Technology In Lord Of The Flies Essay

Words: 384
Pages: 2

After ending up in the wrong hands, Piggy's glasses are misused to inflict harm on, sabotage, and control the society on the island. In an attempt to locate and capture Ralph, the glasses are used to create a forest fire that could potentially "smoke him out." The repercussions of this action, however, may be immense: "Smoke was seeping through the branches in white and yellow wisps, the patch of blue sky overhead turned to the color of a storm cloud, and then the smoke billowed round him. Someone laughed excitedly, and a voice shouted" (Golding 195). The glasses are transformed from a beneficial tool into a destructive force. Technology that was once used to create signal fires is now used to engulf an island in flames. The use of the phrase …show more content…
The positive aspects associated with the glasses appear to be leaving the island. The glasses are now used in order to control an entire island. In the next quote, the fire has spread to uncontrollable proportions, and Ralph is trying to escape. The island has been swallowed up in the massive blaze: "He stumbled over a root and the cry that pursued him rose even higher. He saw a shelter burst into flames and the fire flapped at his right shoulder and there was the glitter of water. Then he was down, rolling over and over in the warm sand, crouching with arm to ward off, trying to cry for mercy" (Golding 200). The mention of "a shelter burst[ing] into flames" demonstrates the complete eradication of the progress that the boys have made. Moreover, Ralph is someone who is assertive and never backs down. Yet in this quote, Ralph is seen "trying to cry for mercy." This demonstrates both the sheer power of Piggy's glasses as a piece of technology and the complete dominance over both the entire island and its inhabitants that the technology can provide. The once productive, thriving community has become a society ruined by an excessive use of technology. Golding insinuates that modern society's dependence on technology will be detrimental when the technology becomes a source of ascendancy over others, regardless of the group's good