Adversity In Lord Of The Flies

Adversity builds character, but it also tests it. With adversity, survival is often challenged; it is man’s responsibility to remain committed to civilization. In the novel the Lord of the Flies, a group of boys are deserted on an island following a plane crash. During times of despair, civility and morality can easily be lost because savagery exists in all people. In the Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses symbols that change to emphasize the deteriorating society and breakdown of humanity. Symbols that show the changes to society and humanity include the signal fire, the conch, and Piggy’s specs. Fire can either be used as vital resource for as a means of destruction.

Golding uses symbols such as the fire to convey the transition

The fire symbolizes structured civilization and the salvation of hope and rescue. The boys, especially Ralph, emphasize the importance of maintaining the signal fire. This helps illustrate their affinity to remain civilized while on the island. During an assembly, Ralph stresses that the boys complete the tasks given to them. He reiterates how crucial the fire can be to survival and states, “The fire is the most important thing on the island...Can’t you see we ought to - ought to die before we let the fire out?” (80-81). The fire, if maintained properly, can be essential to rescue. It can signal incoming ships and guide them to the island shores. The fire acts as mental inspiration for the boys. With the fire lit, the boys remain enthusiastic and focused on their goals. When the novel progresses, the group is unable to

Golding uses Piggy’s specs as a representation of pure knowledge and insight. Their appearance helps portray the overall status of the island civilization. When Jack and Ralph try to devise a plan to create smoke, the specs are used as a necessary resource to ignite the fire. Jack exclaims to the boys when he was attempting to start the fire, “His specs- use them as burning glasses” (40). Piggy’s specs are used to magnify a ray of light to produce fire. The creation of fire has increased their chances of survival, renewing order and civility on the island. Additionally, it has restored the boys’ hope and salvation in getting rescued. During these times of prosperity, Piggy’s specs are in mint condition. However, the boys forcefully take the specs for their own personal benefit. As the boys begin to treat Piggy maliciously, the condition of the specs start to decline. The glasses became blurry and slightly impaired, making it difficult for Piggy to see clearly. Jack’s disdain towards Piggy heightens to a new level. Following Piggy’s criticism after letting the fire burn out, Jack physically abuses Piggy. Jack bashes him on his head with his specs, causing them to break. Golding states following their quarrel, “Piggy’s glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks” (71). One eye on the glasses is now completely broken. The destruction of the specs depicts the breakdown of