Piggy's Glasses Symbolism

Piggy's glasses were used many times throught out the novel, where the boys of the island in fact found good use in them, and treated his glasses as a symbol of discovery,innovation, and source of civilization on the island such as creating the fire. Once piggy's glasses break, the innovation, and civilization is gone.

In this quote the two boys Ralph and Jack start thinking about making a fire. They quickly come to realize they have no matches to start a fire. As they look around in embarrassment they quickly see Piggy’s glasses. From this we are able to see the glasses that were being used as an item to see quickly becomes a tool of innovation, that is able to start fires without Jack and Ralph looking like an embarrassment after they had no matches or tools.

He planned and eventually took Piggy’s glasses from Ralph’s group, and the glasses were the only way the boys knew how to start a fire. Ralph and Piggy were one of the few left who were not savage and cared about keeping a fire alive to be saved. The author writes, “You go away, Ralph. You keep to your end. This is my end and my tribe. You leave me alone.’ … ‘You pinched Piggy’s specs,’ said Ralph breathlessly. ‘You’ve got to give them back.’ ‘Got to? Who says? ” (176). Jack did not realize the importance of keeping the fire going, and by not giving the glasses back to the few people who still cared for the fire, makes their chances of being saved even slimmer than before. Jack’s decisions will only benefit himself and keep him in power, another act of being selfish, but does not want his actions to be

"His specs-use them as burning glasses” (Golding 40)! This quote was said when Ralph and Jack were trying to figure out how to start the fire. As the boys figure out how to use the lens to create fire, the idea of the glasses representing power increases. The glasses also seem to increase their chance of survival. The spectacles represent the kids’ only way of achieving the fire, by reflecting the sun’s rays. "Piggy's glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks"(Golding 71). In this quote, Jack hit Piggy on the head, resulting in the fire. This caused the glasses to be broken. When the glasses broke, it represented the last tie of humanity the boys

Jack stole Piggy’s glasses, and without them Piggy wasn't himself. He could barely see and he couldn't think straight. Ralph decided they needed the fire if they wanted to be rescued and Piggy and the boys risked their lives to go and get them from Ralph. “Which is better—to be a pack of painted Indians like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is? . . . Which is better—to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?” (Golding. 11) After sticking up to Jack and his pack, the boys were laughing at Piggy, they didn't take anything he said seriously. We see once again Piggy acting as the parent, and coming up with intelligent things to do and say unlike

Piggy is described as an intellectually gifted boy as he possesses knowledge about different facts largely unknown by others. His glasses, with the help of which the signal fire is started, represent the scientific and intellectual power of the society he has been raised in. The meaning of the glasses differs throughout the main characters of Jack, ralph, and Piggy himself, but as a generalization, the glasses of Piggy portray advancement and innovation.

     Piggy in the beginning of the book was using his common sense, he was intelligent, he knew what was right from wrong, and he could condone things that made him angry easily. In the beginning of the book, (pg. ) Ralph told everyone his name was Piggy even though Piggy specifically told Ralph that he didn't like to be called that name Piggy later condoned Ralph's action with great ease. Piggy's action's and behavior depended on his glasses. Piggy and his glasses symbolized intelligence, he represents the rational side of civilization. With the glasses it seemed as though Piggy made all the right choices, and he helped Ralph know what needed to be done with the tribe. Without his

