Piggy's glasses symbolize a connection to civilization and to scientific reasoning that generally erodes through the conflict in the novel.

In the first chapter, Ralph asks Piggy about his father, and Piggy takes off his glasses before answering:

“My dad’s dead,” he said quickly, “and my mum—”
He took off his glasses and looked vainly for something with which to clean them.

In this moment of emotional discord, Piggy removes his glasses and looks around vainly without them. This is important as it demonstrates Piggy's difficulty in reasoning his way through this emotionally-laden response. When the glasses come off, Piggy's ability to reason also falters.

When the group comes together later in that same chapter to discuss their options for survival, Piggy is seen putting on his classes before clearly assessing their dire situation:

Piggy put on his glasses.
“Nobody knows where we are,” said Piggy. He was paler than before and breathless. “Perhaps they knew where we was going to; and perhaps not. But they don’t know where we are ’cos we never got there.” He gaped at them for a moment, then swayed and sat down.

Piggy's sense of rationality is clear here. He understands their grim situation and applies a scientific understanding of planes, flight schedules, communication, and probability to their likelihood of being rescued. But before he can utter those, words, Piggy must first put on his glasses, which presents him as a symbolically trustworthy form of knowledge on the subject.

The boys determine that they should use Piggy's glasses as a fire-starter, indicating the power of scientific reasoning to bring survival to this world of savage disorder:

“Here–let me go!” His voice rose to a shriek of terror as Jack snatched the glasses off his face. “Mind out! Give ’em back! I can hardly see!"

It is important to note that the glasses are stolen from Piggy, demonstrating the lack of respect that Jack holds for reasoning and knowledge. Instead, Jack acts in emotional passions, a contrast to Piggy's solid sense of steady reasoning.

Once Jack's tribe steals what remains of Piggy's glasses, Piggy is left virtually powerless against their efforts to annihilate what remains of Ralph's group. He becomes frightened, and his speech echoes a lack of reasoning. When Ralph and Piggy make one final attempt to reclaim Piggy's glasses and a sense of order, Piggy is killed by Jack's tribe. This demonstrates Jack's complete disconnect from civilization and societal order.

I would argue that Piggy's glasses symbolize different things at different stages of this classic novel. When Piggy first meets the other boys, his glasses, together with his pale visage and breathlessness, seem to symbolize weakness.

Later, when the boys realize that reflections from Piggy's glasses can be used to light a signal fire, they become a symbol of hope, as well as of intellect and sound reasoning. The fact that Jack grabs Piggy's glasses without his permission indicates that the glasses, together with their ability to make fire, are a symbol of power.

The next time Piggy's glasses take on a new kind of symbolism is when Jack hits Piggy's head, causing the glasses to fly off and be broken. The breaking of the glasses represents the breakdown of rational thought and civilization that is occurring on the island.

With one lens broken and one intact, Piggy's glasses come to symbolize the vast differences between the boys. Ralph, with his rationality, is represented by the side of the glasses which is still useful. Jack, hell-bent on selfishness and savagery, is symbolized by the broken lens.

Jack eventually steals Piggy's broken glasses, which symbolizes a loss of power, both for Piggy and for Ralph's group as a whole. Piggy cannot see anything, and the group as a whole has no further ability to make fire.

Highly symbolic, Piggy's "thick spectacles" represent perception that is aided, and the ability to reason and to think logically, as well as a certain maturity. Also, when used for the rescue fire, these glasses represent the benefits of science, but after they are stolen and used to set fires that go out of control, the glasses signify civilization out of control.

