Symbols In Lord Of The Flies Symbol Analysis

Symbols

Golding portrays the boys on the island turning the necessities they need for survival into symbols representing the sinful nature of humans. Throughout the book there is only one female character, and even then she is violated in the most brutal way. Roger and Jack find the only female, a nursing sow, during a pig hunt and decided to stalk her down to hunt and kill.

“This dreadful eruption from an unknown world made her frantic; she squealed and bucked and the air was full of sweat and noise and blood and terror. Roger ran round the heap, prodding with his spear whenever pig flesh appeared. Jack was on top of the sow, stabbing downward with his knife. Roger found a lodgment for his point and began to push till he was leaning with

They figure out how to use these glasses to make a fire which is then used to cook and make the signal which stood for civilization on the island. The one thing Ralph reiterates is the importance of the signal fire; however, Jack makes hunting as his only priority and this leads to tension among the two. During one particular scene, Ralph and Piggy chastise Jack for leaving the fire when a ship passed and there was no signal which could had led to their rescue and with that news Jack “smacked piggy’s head. Piggy’s glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks” (70), He takes the opportunity to not only be the first person to physically hurt another boy, but he ruins one of the only source of technology the boys had available to them. Inevitably, when Jack makes his own tribe he needs everyone on the island to know he’s in charge and does the one thing no one else on the island ever did. He steals. Jack steals Piggy's glasses to control one power of the fire, and with that fire he turns technology into a weapon and display of power (van Vuuren). “The chief led them, trotting steadily, exulting in his achievement. He was a chief now in truth; and he made stabbing motions with his spear. From his left hand dangled Piggy’s broken glasses” (168). From breaking the glasses to stealing them, Jack takes another necessity, which isn’t necessarily Piggy’s vision, but the boys’

However, the destruction of the island started way before the total regression of the boys. Within the first few chapters it is evident that the little ones are deciding to use the bathroom anywhere they can find on the island. Ralph realizes that you can use the bathroom the same place you eat and sleep and reinforces that “‘We’ve all got to use the rocks again. This place is getting dirty’” (81). Then comes the flies. In an area that was once dancing with butterflies now lies the hanging shadow of death and with death comes flies. After Jack and his boys killed the sow, they cut of her head and placed it on a stick in a clearing that was one of the most beautiful places on the island. With this pig head on the stick, comes hundreds of flies, spilt guts, and the indignity whole situation. The flies were “black and iridescent green and without number” (138), and took over a place that was full of hope and beauty. To add onto that, the first thing the boys contribute to the island was leave a scar where a plane crash showing that where there are humans, there is destruction. Even before the boys had the ability to meet each other or get together they manage to leave an ugly lasting mark on the island that was perfect and self-sufficient before the arrival of the