commentary and sees The Great Gatsby as a cautionary tale about the pursuit of wealth. Their interpretation of this as an allegory about the dangers of wealth-seeking is supported, in their perspective, by arguably the most famous quote from the text; “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter – tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther”. The green light, they say, is a representation of money, and the futility of its pursuance is highlighted by the quote. Someone will always be wealthier than you, the race will never yield a winner.

This point of view does have its flaws though. For example, if I was to entertain the situation where The Great Gatsby was merely an allegory, I would have to assume a few things to be true. To name these things, Gatsby would have to be a mercenary, only focused on money, and Daisy would have to be a symbol of what he could achieve with his wealth. I would, taking these things into judgment, have to ask a simple question. Why does Nick like Gatsby so much? He tells Gatsby many things to do with this, such as “You’re worth the whole damn bunch of them put together”, despite his own proclamation that he ‘thoroughly disapproved’ Gatsby’s way of life. If Nick’s judgment is something I should believe, and I believe that he is as honest as he claims to be in the very first chapter of the book, his to-the-end loyalty (Proven by his attendance at his funeral) to Gatsby must truly be worth something.

“I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.” The preceding quote is an excerpt from Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” which is a novella about Gregor, a salesman, who unexpectedly turns into a huge, unidentified insect one morning. ‘The Metamorphosis” is an allegory for humankind and Gregor’s transformation is more of a symbolic one than a physical one.

The book is sectioned into three sections and the author begins the first section of the book with this line ‘As Gregor Samson awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect’. Which eases and introduces the readers to the idea of a human being unexplainably turning into an insect. Gregor then realizes that he’s late for work and that he missed his bus and fails to feel any sort of inconvenience in regard to his physical transformation. He slowly starts to get familiar with his new body while stressing out about how he’s going to get to work. His family realizes that something’s off because his voice sounded different when he answered their calls and as a result started knocking on his door aggressively. His boss arrives and expresses his disappointment in Gregor in regard to his tardiness. Gregor attempts to talk to his boss and explain to him the reasons why he wasn’t able to come to work and ends up opening the door and showing himself whilst forgetting that he’s now transformed into a huge insect. Gregor’s attempt at talking ends up shocking and scaring away his boss and his family. Therefore, he goes back into his room.

From that day on, Gregor continued a lonesome and monotonous life. He started finding comfort in crawling up the walls, hiding under the sofa, and hanging from the ceiling. He no longer liked fresh foods and he preferred rotten foods that his sister brought into the room. He started hiding under a sheet as a way to make it easier for her when she comes into the room. Over time, taking care of Gregor started to feel more like a chore to his family. And they started doing it less attentively. One day, his mom and his sister came in to move the furniture to make it easier for him to crawl but that wasn’t what he really wanted and he couldn’t help but think if they were doing it to make themselves feel better about the low effort they put in taking care of him or if they actually want him to feel more comfortable. He spots his poster of the lady and the muff and he places himself over it so they’re unable to grab it. The sight of his body shocks his mother and causes her to faint which causes Gregor to panic. His father gets back home and realizes what has happened which led to him throwing apples at Gregor eventually injuring his back.

Another month passes by while Gregor is in recovery from his back injury and he can’t help but feel neglected by His family who is always exhausted due to the jobs they have picked up. They also took on three lodgers as an additional source of income. One night, his sister was playing violin for the lodgers, Gregor heard this and was instantly captivated by the music and that led him to peek out the door. He found the lodgers looking bored and suddenly found himself crawling out of the room to get closer to the music. The lodgers spotted him in the corner and they instantly felt disgusted and announced that they were leaving without paying for the time they’d spent in the apartment so far. This upset his family and they quickly expressed their frustration with this creature that they didn’t even consider a part of the family anymore. Gregor upsettably returned to his room and thought about how much love he had for his family till he passed away. Though the family was initially feeling a little bit of sadness, it faded away fast when they realized that they no longer had to take care of him. They felt like a weight was lifted off their shoulders and they were so happy that they started thinking of finding a husband for Grete to marry.

“The Metamorphosis” is an allegoric story with complex symbolism that carries a plethora of different themes like alignment, sacrifice, and the burden of responsibility. The story can also be interpreted in many different ways which I think is one of the reasons why it propels. The author managed to turn an absurd story into a devastating metaphor. Metamorphosis is indeed a thought-provoking, guilt-inducing read. The words are amazing, but it’s what you experience that makes it such a wonderful book it’s a story that you need to analyze to understand its true magnificence.

An allegory is a form of writing usually a story or a description in which the pressure, the places, the objects, and the events have meaning and implications beyond the literary meanings.

Lord of the flies has political, religious, and psychological allegory.

