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Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Analysis

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Lord of the Flies, a novel by William Golding, is about a group of young boys that get stranded on an island with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They are left to survive on their own, and chaos naturally ensues. Throughout the book, Golding presents objects that have hidden meanings that can become apparent if the reader only looks deeper. In Lord of the Flies, the fire and Piggy’s specs symbolize how pure emotions can and will be corrupted by human nature.
The fire the boys strived to maintain throughout the book represents their hope for rescue and the unity they require. Once Ralph is elected as leader, the first thing he does is think of rescue. He planned a fire to be made so if any ships sailed by, they would see the smoke. Their hope and blind faith in rescue relies on the smoke from this fire, but the fire also relies on them. They have to work as a team to keep the fire burning at all times. “Even the smallest boys, unless fruit claimed them, brought little pieces of wood and threw them in” (41). The hope and unity the boys display at the beginning of the book is represented by their precious fire on top of the rock.
Piggy’s specs symbolize the logic and rationality that, however hard to hold on to, is desperately needed by the boys. Being stranded on an island is a stressful and terrifying situation. Rational thinking is one of the most important things in this type of situation, yet the voice of panic usually drowns it out. Glasses, however stereotypical,

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