Use of Symbols in Sons and Lovers
D. H. Lawrence makes an extensive use of symbols in his Sons and Lovers. Symbolism means investing a remark or a situation or an incident or an object or even a person with a double significance or a two-fold meaning. One meaning lies on the very surface and is easily understood by the reader. The other or symbolic meaning is hidden in the writing and becomes known to the reader only after a good deal of thought. D. H. Lawrence probes deep into the consciousness of his characters with a clever use of symbols. A proper understanding of these symbols leads to a better understanding of the novel and arises appreciation from the reader. Symbolism is an essential feature of Lawrence Lawrence
There is an abundance of symbols in Sons and Lovers; and practically all the symbolism here has consciously been introduced by the author. Now let’s turn to some of the symbols used by D. H. Lawrence.
The symbol of the Ash-Tree
The ash-tree has been effectively used by Lawrence
The Symbol of the Coal-pits
The entire life of the mining community depicted in the novel depends upon the coal-pits which stand on the horizon. The coat-pits are not indispensable for a better understanding of the novel but they are symbolic of a particular attitude towards life. Walter Morel with his irrational life principle has a close association with them. The descent and ascent of the coal pits is a symbol of the sexual rhythm or a rhythm of sleep and awakening. The naturalness of the coal pits stand in contrast against the artificial way of life of the sophisticated people.
The symbol of the Swing
The Swing at Willey Farm is symbolic of the love-hate relation that is characteristic of Paul-Miriam relationship. Similar to the background and forward movement of the swing, Paul loves Miriam for one thing but suddenly hates her for another. Though, his hatred for her is also transitory and is soon replaced with love. Hence, the movement of the swing symbolizes, the two extremes of their attitude towards each other i.e. love for one moment and hate the other moment. It is also expressive of their inability to hold on to each other for a very long time.
Miriam’s inability to attain a certain height on the swing as Paul does is significant of her sexual frigidity. As on the swing she fails to attain the sexual heights in her physical relationship with Paul and performs it as a religious duty. Thus, she fails to provide Paul with the physical fulfillment that he is desirous of.
The symbol of the Hens
The symbolic pecking of the hens at the hands of Paul and Miriam stands in juxtaposition to the sexuality thwarted relationship that Miriam is going to have with Paul in the later part of the novel. Miriam’s sexual inhibition is emphasized here; in spite of Paul’s persistence that it does not hurt it only nips, Miriam is afraid to let the hen peck at her hand. This scene symbolically forecasts the disastrous failure that Miriam is going to face in attaining sexual fulfillment with Paul.
The Symbol of the blood tie between Paul and Mrs Morel
In the very beginning of the novel when Mrs. Morel has a quarrel with her husband, in an outrage of anger she is hit with a drawer which is flung at her. The wound bleeds profusely and two drops of blood fall on the hair of Paul who is in the hands of Mrs.Morel at the moment. The blood is not cleared away but it gets soaked in to the scalp of Paul. This small incident is symbolic of the disillusioned and tattering relationship of the husband and wife and the subsequent reversal of attitude of Mrs Morel towards her husband and the ultimate substitution of her sons in place of her husband. The scene is also symbolic of the contract of soul between the mother and son which is sealed with a blood tie.
The symbol of the Orange Moon
The emotional lives of the characters of Lawrence
Nature’s Benediction
Similarly on another occasion Paul rises after making love to Clara on the bank of the river. There lie on the ground many scarlet, carnation petals like splashed drops of blood, and red small splashes fall from her bosom, streaming down her dress to her feet. This is again symbolic of the benediction of flowers showered upon them for their perfect union. In still another occasion, the rose bush is used as a symbol of the witness to the spiritual communion of Paul and Miriam which they achieve while watching the rose bush together in perfect harmony.
Symbols of Flowers
The most important of the flower symbols are presented in the scene where Clara has just been introduced to Paul by Miriam. All three of them walk in an open field with its many “clusters of strong flowers” they begin to pick flowers. Though, there is natural beauty in flowers that Paul picks, yet he picks them scientifically. He has a spontaneous and direct contact with the flowers. Miriam, though she picks the flowers lovingly and reverentially yet she seems to derive the life out of them. Her bunches lack elegance. But Clara does not pick them at all, defiantly asserting that flowers should not be picked because it kills them.
