Piggy's Glasses
“His specs-use them as burning glasses!” - pg. 52
Piggy's glasses are a symbol in The Lord of the Flies. Glasses are traditionally tied to intelligent people. Children draw people, scientist and nerds with glasses to signify thier intelligence. Piggy is the smartest of the boys. His glasses are suppose to make us assume he is smart and that is supported by his ideas and suggestions. His glasses also represent hope. The boys use Piggy's glasses to light the signal fires and the cooking fires that help them survive on the island. When Jack steals Piggy's glasses, he also stole the hope Ralph, Piggy, Samneric had of having an order. The spec also represent rationality and forethought. Piggy was the most rational and always thought things out before his glasses were broken. His glasses not only gave him the ability to see, but they gave him the ability to reason. When Jack stole his glasses, Piggy became unreasonable. He wanted to confront Jack and ask for his specs back because 'it wasn't right'. Piggy should have known that Jack was not the kind of person to listen to logic or to have a heart. If Jack gave Piggy his glasses back, then he would look weak to his tribe for obeying an inferior like Piggy, thus losing credibility. It was never going to work.
"'Ralph -- remember what we came for. The fire. My specs.'" - pg. 161