Political allegory:

Political allegory is a method that is used to satirize political situations and activities in real-time. The ‘Lord of the flies’ is about nonsecular allegory. The island refers to the Golden of Eden. The island was pure and pristine. The boy’s corruption and the evil that lies in them make the island impure and corrupted. The transformation of the island from heaven to hell is a nonsecular allegory. It refers to Eve and Adam, when Satan inveigled them, they despoiled the peace of heaven. In the novel ‘Lord of the flies’ we can find the political allegory in the case of Ralph and Jack. We need to seem at the nation of the world at the cease of World War two The world used to be divided into two camps of Ralph and Jack. Lord of the flies shows the world on the brink of atomic destruction. The novel serves as a warning to the leaders of the world. There is additional combat between dictatorship and democracy. Ralph is a leader who is chosen by the boys via voting. He wishes to create cohesion among boys. The conch of Ralph represents regulation and order. Piggy play’s role of the top minister that offers wise advice to Ralph. Jack and his team characterize the navy or agencies that preserve control however they additionally get out of control for their own concerns. It can be a reference to Hitler’s Nazi party. In addition, it represents the post-conflict region when human beings suffered from fears of atomic destruction. In the novel, we can locate the Freudian psychological allegory that the characters in the novel personify the exceptional elements of the human psyche: the id, the superego, and the ego. The character Jack represents the ‘id’. Because his unconscious thought continually works to satisfy his very own instinct. He is worried about instant satisfaction. Piggy is the ‘superego’. Because it seeks to control the imprudent behavior of the id. Piggy reminds Ralph and the others of their responsibilities and morals. Ralph is the ‘ego’. He is the mindful mind that meditates between the id’s(Jack) demand for pleasure and the social pressures brought by the aid of the superego(Piggy).

The Cold War was a rivalry between the two main enemies, the Soviet Union and the United States, and their allies. Golding parallels the split between hemispheres during the Cold War with the split in tribes in Lord of The Flies. The two main characters in the novel, Ralph and Jack, are evident parallels to the West and the Communists through their physical attributes and actions. At the beginning of the novel, Ralph is described as handsome, confident, and muscular. He has broad shoulders, blonde hair, and “a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil” (10). This is a common stereotype of leaders from the West. Golding included the quote to show correspondence between the physical characteristics of the more civilized sides of each rivalry. Jack, on the other hand, represents the uncontrolled desire for control and power over others. Early in the book, Jack is presented as a harsh leader of his choir, “The tall boy shouted at them, “Choir! Stand Still!” Wearily and obedient, the choir huddled into line…” (3). Jack associates with the malicious leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin. Both Jack and Stalin are savage leaders and use fear to control peoples’ actions. For example, Stalin killed millions of people who did not agree with his way of leading while Jack led with madness and insanity which brainwashed the boys into obeying him.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Lord of the flies is an allegorical novel. Using this technique William Golding delivered a major message about humanity and human evil nature in a hidden way so we can understand his intentions behind it.

Lord of the Flies As An Allegory

If read from the surface level, Lord of the Flies can be interpreted as a novel about the struggle to survive on a deserted island and the effects it has on its residents. When the reader looks in depth, they see an allegorical novel that has an underlying meaning and is filled with symbolism throughout the book. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding writes the novel as an allegory of the Cold War and the Bible by including characters and objects that directly represent events and people involved.

Golding also wrote Lord of the Flies as an allegory to the Bible. Golding uses imagery to describe the island in Lord of the Flies as “a great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through the forest and terrace and sand and lagoon […] The palms that [….] stood made a green roof covered on the underside with a quivering tangle of reflections from the lagoon” (6-7). The island relates to the description of the Garden of Eden in the second book of Genesis. Golding compares the two by demonstrating the appealing scenery on both the island and the garden. Golding also correlates Ralph with baptism and Adam and Eve. In chapter one, “The Sound of the Shell”, the first thing Ralph did was take off his clothes and bathe in the lagoon. When Ralph takes off his clothes and is not embarrassed in front of Piggy, it is the same way Adam and Eve were not ashamed to be naked in the Garden of Eden. The act of Ralph bathing can be a display of baptism. During the act of baptism, the religious leader will dunk the person receiving baptism underwater to cleanse them of sin and surrender their life to God. Another parallel Golding creates in the novel is Simon as Jesus. Unlike the other boys on the island, Simon is innately righteous and never drifts from mortality. He has a spiritual understanding of truth that others do not, much like Jesus in the Bible. Simon is sacrificed while trying to save the others when he runs into the chanting group of boys to tell them that the beast on the island was just a dead parachutist. This is similar to the way Jesus died as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity.