Thus, on a closer reading of these floral symbols one feels, that it depicts the attitude of various characters towards life. Mrs. Morel has a vital and healthy attitude towards flowers. The scenes where Paul brings her flowers are warm and gay. Since the love of Paul and Miriam develops in the midst of natural surroundings, the flower is symbolic of its freshness and innocence. They also symbolize the beauty ad youth of Miriam.
There are various other symbols of the burned potatoes symbolizing Miriam’s total absorption in Paul. On the other had the charred bread symbolizes Paul’s total absorption in Miriam. Hope and optimism are symbolized at the end of the novel with the help of the gold phosphorescence of the city. Hence, the symbolism uses in Sons and Lovers is quite simple and easy to understand. They are in no way complex but rather help to a better understanding of the novel.
Mother-Son Relationship 1: Her children, but more specifically William, are the only bright spot in Mrs. Morel's frustrated, disgusted life. She despises the life she has with her husband and lavishes all of her love and attention to her son.
Mother-Son Relationship 2: A worried Mrs. Morel notices that William does not seem to be himself and tries to give him advice. She is concerned that he may turn out to be like his father, drinking and socializing too much. Mrs. Morel does not like the attention William receives from all the girls who call on him.
Mother-Son Relationship 3: Although Mrs. Morel is confident that William will so well in London
Mother-Son Relationship 4: When William leaves home for London
Mother-Son Relationship 5: When Mr. Morel becomes sick, Mrs. Morel does not feel as badly as she should; she wants to feel bad that he is in pain, but her love and affection for her husband is replaced by her love for William.
Mother-Son Relationship 6: Paul imagines that he and his mother will live together when he is old enough to earn money by himself and when his father has died. Paul loves his mother so much that he wants to be with her and spend all of his time with her. To live with his mother by himself is his greatest desire.
Mother-Son Relationship 7: Mrs. Morel is greatly saddened by William's engagement to Gipsy. She feels threatened and scared that William's future wife will take her place as the woman he loves most in his heart; she turns to Paul, her second son, for comfort and support.
Mother-Son Relationship 8: Mrs. Morel cannot take William's death well. She shuts out the rest of her family from her life because she is in too much pain and hurt. Not only has she lost William, she has lost a part of herself. She has loved William so much, so passionately, that she has lost part of her soul when he dies.
Mother-Son Relationship 9: Paul's nearly fatal illness makes Mrs. Morel realize how much he means to her and how much she loves him. After Paul recovers, she focuses all of her attention and love on Paul. He is all she has now, now that William has died.
Mother-Son Relationship 10: Although Paul does not realize the seriousness of his relationship with Miriam, his mother certainly does, and she is jealous. As with William and his fiancee, Mrs. Morel feels threatened by the presence of a girl whom her son is very serious about. Paul, however, does notice that his mother is hurt that he spends much of his time with Miriam.
Mother-Son Relationship 11: Mrs. Morel instinctively knows that Paul will become famous and known. More importantly, she feels that her destiny and her dreams will be carried out through Paul. She knows that Paul is capable of accomplishing all of her goals and her dreams.
Mother-Son Relationship 12: When Mrs. Morel states that Paul does not seem to spend time with anybody but Miriam, Paul sees that she is hurt that he is spending time with a woman other than her. He feels bad that the time he spends with Miriam is making his mother suffer, and he hates Miriam for making his mother suffer so much. He attempts to convince his mother that she is the one woman who he loves the most and wants to come home to, but his mother is too hurt to believe him.
Mother-Son Relationship 13: When Paul talks with Miriam about their relationship, he realizes that it is his mother whom he loves the most. He knows that he is the most important person in her life. He tells Miriam that he will never love her as much as she loves him because he will always love his mother the most.
Mother-Son Relationship 14: During Paul and Mrs. Morel's trip to the cathedral, Paul notices for the first time the temporality of their lives and wishes that he could have had more time with his mother. He berates the fact that he was the second-born son, wishing that he were her first-born, so that he would have had more time with her.
Mother-Son Relationship 15: Mrs. Morel hates Miriam even more than she already does because of the way Paul is affected by her. She hates that Miriam is changing his will, his passion, his temperament. She can see that Paul will die of the excessive, passionate temperament he fosters when he is with Miriam.
