Lord Of The Flies Sow's Head Analysis

In the novel, Lord of The Flies by William Golding, the main concern is the constant battle between the two mindsets that exist in all humans; the instinct to live by what’s right against the instinct to violently obtain dominance over one’s will. Two important entities maintain the symbolism of power over the boys, one having complete order and hope, the other having chaos and fear in one’s mind. The conch is the symbol of order and the sow’s head is the symbol of chaos. The boys in the novel use these as a substitute of human nature. The conch gives people the right to speak for themselves, without interruption and it remains as a product of civilization. “‘That’s what this shell’s called. I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he is speaking’” (Golding, 33). The sow’s head, however, is a manifestation of the evil that lies in every human (also known as the beast), making it a satanic symbol. At first the sow’s head was an offering to the “beast”. The sow’s head is a complicated symbol and soon becomes very important when Simon confronts the sow’s head and speaks. “’Fancy thinking the Beast was something you …show more content…
Being “chief” in the book is about leadership and the ability to control. Ralph, the protagonist, gets this title and he does what any sane human would do which is to keep peace in order and to lead the others to stay alive. Jack, the antagonist, represents savagery and the hunger for power. Golding shows that the boys have a certain degree of civilization and savagery over the time on the island. For instance, Piggy has no desire to become a savage because he is the most rational out of all the boys, but Roger, on the other hand, does not understand the rules of being civil, making him even more of a savage. “’ Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up?’” (Golding,