Religious allegory:

Lord of the Flies is expressed as a religious allegory with the aid of the island`s illustration of Eden, Simon as a Christ figure, and inherent evil at some stage in the novel. Genesis is a frequently known e-book of the Bible that is regularly alluded to. This is made evident by way of Golding`s assessment of the island in the Garden of Eden in Genesis. ‘Reflection is a frequent trait of Jesus Christ and can be located in Simon`s agenda. Simon would often walk alone in the wasteland and live in a vine cavern in order to contemplate the morality of the group. This is reminiscent of Jesus leaving his disciples to take a seat in the wild and discuss with God. Jesus is also recognized to be especially type and compassionate closer to children, plenty like Simon. While the other older boys are arguing, Simon appears to be the sole boy searching after the ’littluns’; the youngsters are cozy following Simon out into the forest and he helps them gather fruit from the high branches. Simon`s compassionate authority closer to the young people is similar to that of Jesus Christ, accordingly making him a Christ figure. Unfortunately, crucifixion is a frequent Christ figure condition. Although Simon is not without delay crucified, he is murdered in a sacrificial manner by his former pals as he is attempting to share his ethical revelation. The persona of Simon is a biblical reference to Jesus Christ. He was kind, innocent, truthful, and a pure soul. He is the sole one who finds that evil is now not in the region’s interior. When he comprehend the fact of the Beast, he wanted to tell anyone but was once killed with the aid of the savageries group. His demise represents the giving up of goodness and it indicates his sacrifice for the different boys. Also, the picture of the Beast represents the presence of Satan on the island. That has distracted the boys from goodness and made them savages. Piggy represents technological know-how and intellect. Simon represents socialism of humanism that is concerned with the benefits of all and working honestly.

All in all, Golding writes The Lord of the Flies as an allegory by using characters and objects to resemble the characteristics and behaviors in the Cold War and the Bible. Golding’s purpose in using an allegory is to create a sense of connection and arouse different emotions in the reader.

Writing about this topic I have to first focus on two things so my explanation of allegories that are present in “Lord of the Flies” can be received clearly. Firstly, the book was written in a way that establishes the ground for an enormous amount of allegories, and I will go into the depth of their meaning to explain them. Secondly, we have to understand what exactly is an allegory. I’ve chosen this topic because it is my favorite literary device, it uses places, characters, and objects to give us a broader meaning of the issues which we all face, even if we are unaware of them. By allegories all people could understand complex or even hidden meanings through simple imagery, that’s why it is my most beloved literary device, it simply can teach all people how to think deeply, and it develops our creativity in the context of very important worldly aspects.

Coming back to my explanation why is the book written by William Golding an example of a perfect elaborate allegory? I could either go by each object and character, or explain the allegories by topic, yet I will try to combine both of these ideas. Yet before I go down to the details, I must address the fact that “Lord of the Flies” is one enormous allegory in itself. Without even focusing on single symbols the reader can discover that the boys deserted on the island representing the whole of humanity, and the island they are on is our whole world. The two tribes which are formed by various children become the two governments, and countries. That concludes my idea that when we see them fight it’s equivalent to countries waging war on each other. Yet there is one time when the book breaks the allegory, and shows the true world to the reader, at the end of the novel when all the fictional and allegorical bubble around the island just pops. This device was implemented so that the reader can see the real message of the allegory, those boys were finally rescued, and there comes the question, who will save the grownups?

The first great allegory to which we are introduced takes the form of an object. The conch is a symbol of civilized society. When I read the novel, the conch brought to my mind also the idea of free speech and the civil process. It emphasizes the importance of a democratic society, of order. Almost everyone is happy at first to use the conch because it helped the boys establish a society that is a familiar British one. This shell actually has not only allegorical power, in the book it is used by Ralph to summon all the kids to call a meeting, and it lets them embrace the “democracy”, and later on, this conch introduces order into the discourse – only the one with the shell can speak. The conch would not be important by itself, it is only valuable because the boys initially agree on the rules, and their enthusiasm for this idea “imbues” this object with this power. It also takes me to the conclusion of this allegory, it may symbolize power, but it also symbolizes vulnerability. It may represent this civil discourse on this island, but it works only if the kids respect the values it speaks for. Talking about this we have to understand that it is only a shell, it is fragile in both ways, literally and figuratively. Supporting my idea that it is fragile – the time Jack uses violence, he loses the belief in the conch, and it becomes useless to him, it represents fully the time he raids Ralph’s camp and ignores this “powerful” object and steals only Piggy’s glasses. The conch has only metaphorical value, it holds value only as a symbol, but we as civilized human beings have to remember that it makes it enormously more important to our lives than utilities.

Fine allegory could be found in something very basic, signal fire. It burns on the side of the island to attract the attention of passing-by ships. It symbolizes the idea of rescue, of their connection to the civilization which is at the time lost. At first, the boys focus on maintaining the fire, so we can see that they have not yet lost the desire to be civilized, yet as the book progresses and more and more savagery comes out of the characters and the fire starts to burn low, or even goes out. The lack of fire is an allegory for the boys accepting this inhumane life, it represents the power of civilization left on this island, and what I really find ironic, at the end of the novel, a different type of fire (but still a fire) summons the rescue, the civilization back to them.

