Prompt #1- Lord of the Flies

Task: Read the following prompt and answer to the best of your ability! Choose a symbol used in a novel or play of your choice and discuss its function in the world of the work. Be sure to give the title of the work and its author in the Introduction paragraph. You should strive for 4 - 5 paragraphs. Good Luck! After posting, read and comment on 4 other postings. Your comments should be helpful to the writer and may be things you noticed, something for them to think about, and some words of encouragement. You must complete your essay and your comments by Tuesday, January 12th!

Sun, freedom and all the bananas one could want to eat is everything a young boy from Great Britain could ever hope for. In William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies, two boys find out just how important order, authority and restraints are in society. Heavily dependent upon symbols and metaphors, this allegorical story provides the reader with many life lessons.

One important symbol of this novel was the most prevalent one: Piggy's glasses. Like his glasses, Piggy was a very fragile character. His spectacles differentiate him from the crowd, and he is the only one who is forced to wear them. This sign symbolizes a lot of what Piggy is: different, an outsider and the only one on the island with any sense in him. As stated earlier, Piggy's attachment to his glasses is essential, for without them he is unable to see. Likewise, Piggy's attachment to his differences is essential, for without them, he is unable to be. Throughout the novel, the reader is constantly reminded of Piggy's maturity level -- it is much higher than the other boys and he acts almost like an experienced adult.

This maturity is probably caused by the early onset of his peers' derisive behavior and the constant fawning of his family. Piggy's glasses also represent the adult's presence in a child's life. Piggy, who had to be under constant supervision by his parents to control his asthma, is the only child who was not sent to boarding school or abandoned by one or both parents. The glasses also acted as an adult would on the island. It provided the boys with the means necessary to make fire, and with Piggy the strength necessary to help him see. When Piggy loses his glasses, it is similar to the loss of a parent or a guiding force.

Piggy's glasses also serve one last purpose of representing the intellectual and rational side of society. Piggy is undoubtedly the smartest boy on the entire island. He is the only one who is able to think things out, find a reasonable explanation for the unknown and provide some kind of order, no matter how makeshift it is. However, reason and rationality was not enough to prevent the children from becoming savages. In fact, when Piggy tries to confront Jack and his tribe at their camp, he is murdered. The fact that Piggy’s glasses break at this point in the book is an eerie reminder that no matter how right you are or how reasonable your explanation is, fear and savagery will overcome it.

No matter how civilized a person may seem, the uncultured savage beast that lives within all of us can come out in a heartbeat. It doesn’t take a lot to push someone over the edge into violence and chaos, and though we value intelligence and a scientific approach to every situation now, we will not if we are placed in a life or death situation.