What Is Piggy's Glasses Symbolize In Lord Of The Flies

As Dictionary.com states, the definition of a symbol is, “something used for or regarded as representing something else; a material object representing something.” This novel describes the events after which a group of boys end up stranded on a deserted island and have to figure out how to survive together, but overtime the boys force more challenges on themselves and become savage. In William Golding’s allegory, Lord of the Flies, he included symbols which have a great amount of significance throughout the text; however, as the story progresses, their meanings change. Golding included many symbolic objects in his story that had a shift in meaning at multiple places in the text, but the strongest examples were the conch shell, the beast, and

At the beginning of the story, Piggy’s glasses represent logic and intelligence on the island since Piggy was tied to the outside world and had the most common sense out of the boys. However, the glasses were not only used by Piggy. For instance, Jack blurted out, “‘His specs— use them as burning glasses.’ Ralph moved the lenses back and forth… till an image of the declining sun lay on a piece of rotting wood’’ ( 40-41 ). To elaborate, Jack’s idea of using the lenses on the glasses shows how the boy’s, mostly Piggy’s intelligence helps them surging on the island. Towards the middle of the story, the boys were arguing over who was going to be leader and Jack stepped over the line, making an immature decision. To demonstrate, the text says “Jack smacked Piggy’s head. Piggy’s glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks... ‘My specs! One side is broken!”’ ( 71 ). During the disagreement between the boys, the glasses broke which symbolizes part of the intelligence on the island disappearing as the boys do not make as smart decisions as they did at their arrival on the island. At the end of the story, both tribes turned completely savage and went against one another. The two groups began to despise each other and argue over resources instead of working together and use their common sense. Jack’s tribe wanted to get Piggy’s glasses in order to start a fire, later used to set the entire forest on fire, and had a physical fight with the other tribe. At the end of the argument, Piggy walked back with Ralph, while holding his completely broken glasses in defeat. This shows that at the end of the novel all of the boys’ common sense had faded away and all that remains is the evil and savagery inside of them. In conclusion, the conch shell, the beast, and the glasses all had