There are numerous political allegories and one of which is even a character in the book – Piggy. In my opinion, piggy represents somewhat a political advisor like the prime minister is to the king/queen of England. Even the assemblies at the beginning of the book look a little bit like gatherings of parliament. But there is one important object connected to Piggy, his glasses. They symbolize the scientific advance of humanity. I could argue that this item changes also its meaning through the novel, maybe at first, they could embody hope – when kids discover the ability to make fire thanks to them. When in the novel Jack hits piggy, and his glasses go flying and break, it can represent the fall of rational thought, and civilization as a whole. There is one very powerful moment in the book I would like to talk about, in the first chapter Ralph asks Piggy about his parents and talks about their grim fates. During this moment he takes his glasses off, which demonstrates his difficulty in reasoning this hard, emotional situation.

Let’s take a look at the name of the book “Lord of the Flies”, but what or who exactly is this “lord”? It’s the beast in which existence the boys believe through most parts of the novel. This imaginary beast is frightening to those kids. It represents the primal instincts, the savagery that is present in all of us. It is apparent that as kids become more primal, the beast becomes stronger, there is even a part in the book when they have fallen so much into animal-like behavior that they become treating it like a totemic god. Beast becomes real at the exact moment the boys in their primal rage kill Simon, this act brings it into existence. But this threat can also be an allegory to the way how totalitarian regimes work, Jack uses this idea to manipulate all the other kids into gaining and maintaining power on the island. This is very similar to how propaganda worked in totalitarian regimes. So if I think about it more broadly, it represents the evil of human nature, the evil that becomes more real the more we believe in it. The fear feeds the beast.

Discussing the topic of allegories in this book we must focus also on the characters. For example, the protagonist Ralph who is elected as the first leader of the kid’s “tribe” actually represents order, good leadership, and civilization. He focused on building huts and maximizing the chances of being rescued from the island rather than on playing like other kids. Although he is the only one who worries over the welfare of other children, and his thoughts of civilization last longer than for any other character, he is not decisive when facing evil. I can compare this character to real-life history, for example, if we think of Jack as Hitler and Ralph British Prime Minister of pre-WW2 times – Nevile Chamberlain. It was his policy of appeasement to Hitler that eventually led to one of the greatest tragedies in modern history. We can see this similarity between Ralph and Chamberlain throughout the almost whole novel. When he was the chief of kids and Jack questioned his authority in most cases he was reluctant to fight him, he could challenge and defeat him once and for all, yet he does nothing. This attitude contributes to an increase in ferocity and violence in Jack and the other kids.

Another good example of an allegorical character is Piggy, that embodies intellect and rationalism. He is the first one to sense the seriousness of the situation the kids find themselves in after being stranded on the island. We can see this calm rationalism in small details, after all, he is the first to suggest that they should gather all scattered boys. He even teaches Ralph how to use the conch. What I find interesting is that all those allegories actually connect, Piggy – a symbol of intellect gives the idea of creating order to Ralph who is a civilization and good leadership, and to do so he uses conch – free speech, and civil order.

Jack is the antagonist, he is created in such a way as to be susceptible to evil within himself. He is savage and a dictatorship. This strong-willed and egomaniacal boy is mostly associated with obscurity and shadows. He only claims to hunt for food and yet this is only the pretext, he wants to quench his thirst for blood. When he is freed from the chains of civilization, he can finally show his true evil. When he puts the paint on his face his bloodlust finds no bounds and he can become more savage and violent than ever, leading his fellow hunters in the hunt for not only pigs but also his fellow companions such as Simon, Piggy, and almost Ralph. He represents more than anyone in the novel the theme of reversion to savagery. He believes that the only way of getting things done is to compel, he doesn’t believe in asking or persuading, at the end of the novel he becomes the real dictator ruling through terror and fear. This character can be seen as the prime example of how primitive desires and evil can be released when the restrictions of civilization and society are no longer present.

All those characters, objects, and even places possess recognizable traits that can be easily put into real life. The whole book is one big allegory, full of hidden meanings and moralization. William Golding uses this literary device to enrich the person who is reading this story, This symbolism undeniably conveys specific meanings for the readers that relate to morals, politics, and even religion.

Introduction:

The crucible, By Arthur Miller, has been relevant to many different groups across the world, throughout history. The conception of corruption prevailing and the truth being disregarded are the main focuses of the text. They relate to the major human experience that shapes our responses and reactions to heavy-weight world conflicts. That in the face of conflict true human motivations are unveiled for the world to see. This is seen in both The crucible and to kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee. In both these texts, there are ultimate inner conflicts that the characters need to either overcome or succumb to. The characters need to decide whether to stand against a villainous system or forfeit their beliefs and values in the urge to save themselves. The conflicts in these texts are the Salem witch trials and racism in early 20th-century America. The purpose of these conflicts by the composers is to challenge the audience’s behavior, perceptions, values, beliefs, and reactions to similar conflicts that have arisen in our society.