• In Chapter One of Lord of the Flies, when Piggy presents himself to Ralph, he appears older because of his heaviness, thinning hair, and glasses.  When he removes his glasses to wipe them, Piggy has an expression of "pain and inward concentration" alter his appearance.  So, the glasses symbolize this internalization of thought that engages in reasoning. For instance, in Chapter Two, Piggy again wipes his glasses as the boys assemble in response to Ralph's blowing the conch.
• The glasses are also indicative of Piggy's vulnerability.  Again, in Chapter Two, the boys want to start a fire and Roger suggests making a bow and spin the arrow; however, Jack points to Piggy's glasses, "use them as burning glasses!"  Piggy is surrounded and screams, "Mind out!  Give 'em back! I can hardly see!"  Later, when Jack disparages Piggy for doing nothing, the solicitous Simon defends Piggy, "We used his specs....He helped that way." Of course, after Piggy's glasses are broken and finally stolen, the glasses symbolize the breakdown in civilization and the loss of rationality.
• When Jack breaks Piggy's glasses after smacking his head,  Piggy's glasses "flew off and tinkled on the rocks. Piggy cried out in terror...."  This incident with the glasses foreshadows and symbolizes what will soon happen to him.    

Piggy's glasses come to represent both weakness and power as the novel progresses.  At the beginning of the novel, Piggy's glasses are a symbol of his physical weakness which sets him apart from the other boys; however, as the boys figure out how to use the lens to create fire, Piggy's glasses become a symbol of power in the novel. 

Ralph's control as chief falters as Jack leaves the tribe and makes the bold move to steal Piggy's glasses.  Jack's act of theft signals a power shift in the novel.  As long as he controls the glasses, he also controls the power to make fire.

What's the significance of Piggy's glasses?

Piggy's glasses represent scientific knowledge.  It can be used to aid humanity or to destroy it. The fact that the glasses can be used to kindle a fire is a positive attribute; however, that same fire may turn into a destructive force when misused. Certainly, this has relevance in a world that has access to atomic energy, cloning and genetic engineering.

What's the significance of Piggy's glasses?

Piggy's glasses also signify Piggy's ability to "see"--both literally and figuratively.  Without them, he is helples and blind.  He is unable to serve as well as Ralph's right-hand man and voice of logic.  As Piggy is "blinded" is symbolizes the blindness of the Jack's tribe to the evil to which they are succumbing.  Piggy's murder completes the blindness and forces them into total darkness which leads to the hunting of Ralph.

What's the significance of Piggy's glasses?

Piggy's glasses are significant to the boys as they are the means with which the boys are able to get a fire started.  Symbolically, the glasses are significant because they represent the intellectual and ordered side of humanity.  The breaking of the glasses represents the breaking of the last tie to humanity that the boys have.  After this event, it is a downward spiral into primal and animalistic behavior, culminating in Piggy's death.

What's symbolic about Piggy's glasses in Lord of the Flies?

Piggy's glasses may be seen as symbolic for several reasons. One is that they are a reminder of Piggy's weak physical condition relative to the other boys, "My specs!" howled Piggy. "Give me my specs!"......"Jus' blurs, that's all. Hardly see my hand-" (p. 53).

The glasses are also a symbol of power. Whoever has the glasses will have the all-important ability to make fire. Jack and his gang use violence to take the glasses and thus empower themselves whilst disempowering Ralph and his remaining group.

Piggy's one eyed view of the world is also symbolized after the glasses are damaged. He doesn't share in the excitement the other boys feel about being on the island and is only able to view the world through the prism of an adult's perspective. This alienates him from most of the group.

Piggy's glasses are probably the most prominent symbol in the novel.

In what ways have Piggy's glasses been used in the novel and why are they stolen in Lord of the Flies?

Piggy’s “specs” are used to start fires, and they are stolen because Jack wants fire for his tribe.

Piggy has worn glasses since he was three.  It does not take long for the boys to see that they need some kind of technology to start a fire.

Jack pointed suddenly.

“His specs–use them as burning glasses!”

Piggy was surrounded before he could back away. (ch 2)

Piggy does not want them to take his glasses, because without them he can’t see.  Ralph gives the glasses back.  Later, when Jack suggests that Piggy is useless, Simon reminds him that they have to use Piggy’s glasses to start the fire.

