What Does The Pig's Head On A Stick Symbolize In Lord Of The Flies

Humans, for many years, have been considered a superior species, although this may not be accurate. In the book, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, Golding’s personal opinion of the evil and savagery in human nature is delivered to the reader all throughout the book. The story is about a group of boys who got stranded on an island following a plane crash. At first they tried to create a stable society in which they could live peacefully. This did not last though, as there was friction between Jack and Ralph over who would become leader. Eventually, Jack created his own group which tended to act violently. Throughout the book the children acted more and more violently, and there were three deaths on the island before they were rescued.

During his search for the beast, Simon was surprised by what he found. The beast was not really a physical creature, but something very different. Simon mutters in his shock, “‘Pig’s head on a stick,” and later the beast said, “‘You knew didn’t you? I’m part of you” (Golding 143)? The pig’s head on a stick, or the Lord of the Flies, is symbolic of the evil nature within the boys. The use of a pigs head on a stick is symbolic because savage nature is what sparked Jack’s desire to brutally kill a pig, and the murdered pig later became the being which represented that same savage nature. The symbolism in the Lord of the Flies was also important in advancing the plot of the story, by teaching the reader and Simon that the “beast”, which was referred to all throughout the story, is really just the nature of the children. Another symbolic item that was important during the story was the conch. Early in the story, when the children were trying to peacefully settle into their new environment, they decided that the conch will be their alternative to raising hands. Ralph said, “‘I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking”’ (Golding 33). Golding used the conch to symbolize the boys’ connection back to society. Later in the book, when the conch was destroyed, Golding made the kids act even more savage and violent because they had lost all ties back to regular society. This symbolism showed how good human behavior is strongly connected with society. By symbolically creating a pig’s head on a stick and a conch to represent much bigger ideas in the lives of the kids, Golding helps the reader to understand his belief that without society, humans’ savage nature would be