Context: (Include author allegory)

At the time that Arthur Miller wrote The crucible, in 1953 America was going through major social change. It was still recovering from the effects of the second world war, and struggling with the paranoia surrounding the imposing doom of the soviet union and the cold war. The climate of the world was surrounded by hysteria and fear which ultimately influenced Millers’ writing. A big political movement that affected Arthur Miller greatly was “the red scare”. A movement from the late 1940s through the 1950s when American senator Joseph McCarthy started a “witch hunt” for communists and leftist sympathizers in America. He specifically targeted Hollywood and the American government. Miller was questioned by McCarthy on if he was a communist, he was also asked to name any communists that he knew, an action he did not participate in, unlike numerous other people. This caused him to become blacklisted in the film industry.

This experience and conflict shaped his writing of the crucible, this is seen through the numerous political allegory that he has included in the crucible. An example of this is seen in Act one when Miller states in an authorial note, “a long overdue opportunity for everyone so inclined to express publicly his guilt and sins, under the cover of accusations against the victims.” This quote perfectly symbolizes the conflict that Miller faced with McCarthyism, that people he knew and respected would pass the blame from each other in order to protect themselves. That’s the reason that Miller chooses to write about the Salem witch trials. For the townspeople to help themselves they would have to blame others so they wouldn’t face suspension for being involved with witchcraft.

This also exposes the people’s motivations to blame others, as to what they can gain from falsely accusing others. A character’s inner motivation that we see partially is Thomas Putman. He is exposed when Giles Corey within act 3 states specifically that, “If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeits up his property – that’s the law!” which is then ironically countered when Danforth states, “But the proof, sir, proof.” Miller’s use of dramatic irony in this scene sets the tone for the play. Throughout the whole text, there has been no solid evidence to convict the people of witchcraft but they do anyway, so Danforth asking for proof of Corey’s accusations is ironic as he has convicted people for less. It also reveals the inner motivations that the characters have.

When To kill a mockingbird was written, America was also going through great social change but of a different caliber than Miller. It was written in the 1960s, a time of extensive civil rights movement for the African-American community. The desegregation of America was viewed by many white Americans to be immoral, and dangerous. While Lee was growing up in the 1930s the attitudes towards African-Americans were even worse, with no civil rights, the institutions did not have any mindfulness towards African-Americans often blaming them for crimes that they did not commit, like Tom Robinson. A conflict that is still relevant today. This is demonstrated in the film, the movie is set in the 1930s, in Alabama when racism was at its highest prevalence. That’s the reason why Lee chose to set the text in this time period and area, as it would be the best setting for the story to take place in, a racist community.

A great example of the underlying differentiations between the community throughout the film is the use of chiaroscuro (black and white). The director, Robert Mulligan stated that he choose to film the movie in black and white even though at the time color was becoming increasingly popular. Not only did the lack of color truly convey the dichotomous world that Maycomb truly was, but it also signified the differences between the people. In one scene (1hr 4 min), Atticus Finch is seen standing guard in front of Tom Robinson’s jail cell, a black man that he has chosen to represent in a court case that the Maycomb community fully discouraged him from doing when a group of countrymen arrive hoping to kill Robinson. Atticus is shown with a light sitting beside him as the men confront him. This scene symbolizes that Atticus is the hope and light in this world that is surrounded by hysteria and darkness. When the men eventually leave due to scout, the men turn away from the light, which foreshadows the further mania that will take place in the future at the time of the trial.

Another scene that shows the difference between Atticus and the others is when the father, of the daughter that accused Robinson of raping her, Robert Ewell, went to see Atticus at Robinson’s house. As Ewell staggers onto the scene, the tone is set by the non-diegetic menacing music that is playing as he approaches the car, a sound that we never hear unless Mr. Ewell is in the scene, signifying the danger that he brings not only Atticus and his children by the whole community. In the same scene, Jem is shown with a shadow cast on his face that was caused by Ewell reaching out. Lee utilizes this imagery to represent Jem and scout being exposed to the cruel reality of life, about the conflicts that he is involved in due to Atticus and his moral stance, that the danger this puts him in.

The specific scenes comparable in both texts are Act 3 in the Crucible, the trial scene in To kill a mockingbird, and the relationships that characters have with the institutions that they are supposed to have faith in, also with others in their community. Both John Proctor and Atticus Finch are men of consciousness and justice. This is seen through the inner conflict that Proctors goes through the whole play on whether he should confess to the shameful crime of cheating on his wife with a young girl and saving the people convicted, or stay silent in the hope to save his reputation and family life, and also seen with Atticus fight for justice in a corrupted institution and the communities reaction to him standing up for someone who doesn’t have a voice in society, Tom Robinson.

