The Epitome of an Allegory It can be said that life is an allegory of sorts, given that the most unexpected, seemingly irrelevant instances can signify one’s most important characteristic or event. Everyday, insignificant objects or occurrences can tell a great deal about an individual, and who they are.This is the case for a group of boys who unfortunately crashed on a deserted island with no parental supervision. William Golding, author of the nonfiction novel, Lord of the Flies uses symbols which constantly alter, based on the mental and physical state of the boys, forcing a deterioration in the stability of the boys. Golding uses a conch shell, the fire, and Piggy’s specs as significant, ever-changing symbols throughout the novel. An exceptionally notable piece of the storyline is a conch shell, which is discovered early in the novel. The conch shell, found by Piggy in the early pages of the story, is …show more content…
Piggy wears glasses, or specs, as the text refers to them. These specs are brought up often as a symbol of Piggy’s intelligence. When a situation is not going well, Piggy is shown cleansing his specs, as a form of clarify to then think of a new perspective. The story progresses, and as it does so, Piggy’s glasses shatter little by little until he is ultimately killed. Just after the boy's’ plane crashes, the text states, “He took off his glasses and held them out to Ralph, blinking and smiling, and then started to wipe them against his grubby windbreaker. An expression of pain and inward concentration altered the pale contours of his face. ‘Them fruit.’ he said” (9). Piggy instantly began to think of means of survival after the plane crashed.The cleaning of his glasses clearly indicates his ability to think quickly as he tackles a situation from a different point of view. Piggy’s specs are a valuable item both to him, and the boys relying on his