Symbols within “Lord of the Flies” By the Lins and Lee.

PIGGY’S GLASSES And does it mean more than it’s face value?

What it is literally. It helps to help Piggy see properly. It is used to make a fire; firstly to be used as a signal, then used to cook meat.

What does it represent symbolically? It represents technological knowledge. This is shown as when the glasses become damaged and stolen throughout the boys stay at the island, so does the level of technology.

When the glasses first become broken on one side, Ralph mentions in the meeting straight afterwards that the boys have been drinking from the river instead of using coco-nut shells as cups. As the glasses get stolen most of the boys have abandoned their huts and moved to live at castle rock. This shows the downgrade of the level of technology the boys use.

The glasses are a physical representation of Piggy’s character. Intelligence -"What intelligence had been shown was traceable to Piggy." Scientific Clear sighted. -"Acting like a crowd of kids!". -He sees the stupidity of running up the mountain to make a fire when they haven't made shelters yet.

THE BEAST What actually is it?

First believed to take form of "the snake-thing" by the boy with the mulberry-coloured birthmark After a while, in the meeting in chapter 5, "Beast from Water" the beast is discussed as an animal of the sea, a squid, and a ghost. In chapter 6, "Beast from Air" the dead parachutist is mistaken for the beast, described as "It was furry. There was something moving behind its head ----wings…... there were eyes teeth claws " by the twins. In chapter 8, "Gift for the Darkness", Simon sees the pigs head on a stick as the beast.

The beast represents the primal instinct of savagery inside everyone. This is shown when the belief of the beast becomes stronger throughout the boys, more uncivilized actions and acts of savergery start to occur more frequently such as: -The torture of Samneric by Roger. Roger is only able to do this with permission of Jack, the chief who gets his power through the manipulation the boys’ fear of the beast. But what does the beast represent?

- The deliberate murder of piggy by Roger. Near the start of the novel, when the beast is believed by few, Roger is unable to throw rocks at littlun Henery, as "Roger's arm was conditioned by a civilisation that knew nothing of him and was in ruins." However, at the end, Roger can bring himself to roll a boulder towards Piggy with “delirious abandonment”.

The beast is also a target on which the other boys project their anxieties on; therefore representing the fear for the unknown. “ But that’s littlun talk. We’ll get that straight. So the last part, the part we can all talk about, is kind of deciding on the fear.” -Ralph “ You littluns started all this, with the fear talk. Beasts!” -Jack

Conch Conch Clearly a symbol for democracy and reason upon the island. Holds a presence from the beginning of the novel, Ralph is chosen for the superficial reason that he is holding the conch. “Him with the conch!” The conch represents the right to speech, the boy holding the conch is to speak “and no one” but Ralph may interrupt them. The conch is therefore the source of power for the boys at the start of the novel, “I’ve got the conch!”, who is constantly interrupted, and surely would have no part to say without it. Jack too desires the power it represe nts. Physically it remains influential. The conch is an authority which holds no physical power. When the boys realize this chaos takes hold of the island. “the conch counts here too.”~ ~”What are you going to do about it then?” “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak.” “We’ll have hands up, like at school.” As the boys deteriorate further in the novel the conch loses its significance, and beco mes a mere symbol. With the destruction of the conch the order on the island is broken, not only physically as with the murders of Simon and Piggy, but symbolically now as well. The decline of it’s influence over the boys infers the conch is losing significance, as is the power of reason over authority on the island.

The Pig’s Head. A physical manifestation of the beast, the vulgar image that the Pig’s head presents is a reflection of our heart of darkness. In creating the Pig’s head themselves, the boys have further reasserted our assumption that they have created the beast, “Maybe, its only us.” The “Lord of the Flies”, the Pig’s head speaks to Simon in a fit, a vision of all the evil Simon sees on the island. The head not only represents savage nature on the island but the Heart of darkness that exists within each of it. It is condescending, threatening, sarcastic, “We’re going to do you.” “I'm going to get waxy, you see?” “Pig’s head on a stick”. “Echoed with the parody of laughter.” “The laughter shivered again.” The description of the head is resoundingly evil, again the implication is that somewhere within ea ch of us exists this capacity not just for savagery but for evil as well. “I’m the beast, I’m part of you. Close, Close!” Simon’s vision confirms the beast is physically not real, although it exists in all of them. He attempt to reason with himself, the only words he says in the scene are Pig’s head on a stick.” The irony is that although it is exactly that, the evil that the head represents is far greater.

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