Piggy’s glasses are broken when Jack hits him, angry because he is complaining that the fire was let go out.

He took a step, and able at last to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggy’s stomach.

Piggy sat down with a grunt. (ch 4)

Piggy can barely see with one of the sides of his specs broken.  He tries to threaten Jack, but no one takes him seriously.

When the group breaks, Ralph and Piggy are eventually the only older boys left on their side.  Jack and the others target them, and ensures that they are the only ones with fire by stealing Piggy’s glasses.

They’ve got our fire.”

Rage shrilled his voice.

“They stole it!”

“That’s them,” said Piggy. “They blinded me. See? That’s Jack Merridew. (ch 9)

Eventually, this is what leads to Piggy's death because he and Ralph try to get the glasses back, and the boulder is pushed onto him.

The glasses are not just Piggy's lifeline, they are the boys' connection to technology and civilization.  Without them, they are lost.

What do Piggy's glasses symbolize in Lord of the Flies?

Piggy's glasses are used to refract the rays of the sun, thus creating a fire. Building and maintaining a fire is absolutely essential if the boys are to be saved from their captivity on the desert island. If passing planes and ships see it, then they will know that there is life on the island and go to investigate.

Unfortunately, Jack and his gang of thugs don't care about keeping the fire going; they'd much rather mess around and have fun, whether that includes picking on littluns or hunting pigs. They also don't care about Piggy; they regard him as a bit of a joke and treat him accordingly.

In a deeply symbolic moment in the book, Jack breaks Piggy's glasses. Piggy had yelled at Jack for letting the fire go out, and breaking Piggy's glasses was the thuggish Jack's response. The willful destruction of Piggy's spectacles represents an attack on science and technology and their ability to solve practical problems.

Now that Piggy's glasses have been broken, it's just a matter of time before the island descends into outright savagery, with the primitive, violent mentality of Jack and his thugs taking over from Piggy's rational and scientific mindset.

In the novel Lord of the Flies, Piggy's glasses make Piggy seem scholarly, why?

Glasses have long been a stereotypical accessory of the "nerd" figure in stories. In the first 15 pages of text, I count 5 times when I can find Piggy cleaning his glasses. At each time that he is cleaning them, he seems to either be thinking about what he is going to say next, or dealing with the nervous apprehension he has in dealing with Ralph's teasing. It seems an almost obsessive habit, but for some people repeating a certain act helps them think.

Another perspective to consider when thinking about the glasses is that they reveal truths. For Piggy, when his glasses are clean and he places them squarely back on his nose, he can see the situation clearly. These glasses also reveal truths about Piggy. For example, when he gets sad and tears start to form the glasses fog up.

As far as intelligence goes, Piggy has it, and it is often revealed through an action with his glasses, but most people with glasses look scholarly.

Read the SYMBOLISM section of the attached link for more info.

If you are researching for a paper, look in the first 15 pages for quotes.

In Lord of the Flies, how do Piggy's glasses relate to today's society?

In the novel "Lord of the Flies" the author,William Golding, seems to pick a stereotypical image of an unpopular boy for us to observe with particular detail. He has all the usual attributes of the fat kid that nobody likes including speccy glasses - then William Golding turns this image on it's head to show us what lies underneath - the diamond in the coal of Pigg's character. His glasses represent 'vision' and clear-thinking - today we might call that insight. Even Ralph (who foolishly declines Piggy's true friendship) wishes for Piggy's thinking abilities. Today we could do with more influential people who could see through the false boom times and warn of prudent budgeting to keep us all on track.

What is the significance of Piggy and his specs in the novel, Lord of the Flies?

Piggy's glasses in Lord of the Flies, I think symbolize civilization. While Piggy is not good looking and charismatic like Ralph, or powerful and ruthless like Jack, he is rational and he always brings the "civilized" point of view to the discussion.