Mother-Son Relationship 16: Mrs. Morel is terribly tired of her involvement in Paul and Miriam's relationship and decides to stop intervening. She knows that Paul is an adult now and that there is nothing she can do to stop Paul from seeing Miriam. She feels that she can never forgive her son for sacrificing himself to love Miriam.
Mother-Son Relationship 17: Paul tries persuading his mother that Clara is a better match for him than Miriam ever was, but his mother is deaf to his words. He tells his mother that her jealousy of his relationship with Clara is the only thing that stops her from liking Clara. Paul is too wrapped up in his involvement with Clara and with his mother's dislike of Clara to notice that his mother does not look well at all.
Mother-Son Relationship 18: Paul has begun to realize how much his mother affects his life. Her deep love for him has made her a part of himself that when he wants to break free from his mother, he is unable to get away from her. His mother is ingrained into his very soul.
Mother-Son Relationship 19: Paul declares that he will never marry as long as he has his mother to love. He does not envision himself marrying, despite his mother's assurances that he will want to marry when he finds the right woman.
Mother-Son Relationship 20: Clara sees that Paul is distancing himself from her because of his mother. She knows in her heart that he will never sacrifice his mother for her. Paul tells her that it seems that his mother will never die because she is stubborn and relentless in heart, mind and soul.
Mother-Son Relationship 21: Paul suffers to see his mother in so much pain. He cannot take watching his mother turn into a limp, lifeless creature from a person of vitality and spirit. When he looks into his mother's eyes, he can see that she agrees that she wants to die to end all the pain she is in, yet her stubborn spirit and body will not allow her.
Mother-Son Relationship 22: When Paul kisses his dead mother, he feels emotions he has never experienced from her: cold and harsh, unreceptive and loveless. He does not want to let his mother go from his life.
Mother-Son Relationship 23: As much as Paul wants his mother to be with him, he decides that he cannot follow his mother. Even her spirit will guide him if he allows it to but he decides to break away from her. He knows he must separate himself from her to become a man of his own instinct and will.
A poem, play, picture, etc, in which the apparent meaning of the characters and events is used to symbolize a deeper moral or spiritual meaning
The Enotes guide to literary terms defines an allegory as "an extended metaphor in which a person, abstract idea, or event stands for itself and for something else. It usually involves moral or spiritual concepts which are more significant than the actual narrative". Lord of the Flies is an allegory about human nature and the two principle drives that inform most of our actions and choices. What the Lord of the Flies is is a society in miniature--a microcosm which represents the larger world and what happens in it. In real life, in real human societies there will always be the spiritual "Simons", the rational leaders like Ralph, the aggressive hunt-hungry Jacks, the self-conscious intellectual Piggys, islands, bullying, dog-eat-dog mentalities, and the mentalities of survival. We must recognize that there is a darkness that lives in each of us, but we must learn to control it for the greater good of society or we will all be lost.
The novel "Lord of the Flies" can certainly be considered an allegory. Each character represents a different part of human nature. Simon is the best in all of us. He could be considered the "Christ like” figure. Ralph is our reason and Jack is our animalistic side. The head of a pig refers to the devil. According to Enotes references to literary terms an allegory is “an extended metaphor in which a person, abstract idea, or event stands for itself and for something else. It usually involves moral or spiritual concepts which are more significant than the actual narrative."
Keeping this in mind we can easily see that the concepts and details in this novel create the allegory. Being familiar with Golding's philosophy also aids in the understanding of the underlying meanings. Golding is trying to say that mankind, when left to his own devices will become animalistic to survive. Each human being has a dark side and an ability to return to our basic roots when threatened.
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William Golding's novel "Lord of the Flies" uses characters and objects to demonstrate its central themes and ideas. The novel is an allegory, a fantastic or fabulous story intended to communicate a moral lesson. Many objects in the story are themselves allegories, symbols which illustrate Golding's idea that impulses of civilization and savagery rage within all individuals.
What is An Allegory?
In literature, writers often use different methods, including allegory, to convey their ideas. An allegory, from the Greek words meaning "other" and "to speak", is a literary device which conveys meaning through symbols, actions, and even characters. In the Lord of the Flies, the setting, the characters, and even some of the symbols serve to convey feelings about leadership, order, civilization, control, and culture.