The Crucible and To kill a mockingbird both incorporate the conflict of race in the texts this is also connected to scapegoating, a frequent political tool used both in the text and in reality. The first person in the Crucible to be charged with witchcraft is the slave that Reverend Parris took with him from Barbados, Tituba. Abagail and the others accused Tituba of witchcraft as a means to escape their punishment, they also knew that Tituba would be easy to blame for her race, as she is not white and a slave. This is also the same argument used for Tom Robinson. Because he is a black man living in the racist Maycomb community there was no chance for someone to believe his word over two white people’s.

When Tituba is being questioned about performing witchcraft, Reverend Parris, and Hale both take part in the breakdown of Tituba’s thoughts causing her to go into hysterics. They do this by feeding thoughts into her mind like, “Perhaps another person in the village? Someone, you know?” The metafictional world that Miller is creating is forming a juxtaposition to the real punishments that people accused will have to suffer as they are convicted for these crimes.

Tituba starts fabricating the lies that she has heard from the “Devil” saying things like, “He says Mr. Parris must be killed,” and “I give you pretty dress to wear.” The hyperbole used in these quotes further emphasizes the exaggeration that Tituba is placing on the story. The motion of race and scapegoating is also seen in To kill a mockingbird in Atticus’s closing speech to the jury he states, “Now, gentlemen, in this country our courts are the great levelers. In our courts, all men are created equal. I’m no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and of our jury system. That’s not ideal to me. That is a living, working reality!” in this quote Lee uses Atticus to convey the message of values in Atticus’s mind. That he has faith in the legal system, but this is seen as dramatic irony that Miller also uses in the Crucible because even though all courts are supposed to be ethical, they have been tainted by race, religion, corruption, and differences within individuals. A feature that is also seen in the multiple trials in the Crucible, a feature that ultimately causes the wrongful conviction of Tom Robison, and those accused of witchcraft including John Proctor.

Hysteria is frequently represented in both texts, through the use of high modality, and imagery. It is seen when Mayella Ewell on the stand has an outburst while Atticus is poking holes in her testimony. She yells out into the crowd, “He took advantage of me. And if you find, fancy gentlemen ain’t gonna do notin’ about it then you’re just a bunch of lousy, yellow stinking cowards! The whole bunch of you! And your fancy airs don’t come to anything! you’re “Ma’am” and your “Miss Mayella”, Don’t come to nothin’, Mr. Finch!” Lees’s (Mulligan?) use of high modality in this scene represents the breaking down of individuals due to conflict in society, and the hysteria that can arise from these conflicts, as it has a drastic effect on individuals and communities.

Hysteria in Crucible

These texts offer the audience a reflection of their own experiences, emotions, motivations, and behaviors. Composers of different texts use human experiences to challenge the audience’s own perceptions and introduce new understanding and reflect on their own behavior in times of conflict. The Crucible and To kill a mockingbird are great texts that can be used to analyze order to understand the different human emotions, behaviors, motivations, and values that occur to individuals in different human experiences through conflict.

Allegory:

The story Animal Farm is an allegory. To begin with, The eminent windmill symbolizes the pigs’ control of different creatures for their benefit. Regardless of the promptness of the need for nourishment and warmth, the pigs abuse Boxer and the contrary typical creatures by causing them to attempt backbreaking work to build the windmill, which will, at last, again the pigs more cash and along these lines blast their capacity.

The pigs’ attestation that Snowball is chargeable for the windmill’s first breakdown establishes mental control since it keeps the not unordinary creatures from questioning the pigs’ capacities and joins them toward a proposed foe. The rest of the transformation of the windmill to mechanical use is one additional indication of the pigs’ double-crossing with their kindred creatures. From a metaphorical factor of view, the windmill speaks to the gigantic modernization activities embraced in Soviet Russia after the Russian Revolution. second, Animal Farm was recognized at the beginning and they gave up on the unconventional because Manor Farm symbolizes Russia and the Soviet Union under Communist Party rule. But extra commonly, Animal Farm stands for any human society, be it capitalist, socialist, fascist, or communist.

It possesses the inner structure of a nation, with a government (the pigs), police stress or military (the dogs), a walking elegance (the opposite animals), and kingdom holidays and rituals. Its region amid an amount of adverse neighboring farms supports its symbolism as a political entity with diplomatic concerns. Last, the barn at Animal Farm, on whose outside partitions the pigs paint the Seven Commandments and, later, their revisions, represents the collective reminiscence of a modern-day nation.