Piggy's glasses, then, represent the clarity that civilization brings to society. Without them, Piggy can't see anything. He is blind to the truth. However, when he has them on, everything comes into focus and the "humane" choice can be made.

One of the "civilized" things the specs help with is the starting of the fire. Fire has often been linked to civilized society. When the cavemen learned to make fire, they took a step out of the savage world toward civilized life.

When Jack smacks Piggy and his glasses fly off and break, that is the parallel to civilization starting to crack. When Jack and his tribe steal the glasses, that means that the ruthless savages have stolen civilization (and therefore humanity) away from the boys.

Once the glasses are gone, it foreshadows the death of Piggy, because a civilized man cannot survive in a world that worships strength, brutality, and power.

What is the significance of Piggy and his specs in the novel, Lord of the Flies?

Piggy is fat and unpopular, but he represents the intelligent and civilized aspects of the boys in Lord of the Flies. He is a major asset to Ralph, who nonetheless shuns him for much of the story. Piggy's glasses give him the look of the educated bookworm, but they also represent his physical weaknesses. The glasses serve as a symbol of power--not only intellectually, but they also have a higher purpose as the fire creator, since the boys use the lenses combined with the sun to start their fires. When Piggy loses his glasses, he loses his last semblance of power.

In Lord of the Flies, why and how are Piggy's glasses significant?

This question has been answered. Please see the link below:

Do Piggy's spectacles have any symbolic significance in Lord of the Flies?

In my opinion, Piggy's spectacles do have a symbolic significance in this book.  I believe that they symbolize science and technology and the power that those things carry.

In the story, Piggy's spectacles are really the only piece of technology on the island.  They are powerful because they are the best way of starting a fire.

The spectacles are also connected to science because they belong to Piggy.  Piggy is the smartest boy on the island -- he is the one who is closest of any of them to being an intellectual.

The fighting over the spectacles can be seen as a symbol of the ways in which countries fight over things that give them technological power.

In what way do Piggy's glasses show clarity and a clear path in Lord of the Flies?

Piggy is an extremely important character in The Lord of the Flies.  He is by far the most intelligent and clear-headed boy of the bunch.  He is a rational, scientific thinker.  In other words he sees things clearly, and has an understanding of how things work.  The glasses are symbolic of this role Piggy plays.  It's a bit simple for a symbol, but the glasses literally help Piggy see things better, and figuratively he sees in a way that the other boys don't. Seeing the world the way Piggy does is what gives him power and why he is useful to the rest of the group. For example, early in the book when all of the boys are confused about how to start a fire, it's Piggy's sight (and his vision tool) that allows the boys to focus the sunlight and make fire. 

So later in the novel when Jack takes Piggy's glasses and breaks them, it's symbolically showing that Jack has completely thrown away the clarity and insight that Piggy brought to the group. 

In one word, what do Piggy's glasses symbolize in the novel Lord of the Flies?

"Reason"

Piggy's glasses symbolize reason throughout the novel Lord of the Flies. Piggy is the novel's most intelligent character who is constantly rubbing his glasses. Piggy's character represents the rational world, and he makes valuable insights throughout the novel. The boys apply reason to start a fire by using Piggy's glasses. Glasses give Piggy the ability to see, and sight is often a metaphor for knowledge. Piggy applies his knowledge by suggesting they make a sundial and approaches the existence of the "beast" pragmatically. Piggy never "loses sight" of the importance of maintaining the signal fire and following Ralph as their rightful leader. Piggy states that "life is scientific" and is one of the few characters that fully understands the gravity of the situation. In Chapter 4, Jack smacks Piggy's glasses off his head, breaking one of the lenses. This moment symbolizes the first stage associated with the loss of reason amongst the boys. Later on, when Piggy's glasses are stolen, he literally becomes "blind," which figuratively symbolizes the mindset of the remaining boys on the island. The loss of Piggy's "specs" correlates with the loss of reason on the island. The boys completely lose sight of morality and descend further into barbarism following the destruction of Piggy's glasses.