When Pig's Heads Talk
Essay by 24 • September 8, 2010 • 558 Words (3 Pages) • 2,285 Views
"What are you doing out here all alone? Aren't you afraid of
me?" asks a pig's head on a stick, covered in flies. But it's more that,
it's an entity, which is hidden within the depths of the book,
concealed for the reader to discover. The book Lord of the Flies by
William Golding contains symbolism all throughout the text, each
symbol to be interpreted in its own way.
The main symbol in Lord of the Flies is quite obviously, the Lord
of the Flies, which as aforementioned, is a pig's head on a stick,
covered in flies. The symbol represents the evil within the boys that
reside on the island. Each one corrupt in his own, fearing what
resides within them. Jack with his "macho" attitude, while he is a
leader, has actually took part in killing someone, but then again, so
has every boy there. This evil could also be interpreted as a loss of
innocence, in which the boys spiral from helpless little tykes to
voracious savages, living only to kill.
Another symbol, is just the flies residing upon the sow's head.
They seem to represent people that cling to evil, as though it would
their only chance of survival. An example of that would be a cannibal,
whose own desires have led him to feast upon flesh, and then, even
when he knows that what he has done is wrong, he continues to do it
until his disgusting gorging has ended with his capture and
punishment. Oddly enough, the flies are feeding on rotting flesh as
well.
Simon, the boy murdered by his peers, can be viewed as a
Christ figure. While some may say it is Ralph, Simon seems more like
a savior. He comes down from the mountain, bearing news of the
boys salvation from the beast that torments him and he is persecuted
by them, each one taking part in the frenzy of his death. He also
seems to be knowledgeable about things the boys can't comprehend.
He is always off in his own little world, pondering something that
most
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