The many scenes wherein the ruling-elegance pigs modify the standards of Animalism and wherein the working-elegance animals puzzle over, however, given these adjustments represent the way a group in energy can revise a community’s concept of history to bolster its manipulation. If the operating magnificence believes history to lie on the facet of their oppressors, they may be less possibly to impeach oppressive practices. Moreover, the oppressors, through revising their nation’s idea of its origins and development, benefit manage the nation’s very identity, and the oppressed quickly come to rely upon the government for their communal feel of self.

Lord of the Flies is a novel by William Golding about a group of boys who are marooned on an island. As the story progresses, the boys slowly transform into savages and lose their civility. The Freudian Theory addresses the three human personalities: id, ego, and superego. The id personality is based on desire and instinct, the ego personality is based on reason and common sense, and the superego is based on what is morally correct. William Golding utilizes his allegory, Lord of the Flies to emphasize the different aspects of the human psyche through the various characters.

One of the main characters, Jack, represents Freud’s id personality. Jack’s actions are fueled by his desire for power and control, and he uses the fear of the beast to support him and his hunters. For example, when he says “Bollocks to the rules! We’re strong-we hunt! If there’s a beast we’ll hunt it down” (Golding, 79). Here, Jack puts down Ralph’s rules and aggrandizes the power of him and his hunters. Jack’s emphasis on the strength of the hunters makes the other children feel safe, which later encourages them to join Jack’s tribe. Another example of Jack embodying the id personality is when the hunters kill the sow. Golding depicts the killing as a rape, with Jack “finding the throat… and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her” (Golding, 120). This “rape” alludes to the Freudian id personality because Jack and his hunters substantiated their desire to kill the sow. Furthermore, Jack and his hunters followed their primal instincts to kill and spill blood. Jack achieves his power by taking advantage of the other boys’ desires, or id personalities. Jack takes advantage of this by announcing, “Me and my hunters, we’re living along the beach by a flat rock. We feast and hunt and have fun. If you want to join my tribe come and see us” (Golding, 125). Jack’s message entices the boys’ desire to have fun instead of following Ralph’s rules. This enticement transfers the power from Ralph to Jack, thus fulfilling his never-ending id desire for power. Lastly, at the end of the book, the confrontation between Jack and Ralph demonstrates the evil, id personality of Jack. At the climax of the confrontation, Jack “viciously, with full intention, hurled his spear at Ralph” (Golding, 163). The three words: with, full, and intention, show that Jack’s desire to eliminate any form of competition has fully overcome him and he only acts on his desire and instinct for power.

On the other end of the spectrum, characters like Simon and Ralph represent the ego and superego personalities of the Freudian Theory. Throughout the novel, Ralph stands up for Piggy when no one else does. For example, towards the end of the novel, Ralph confronts Jack about Piggy’s specs, stating, “You pinched Piggy’s specs, you’ve got to give them back. You played a dirty trick- we’d have given you fire if you’d ask for it” (Golding, 159). Here, Ralph shows his ego personality because he is reasoning with Jack for Piggy’s specs and also trying to find a logical situation where the two tribes could share the fire. Simon, throughout the novel, embodies the superego personality. For instance, when Jack refuses to give Piggy meat, Simon “shoved his meat over the rocks to Piggy, who grabbed it” (Golding, 62). Simon acts on what is morally correct; in this case, he gives food to starving Piggy, even though it means he won’t be able to eat anymore. Furthermore, Simon is always helping and supporting Ralph, even when no one else is. Frustrated from attempting to build the huts, Ralph acknowledges that “all day I’ve been working with Simon. No one else. They’re off bathing, or eating, or playing” (Golding, 41). Simon helps Ralph even though none of the other boys are because he is doing what is right, which is following Ralph’s orders. After all, he was voted chief. Most of the other boys do not exhibit superego qualities because although they voted Ralph as their leader, they do not listen and give him the respect he deserves.

Along with the Freudian Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs encompasses the variety of characters’ personalities. Maslow believed that what first motivates our behavior are our physiological needs: food, water, warmth, and rest. Ralph fits into this category because he constantly advocates that “the first thing we ought to have made was shelters down there by the beach” (Golding, 36). Here we see Ralph addressing the physiological needs of the group: warmth and rest. This continually motivates Ralph to build shelters, even when the other boys are playing and having fun. The failure of the group to have the physiological needs led to the group’s split. Jack fits into the self-fulfillment category: achieving one’s full potential. Jack’s goal is self-fulfillment, but because the boys don’t have the basic needs mentioned earlier, all that ensues is death and destruction, such as the death of Piggy and the destruction of the island. Another reason why the group wasn’t successful is because they didn’t have the basic needs of security and safety. Jack prohibits safety and security when he says, “If there’s a beast, we’ll hunt it down” (Golding, 79). Jack’s “if” implies that there could be a beast, which preys on the littlest fears of the beast. However, Jack’s emphasis that his hunters are strong, encourages other boys to join his tribe so that they can be safe from the beast in their “fortress” on the rocks.