Allegoric Elements in Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies is more than just a story of privileged young English boys being stranded on an island. In his book, the island actually represents how people view society. Through his pages, Golding offers the boys as the well-mannered representatives of their world. Without the influence of adults, the young men attempt to model their world after the adult world beyond the waters. The order that exists in the outside world soon decays and is replaced by the chaos that destroys ordered and civilized cultures.
A related allegorical element is the device of order itself. The island as the place, order as the true issue in society. Situations manifest which tempt the boys desire for order. While logic and manners rules in the beginning, the boys soon realize that logic does not feed stomachs. Structure and civility are replaced by savagery and ruthlessness. The voice of reason is replaced by primal fears and needs.
The characters are also allegoric in nature. Ralph, the central character, serves as the moral and social compass of the book. He is caring and seeks to mimic the world in which all the boys originated. Roger, one of the older boys, represents the fringe elements that are easily controlled by more primal needs of hunger, control and brutality. As Simon represents innocence and goodness, Piggy represents pure intellect. These characters mimic the crucial elements- security, leadership, morality and scientific discovery, in our own civilized culture. Each of the elements offers a check and balance to the other, but if anyone if lost, the entire system decays into anarchy.
Lord of the Flies is rich with allegoric symbols as well. The conch shell, which is found on the beach, stands as a symbol of civilization and democratic process. It is used to call the young castaways to order. Once the conch is disregarded, the boys slipped into a world of savagery, dictatorship, and murder. Piggy's Glasses are also a symbol of science and intellect. They are a source for the creation of fire for the whole community, but they are the possession of one member. That one member requires those glasses for sight and essentially the ability to be able to maneuver in society. Once the glasses are taken, Piggy's vulnerability is clear. The signal fire also is a key allegoric symbol. It represents the boy’s initial need to feel connected to their home culture and society. The maintenance of the fire proves the boys desire toe remain a part of the traditional society. As the young boys become more savage, their desire to remain connected wanes.
The Lord of the Flies is a story rich with allegoric elements and themes. While it may seem to be a narrative telling of young boys being marooned on an island, it is more of a caution to society. Golding cleverly shows how individuals can be swayed by order and eventually corrupted by power, in the absence of order. Lord of the Flies is an incredible novel which cautions us with allegory and allegoric elements. Using this style, Golding effectively tells his tale and causes us pause.
The Darkness of Man's Heart
In his novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding informs the reader that all men are subject to evil because of darkness in their hearts. To present his theme, Golding relies heavily on symbolism. Three important symbols in the novel are the conch, Simon, and the pig's head impaled on the stick. Although Golding uses many literary devices, his effective symbolism is the basis for the success of this novel.
Among the many symbols Golding uses, the conch is one of the most important because it represents democracy. Piggy suggests that the boys use the conch at meetings to provide order. Democracy cannot flourish without intelligence, which is why Golding associates the conch with Piggy. The conch is more than just a symbol of order. Golding also stresses the beauty and fragility of the shell, along with its noble, echoing sound (Cox 49). When the boys murder Piggy, the beautiful and delicate conch shatters into a thousand pieces. The destruction of the conch marks the loss of the boys' sense of law and order. Through the use of this symbol, Golding demonstrates that democracy too is delicate and beautiful, and that without intelligence it cannot exist. The disruption of democracy can turn society to chaos and disorder.
Another integral symbol Golding uses is Simon, who is representative of all that is good on the island. Simon reveals a certain kindness and a deeper insight into human nature than the other boys on the island (Babb 24). Savagery does not triumph over Simon, who discovers the truth about the "beast" and tries to inform the boys that they only have themselves to fear. However, the boys savagely murder him before he can reveal what he has discovered. Simon is a Christ-figure, compassionate like Jesus and murdered like Jesus for bringing the truth. Simon's death symbolizes the ability of evil to turn people away from goodness and truth and towards violence and chaos.
Perhaps the most important of
The darkness in a man’s heart is easily seen many times through out the “lord of the flies”. The savage beating of Simon is the first that often comes to mind. The boys go out of control and they don’t recognize Simon when he comes out of the forest and savagely kill him. Also the fact that Ralph’s plea to create order and civilization is shut down by Jack is a cruel and unfair act. The use of the pigs head for a sacrifice as a way to please the beast has very dark imagery surrounding it. Overall the whole book is a metaphor for the darkness that can be created by people that come from a civilized place.