In the beginning of the Lord of the Flies we are introduced to two young boys, who have survived a tragic plane crash. The aircraft was an evacuation plane and it was transporting the group of boys out of England. One of the boys named Piggy is trying to catch up to the other boy, Ralph. Piggy is described as being very fat and shorter than Ralph. He wears “thick spectacles” (William Golding 7) and he is the first to determine that they are on an island. Piggy is also the one that knows how to use the conch shell and comes up with the use of it, which is to call everyone else to the beach. He believed the conch created order. Once the conch had been used we are introduced to more boys and they gain interest in Piggy’s glasses. They discover that Piggy’s glasses can start fires and they refer to them as “burning glasses” (Golding 40). The boys also rejoiced when they discovered that his glasses could create the fires. They proclaimed, “His specs - use them as burning glasses!” (Golding 38). The spectacles symbolize Piggy’s intelligence, which distinguished him from the others. Without the glasses Piggy would be blind and he would not know what to do. Although Piggy is portrayed as being physically weak and not having a great chance at survival, he is the only one that seemed to know a few survival skills. He is the one that created the fire, sundial and shelter. Without his glasses he would not be ‘intelligent’. His appearance and personality cause him to be shunned

now all lead to destruction of the boys government. The conch that piggy found at the

In this passage, we see Ralph, the chief of the island, wishing that he is able to think like Piggy because, as chief, he needs to be able make smart decisions, like Piggy is able to do. In the beginning of the novel, Piggy’s glasses represent intelligence. However, later in the novel, after they are broken, they represent how power has the ability to corrupt people, especially Jack Merridew. The glasses also symbolize power because they have the ability to create fire which represents life and independence. Therefore, whoever wields the power of the glasses also has the ability to survive without anyone's help. This power is something that Jack desires and seeks throughout the novel. For example, when Prometheus gave fire to the humans in Greek Mythology, he was tortured and had his liver pecked out every day by a crow for doing so because fire symbolized light and independence from the gods. This passage takes place right after the brutal attack by Jack and his hunters on Ralph’s crew, “Piggy drew his legs. ‘You

They symbolize intelligence and smartness. The boys use piggy’s glasses to start a fire because they had nothing else to use.The glasses that Piggy wears are also very important to the boy’s survival and getting off the island. They are also a symbol of science because they created fire. 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 (296-302.)

First and foremost, Piggy’s glasses are used to start a fire which shows a sign of civility as fire is the starting point to civilization, with it being the way the boys will return home. During the first meeting, Ralph addresses the group to say that a fire is needed to go in order to attract attention to the island for a passing boat. The boys then, unsure how to start a fire, “Ralph moved the lenses back and forth, this way and that, till a glossy white image of the declining sun lay on a piece of rotten wood. Almost at once a thin trickle of smoke rose up and made him cough”(Golding 56). This shows that because of Piggy being hard of sight, the boys were able to start a fire and have the ability to return to civilization. Furthermore, due to Piggy’s glasses creating the fire, the boys can now

Piggy’s glasses represented the theme “Loss of Identity” in the book. Piggy’s glasses defined who he was. It set him apart from all the other boys. Once Piggy’s glasses broke, he lost part of his identity. “Ralph made a step forward and Jack smacked Piggy's head. Piggy's glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks. Piggy cried out in terror: "My specs!" . . . One sides broken” (54). A little later in the book, Jack and his group of hunters stole Piggy’s glasses. This symbolizes another piece of Piggy’s identity being lost. “From his left hand dangled Piggy's broken glasses” (131). After this happened, Ralph decided that he and the rest of the “sane” boys should march up to castle rock to get Piggy’s glasses back. This ended with Piggy dieing which symbolizes the complete loss of his identity. “High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever. . . The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist. Piggy, saying nothing, with no time for even a grunt, traveled through the air sideways from the rock, turning over as he went. The rock bounded twice and was lost in the forest. Piggy fell forty feet and landed on his back across the square red rock in the sea. His head opened and stuff came out and turned red.” (141). I think that it is very sad for Piggy to lose his identity throughout the book because

The symbol of Piggy’s Glasses is illustrated in many different ways, such as structure and civilization. When Piggy first got onto the island, he looked at it

Piggy’s glasses symbolize knowledge. The glasses also represent society’s reliance upon technology because humans are sometimes weak. The glasses were created to make Piggy’s eyesight better than before. His life is better with the glasses because he can see, without them I don’t know what he would do. Jack slaps the glasses off of Piggy’s face, and in that