William Golding uses his novel, Lord of the Flies, to allude to the different personalities of people. He also has the characters serve as symbols for the Freudian personalities of id, ego, and superego, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The Freudian Theory states that people act either on instinct and desire, reason and common sense, or on what is morally right. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs. Maslow believed that once a basic need level is fulfilled, the next level up is what motivates us. The boys’ failure as a group to survive successfully comprised of some boys’ id personalities and the lack of fulfilling basic needs before moving on to other needs. As the Lord of the Flies progresses, the boys lose their grip on civility, and their moral compass, and ultimately degrade into savagery.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a children’s fantasy novel by C.S. Lewis published in 1950. Set in Britain during World War II, the novel portrays the lives and adventures of four young siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie as they discover the magical land of Narnia through the portal of an old wardrobe. Through Lewis’ thoughtful portrayal of the children and the childhood magic and fantasy of Narnia, the reader can see the importance that he placed on retaining the valued characteristics from childhood when entering adulthood.

Lewis’s portrayal of Lucy is a key example of characteristics from childhood he considered valued through adolescents and into adulthood. Lucy is the youngest of the Pevensie siblings and the first to discover the porthole through the wardrobe to the land of Narnia. Lucy’s innocence and goodness embody the idealized characteristics of a young girl in England at the time. This is evident early in the novel when entering the land of Narnia, she easily befriends Mr. Tumnus, the faun, and even after knowing he had intended to betray her to the evil Queen of Narnia, she forgave him and added “I do hope you won’t get into dreadful trouble on my account” (pg. 29). Her moral qualities are also seen later in the novel when she shows her concern for her brother Edmund even after he had betrayed them to the Queen when she pleads with Aslan “Can anything be done to save Edmund?” (pg. 140). In the allegory of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Aslan represents Christ. To protect their childhood innocence, Lewis makes Lucy and her sister Susan’s roles very clear in the novel, primarily not to fight in battle, to protect themselves, and to be caregivers to not only their family but to others as well. This is illustrated when Nania’s savior, the lion Aslan directs Lucy to leave caring solely for her brother Edmund after he has been injured in battle and to instead care for others (pg. 193). These examples throughout the novel show that Lewis strongly valued Lucy’s childhood innocence, goodness, and caring qualities which needed to be protected and retained as desirable qualities in becoming a woman.

Lewis’s portrayal of Peter is another example of possessing the characteristics from childhood that are valued into adulthood. Peter is the eldest of the siblings and the father figure. He showed leadership qualities from the start that grew through the novel. Other qualities such as his fairness and maturity are also evident throughout the novel including when he apologized to Lucy when he realizes Narnia is real: “Peter turned at once to Lucy. ‘I apologize for not believing you,’ he said, ‘I’m sorry. Will you shake hands with me?’” ( pg.63). The valued trait of bravery, which Aslan knighted him for is also evident when he is in Narnia as can be seen when he was attacked by a ferocious wolf: “Peter did not feel very brave, indeed, he felt he was going to be sick. But that made no difference to what he had to do.” (pg. 143). These examples demonstrate the valued qualities Lewis portrayed through Peter of fairness, maturity, and bravery which are desirable qualities to be retained when becoming a man.

Lewis represents the ideals of childhood that are valued into adulthood through the sibling’s experiences in the magical land of Narnia, where Narnia is an escape from the real world to a fantasy land full of wondrous creatures and adventures. Another childhood ideal Lewis represents in the novel is good over evil. Lewis portrays evil through the Queen of Narnia, or the “bad and cruel White Witch” as the faun Mr. Tumnus described her when he tells Lucy that she keeps it ‘always winter and never Christmas’ (pg.25). While the Witch reigns Narnia, the inhabitants live in a fearful and unnatural environment, but when the children arrive, heralding the return of Aslan, Lewis portrays them as the ideals of goodness which brings an end to the constant winter and return to warmth and spring. This is illustrated when the Witch’s dwarf proclaims to her “‘This is no thaw… This is Spring…Your winter has been destroyed’” (Pg. 133). Narnia becomes rejuvenated because of the children’s arrival and Lewis uses the childhood symbolism of Santa Claus to represent the shift from evil to good as Santa had been banished by the Witch for years is finally able to return, exclaiming “I’ve come at last” (pg. 117). These examples show the ideals of the childhood of imagination and fantasy and good triumphing over evil that Lewis considered desirable to be retained into adulthood.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis take the reader on a journey from England during World War II to the magical world of Narnia with its wondrous creatures and where good triumphs over evil. Nothing sacred about childhood is lost in Narnia and through the Pevensie children, Lewis portrays the childhood qualities that he considers important to retain when children mature into adulthood.