The Struggle Between Savagery and Civilization
             In the book "Lord of the Flies", the author uses many symbols to convey meaning. However, they all tie into two concepts that run parallel during the book: civilization and savagery. The two conflicting ideas are battling, with a result foreshadowed from the beginning of the book. Savagery and human evil wins. However, during the book, the meaning of the symbols representing civilization and chaos change. The first, Piggy's glasses, goes from being hope for order to confirming the victory of chaos. The second, the beast, goes from being an illusory horror to representing human nature. At first, the glasses and the civilization they represented were able to hold the beast in check, but as the book progressed evil and savagery became more powerful and destroyed civilization on the island.
             In the very beginning of the book the glasses represented the hope for civilization. They were introduced with Piggy, a fat, ponderous boy who wanted reason, order and civilization. Piggy's physical aspects and actions closely identified him with adult civilization. The glasses were similarly connected with civilization. Piggy's ideas represented the hope that civilization could be maintained on the island, and that they could eventually be rescued. Piggy helps to organize the boys and start a "tribe" on the island. His glasses are also used directly for the signal fire. When the boys are trying to light the first fire, Jack proposes to " 'use them as burning glasses!'" (36). They are the only thing that can light a fire, so the glasses must be preserved. The glasses are
             extremely important for civilization, and they represent both the hope of rescue and the belief in civilization.
             At the same time, the beast is appearing. It is first presented as an illusory horror, something thought up by a scared little kid. At the fi...