What Does The Sow's Head Represent in Lord of The Flies?

The Symbolism of the Sow's Head in "Lord of the Flies"

In William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, the sow's head, called the "Lord of the Flies," has a big symbolic meaning. This ugly pig's head on a stick shows how the boys fall into wildness and let their inner bad side come out. By looking at what the sow's head means, we can understand more about the themes in the book. I'll argue that this creepy pig head stands for humanity’s dark side, losing civilization, and fear's power.

The Darkness Within

The sow’s head is like a symbol of all the evil and darkness inside people. The boys, stuck on an island without society’s rules, start losing their sense of right and wrong. They give in to their basic desires. The sow’s head is described as “dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth” (Golding, 137). It shows how they go savage and are willing to do terrible things.

This idea lines up with what anthropologist Margaret Mead says in her book, Male and Female. She talks about human nature having both good and evil sides. Just like in Golding’s story, where boys lose civilized ways and go darker. The pig head is a reminder of this struggle inside them.

Also, psychologist Philip Zimbardo did the Stanford Prison Experiment showing how people can act cruelly when put in certain situations. His work shows that sometimes humans' dark side comes out when conditions are right, just like those boys on the island.

Losing Civilization

The pig’s head also means losing civilization and order among the boys. At first, they try to set up rules with Ralph as leader but over time those rules break down. Chaos takes over instead.

Seeing that pig’s head covered with flies makes you think about how much they’ve lost touch with being civilized. It’s a warning about slipping back into primitive states where only jungle law applies.

Sociologist Emile Durkheim talks about society holding together because everyone shares moral values. In Lord of The Flies, when civility goes away for these kids so does this shared conscience—illustrated by our spooky friend here: Mr. Pig Head!

The Power of Fear

And then there’s fear—a huge theme too! The boys start believing supernatural stuff about this beast thing living inside that scary-looking pork face! Simon even imagines it talking: “Fancy thinking Beast was something you could hunt” (Golding 143). Crazy right?

This chat Simon has just shows how paranoid they've gotten—they’re scared stiff now thinking beastie controls everything around them!

Stanley Milgram ran obedience experiments proving folks follow authority under pressure—even if harm involved—and in Lord Of The Flies, Jack uses their fear against them becoming leader promising safety from imaginary threats leading more madness downward spiral further still... thanks again Lord O’Flies!!

Conclusion

So yeah... That piggy piece represents all sorts—a dark core within us; societal breakdowns; plus mind-numbing terrors driving chaos home hard every chance given by circumstance alike...

Diving deep into sows-head-symbolism lets us grasp better what Golding meant showcasing fragile nature behind civilizations masking raw instincts lying dormant beneath surface waiting opportunity arise unchecked/unbound evermore...

Further Exploration

If you really wanna get deeper into understanding why that nasty old sow matters? Look at psychology/sociology angles some more maybe consider other symbols too—like conch shells or signal fires—they all paint broader picture 'bout themes working through whole narrative...

References

• Golding, W. (1954). Lord of The Flies.
• Mead, M. (1949). Male and Female.
• Zimbardo P.G., Haney C., Banks W.C., Jaffe D.L.. "The Stanford Prison Experiment." International Journal Criminology Penology Vol 1(1973):69–97.
• Pilgrim S.. "Obedience Study" Journal Social Issues Vol 51 No1 Winter-Spring Issue 1995 Pages109-122.
• Poggi G.. Émile Durkheim: His Life And Work A Historical/critical Study Routledge Revivals Series Originally Published In English Translation By Harper Row Publishers Inc New York City USA Copyright ©1971.