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

from humane and civilized behavior to utter savagery.

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

maintain the signal fire. When Ralph wakes up towards the conclusion of the novel, he sees the fire in the distance and exclaims, “The fire was a big one...He saw that a great heaviness of smoke laid between the island and the sun” (198). The boys’ failure to keep the fire correlates with their inability to maintain a civil society on the island. The initial intentions of keeping the fire as a civil resource is now nonexistent. With exception of Samneric, the boys would rather use fire as weapon to hunt Ralph. With an uncontrolled fire and a loss of morality, the boys have gradually descended into barbarity. A group of people can only be civilized if they have a way of distributing authority and power.
Another one of Golding’s symbols that illustrates the transition from civilized to savage is the conch. The conch symbolizes authority and power. Whichever boy is holding the conch has the ability to speak and shall not be interrupted. The conch also acts as a representation of an orderly and civilized society. When the boys initially find the conch, Piggy decides that the shell should be used to summon everyone on the island. Realizing how critical the conch could be, Piggy states, “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear this” (16). The conch acts as a means to maintain structure. At this point, civilization and order are intact. It establishes unity and authority amongst the boys on the island. Every boy on the island respects the rules and regulations regarding the conch. Even Jack, with his antagonistic and oppressive manner, abides by the conch. After Jack fails to stage a coup, it states that he “laid the conch with great care in the grass at his feet” (127). In spite of his frustration, Jack still treats the conch with respect rather than shattering it. The conch is deeply valued in the structured civilization. However, as moral values dissipate and humanity is broken down, its importance deteriorates. The conch ends up being destroyed during Piggy’s death. When Piggy is hit by the rock, Golding says, “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (181). Once the conch shatters, all order, democracy, and decency fades away. Their chances of redemption and rescue erodes. With no order and structure, survival is unlikely. Civilization ceases to exists, and savagery now occupies life on the island. The deteriorating society is also displayed through the condition of Piggy’s glasses.
The condition of Piggy’s specs is symbolic of the declining civilization on the island.

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

society and the loss of vision. The last tie to humanity on the island is now ravaged and irreparable. The specs condition symbolizes the society’s imminent descent into anarchy. Clearly, multiple symbols in the novel help portray the breakdown of humanity and civilization on the island.

William Golding uses symbolism to display the descent from a structured society to barbarism. For instance, the signal fire shows the change from civil to savagery as it was initially used to instill hope for survival, but later becomes a dangerous weapon. Additionally, at first the conch is used in a civil manner, uniting the group, but as the boys become savages, it shatters and its importance is no longer recognized. Lastly, the condition of Piggy’s glasses shows the deteriorating society because as the boys become barbaric, the specs are destroyed. In the Lord of the Flies, the characters lose their character. Preserving one’s moral fabric is the ideal way to overcome adversity.