Piggy's Savagery

In William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies, a major theme is the human impulse of savagery against the human desire for civilization. Throughout the novel, the boys’ trials drive them closer to their primitive nature. Golding presents the question: Does the instinct towards violence and animality overcome the human desire for civility and order?
A reoccurring symbol throughout the book is Piggy’s glasses. When he first uses them to start the fire, he’s connecting the boys to civilization, through the fire. Piggy is a source of ration and maturity throughout the novel, and his glasses symbolizes the sight that he possesses, that they other boys don’t. When Jack breaks his glasses, he’s descending into savagery. He’s breaking ration and reason.

Because Piggy only can see out of one eye, he too starts to lose his connection to civilization. After that, he begins to participate in the dances and activities of Jack’s tribe, eventually participating in the death of Simon.
While Jack is off hunting in Chapter Four, he lets the fire go out.

The fire symbolizes Ralph’s desire to be rescued and return to the world, yet Jack cut that cord. Jack says, “The fire’s only been out for an hour or two. We can light it up again…” While he was hunting, he let the fire go out. His savage actions led to the cord of civilization being cut. Even when they do light the fire again, it’s already too late. The boys are almost completely gone.
After Ralph and Piggy’s participation in Simon’s death, almost all civility on the island is gone. Simon had represented a Christ-like figure on the island and because of his death, they lost the pure good that they had. The last thing they had to lose was Piggy, their last connection to rationality. Piggy’s death is a consequence of their savagery, and his death is really the turning point in the novel.
Piggy is the only character who truly cared about keeping their civility. Towards the end of the novel, he says, “Ralph- remember what we came for. The fire. My specs.” Piggy remained loyal to the outside world. When Roger kills him, the conch shatters and “... ceased to exist.” Law and order has disappeared, along with the boys ability to ration. They’ve completely descended into chaos. And when they are rescued, they’ll return to another war on a much wider

scale.
Lord of the Flies is a microcosm for society. By making the boys represent traits and ideas, such as civility (Ralph), rationality (Piggy), and savagery (Jack). Golding shows how everyone has the potential to be primitive, and how people hold evil inside themselves.