Piggy's Glasses Symbolism

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William Golding's Lord of the Flies was an allegory. This means that the novella was full of symbolic characters and objects. One of the many symbols were Piggy’s glasses. William Golding was entailing many things within the symbolism of the specs. Piggy’s glasses specifically symbolize the use of knowledge.

Knowledge is awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation. It can be used to aid humanity as well as obliterate it. Since the specs were property of Piggy, who symbolizes the rational side of society, we can infer that if the glasses were not clear then rationality wouldn’t be either. Piggy needed knowledge to rationalize. He was the smartest all of the boys, and although Ralph and Jack didn't always realize the …show more content…

When Piggy's glasses broke the island began to fall apart. Although Piggy himself represented rationality, when the glasses broke he couldn't use the knowledge needed to rationalize. The glasses broke in chapter four of The Lord of the Flies. William Golding stated “ Jack smacked Piggy's head, Piggy's glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks. Piggy cried out in terror ‘My specs!’...‘One side’s broken’”. Again, When Piggy cannot see, he cannot think rationally. In chapter two the boys stole Piggy's glasses. William Golding stated, “Jus’ blurs that's all. Hardly see my hand-” (The Lord of the Flies). Piggy's glasses are an essential part of his character. He is not only disabled of his sight without them, but of the use of knowledge. Therefore, when William Golding wrote that he couldn’t see without his glasses, he had intended a deeper meaning. Towards the end of the novella, Jack’s savage tribe stole Piggy’s glasses to create their own fire. The fire Piggy’s glasses created represented how knowledge destroyed humanity. The savages were trying to smoke Ralph out of the forest, and caused a wildfire. When William Golding wrote about how the boys created the wildfire, he was intending that the boys used knowledge without rationalizing. They couldn’t be rational because they had killed Piggy.

In conclusion, Piggy’s glasses ultimately represent the use of knowledge. In the beginning of The Lord of the Flies, the glasses aided the boys in many ways, but towards the end it destroyed the island. Without Piggy, the boys couldn't properly use knowledge, and without knowledge Piggy couldn't rationalize. The glasses were extremely symbolic throughout the

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