How Pig Is Symbolized in Different Cultures and Compare It to the Use of the Pig in Lord of the Flies
Morgan Lodes
Period 2
Lord of the Flies Challenge Project
Pig. (n)
Any of several mammals of the family Suidae, having short legs, cloven hooves, bristly hair, and a cartilaginous snout used for digging, especially the domesticated hog, Sus scrofa domesticus, when young or of comparatively small size.
Even though a pig is one animal, they have several symbolic meanings. The various meanings of pigs change from region or culture though. In an earlier culture such as the Ancient Egyptians the pig was a symbol for fertility. Here, the pig was sacred to Isis, a fertility goddess of the Ancient Egyptians. In many other cultures the pig represents strength, and vitality. In the Native American culture the Indians would use a pig to sacrifice to the rain Gods in order for their crops to grow. This is another example of pigs being used to represent growth and fertility. Pigs are not always viewed as a good thing though. In the Jewish and Islamic cultures pigs are viewed as unclean and therefore they are forbidden to eat pork. And in an interesting note, in dream symbolism domestic pigs indicate fertility but a wild pig represents overindulgence and lust. This relates to Lord of the Flies in the sense that Jack never wanted to give up his passion for hunting. He became greedy and his desire to hunt inevitably lead to the separation of the group.
In the Christian religion pigs are associated with gluttony. In Lord of the Flies Simon is the Christ like figure and when he views the decaying pig head he becomes nauseated. Christians believe that a pig is in common relation with the Devil. In Lord of the Flies it shows the struggle between good and evil, Christianity and the devil. Jack and his followers use the pig as a sacrifice to the “Beast” and this is an example of the loss of religion in the novel. This is another reason why a pig is not considered a positive thing in Christianity because the main reason Jesus came around was due to the overwhelming practice of
Period 2
Lord of the Flies Challenge Project
Pig. (n)
Any of several mammals of the family Suidae, having short legs, cloven hooves, bristly hair, and a cartilaginous snout used for digging, especially the domesticated hog, Sus scrofa domesticus, when young or of comparatively small size.
Even though a pig is one animal, they have several symbolic meanings. The various meanings of pigs change from region or culture though. In an earlier culture such as the Ancient Egyptians the pig was a symbol for fertility. Here, the pig was sacred to Isis, a fertility goddess of the Ancient Egyptians. In many other cultures the pig represents strength, and vitality. In the Native American culture the Indians would use a pig to sacrifice to the rain Gods in order for their crops to grow. This is another example of pigs being used to represent growth and fertility. Pigs are not always viewed as a good thing though. In the Jewish and Islamic cultures pigs are viewed as unclean and therefore they are forbidden to eat pork. And in an interesting note, in dream symbolism domestic pigs indicate fertility but a wild pig represents overindulgence and lust. This relates to Lord of the Flies in the sense that Jack never wanted to give up his passion for hunting. He became greedy and his desire to hunt inevitably lead to the separation of the group.
In the Christian religion pigs are associated with gluttony. In Lord of the Flies Simon is the Christ like figure and when he views the decaying pig head he becomes nauseated. Christians believe that a pig is in common relation with the Devil. In Lord of the Flies it shows the struggle between good and evil, Christianity and the devil. Jack and his followers use the pig as a sacrifice to the “Beast” and this is an example of the loss of religion in the novel. This is another reason why a pig is not considered a positive thing in Christianity because the main reason Jesus came around was due to the overwhelming practice of