2.2.4 Specs in the interpretation of human darkness
Golding uses the specs as a symbol of intelligence, rationality and common sense - all qualities possessed by a civilized human being who functions in a society bound by rules, laws and taboos. The glasses symbolize many ideals on the island and within the boys. The glasses evidently show intelligence that is traceable to Piggy because of his adult-like appearance and his ability to rationalize and assess the conflicts on the island very thoroughly. Because of the reason and rationality symbolized by the specs, they portray the wearer as an adult; one who is intelligent, rational and sensible. The glasses are one of two man-made objects on the island, which demonstrates a symbol of intelligence through the technology needed to create such an object. Although, because the boys continuously ignore and exclude Piggy from daily activities, they are also removing the rational thought to which they are accustomed to everyone but Piggy is busy. Throughout the novel, the specs become soiled with dirt, or the sins and extremities of the boys. When he speaks in front of the assembly, Piggy often finds himself taking off his glasses and wiping them in attempt to remove the blur of sins from the falling society. Evidently, the specs are frequently used for the wrong purpose. The boys use them as burning glasses to start the fire on top of Castle Rock. Ironically, the item which symbolizes intelligence and reason is the object which starts the decent into savagery during the spreading of the fire; this proves Golding's theory that savagery is more powerful than reason. The savage boys are beginning an inescapable decent into anarchy and evil by the slow deterioration of the glasses. After Jack slaps Piggy, the glasses fly off and tinkle on the rocks one sides broken; the lens is demolished. As Piggy’s vision begins to diminish and he becomes literally blind, the boys are metaphorically blinded to reason, common sense, and rationality. At the beginning of the novel, the rules made by Ralph slowly diminish, along with a civilization. This is shown by the crime committed by the savages upon another human being: the death of Simon. One night, Jack and his savages come for Piggy’s broken glasses. They steal Piggy’s specs for the use of lighting the fire; the initial event which begins the boys decent to savagery. The stealing of Piggy’s glasses symbolizes the loss of intellectualism to a savage. The final stage of the glasses occurs when Roger bluntly murders Piggy. When Piggy falls forty feet and lands on his back the island of adventure which has now surrendered into savagery. A total deterioration of society, intellectualism and rational thought has occurred. Therefore, the specs are used throughout the novel to foreshadow events and as a symbol of intelligence, rationality and common sense. The entire purpose of the specs is destroyed by savages, proving Golding’s belief that savagery is more powerful than evil.
2.2.5 Beast in the interpretation of human darkness
The imaginary beast that frightens all the boys stands for the primal instinct of evil and savagery that exists within all human beings. The boys are afraid of the beast, but only Simon reaches the realization that they fear the beast because it exists within each of them. As the boys grow more savage, their belief in the beast grows stronger. By the end of the novel, the boys are leaving it sacrifices and treating it as a totemic god. The boys’ behavior is what brings the beast into existence, so the more savagely the boys act, the more real the beast seems to become. The Beast is a threat, be it imagined or real, to the society that has been formed on the island and is treated as such by all the characters except Simon. This threat is at first a unifier of the boys and then divides them, all seeking safety in the tribe and its military power. Jack is the manipulator here, he uses the Beast as a way of gaining and maintaining power, using the Beast in a similar way to the propaganda of totalitarian states. So the beast can be seen as tool whereby Jack maintains his power, a representation for all evils and a way of instilling fear and respect in the populace. In the context of the book, if looked at historically, the Beast is the threat from Soviet Russia used by governments to manipulate their people and increase military spending or similarly any propaganda used by any government to undermine democracy.
2.3 Setting symbolism
Golding uses the settings as different symbols throughout the novel. One of the first symbols is the main setting, the island. The island in itself represents isolation of the children. Since the children are isolated on the island, there is no way that the evil of the outside world could influence them to become evil. The island is also used to show that the environment, being so beautiful and pure, does not affect the boys and cause them to become evil.
2.3.1 The island in the interpretation of human darkness
The island is described as a place where “The white surf flinked on a coral reef, and beyond that the open sea was dark blue. Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake--blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple.”[5] These descriptions of the island draw a picture very similar to the Garden of Eden. “Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” [5] In the Garden of Eden there is a tree which bears fruit, much like the trees on the island which the boys feast upon. “Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden” [5] a river flows through the Eden providing Adam with clean water to drink. Similarly, a river flows through the center of the island providing the children with fresh water. This river represents purity on the island, before corrupted by man. The water runs pure and clean until the dead bodies, representing evil, are thrown into it by the children and pollute it. Although the island seems to be a place of paradise, the boys insist that there is a “snake-thing” capable of changing forms living on the island. Similarly, the Garden of Eden contains an evil serpent. “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.”[5] Both places are beautiful paradises that contain an evil serpent, showing that even the most beautiful things contain something ugly and evil as soon as man is put there.
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