Lord Of The Flies Chapter 2 - Liz Day

The author of the story had many metaphors in chapter 2. In chapter 2, the boys decide that they need to create a fire to signal ships. Fire could easily be a metaphor for responsibility. In order to be able to use something as powerful as fire, a person needs to be responsible. The boys were not responsible with the power they possessed, and ended up killing another little boy. Another thing that the author uses as a metaphor is Piggy's glasses. When we think of people with glasses, we instantly think of that person as smart. The author uses Piggy's glasses to show that he is very smart and could be a great leader, but instead, a boy who is better looking and more outgoing takes the position from him.

I observed in chapter two that the children were being completely irresponsible and in return, had bad consequences. Instead of listening to each other calm and rationally as they should, once Ralph suggests that they build a fire on top of the mountain, all of the boys run up without listening to Piggy who wants them to think about what they should do next. The boys create a fire which spreads into the surrounding trees. Piggy calls the young boys attention and says, “That little 'un that had a mark on his face - where is - he now? I tell you I don't see him” (46). Piggy tries to get the boys to realize that they have been placed with a large responsibility, they must look out for each other and think matters through. A connection that comes to mind when I read this is when I once was playing tag with my friends while it was raining. We were all having so much fun running around in the rain that we did not stop to think that we could so easily catch a cold by what we were doing. Sure enough, the next day, all of us had colds and could not play together. Had we thought about how are decision might have affected us, we would have decided that playing in the rain was not a very good idea. The children in the story also should have been thinking ahead. Instead of counting everyone and making sure they stayed together as a group, they all ran up the mountain and killed a young boy. Having a fun time making a fire and not thinking about the risks they were taking, the boys made a fatal error. I think that in the end of the book, Piggy is going to be killed. The society the boys have created so far is one where the strong a cherished and thrive and where the weak are tormented and killed. Ralph in the story is taken very well to the boys because he is handsome, strong and well spoken. Piggy, on the other hand is fat and weak. Even though Piggy is very smart, he will be killed because of the idea survival of the fittest, meaning that those who are strong will live whereas those who are weak will be killed.