Blindness
Philip loses his vision as a result of staring at the sun and its glared reflected off the ocean waves. He must therefore spend the rest of the novel relearning how to do things without the benefit of vision. In the aftermath of being rescued, surgery will return his vision. This temporary blindness is a multifaceted symbol: learning not to judge people on appearances while also illuminating how one can overcome flaws instilled in their own metaphorical lack of vision.
Tied to a Tree
Timothy ties himself to a tree in order to literally use his own body to protect Philip from the slashing rain and howling wind of the storm. The symbolism here is intended to call to mind the imagery of Jesus sacrificing himself during the crucifixion.
The Coconut Tree
Philip is terrified of attempting to climb the coconut tree in his blinded state for obvious reasons. Timothy continues to push him toward overcoming his fear, but not out dark impulses. It is another case of the old man preparing the kid to survive on his own in the inevitable result that he will one day die if they are never rescued. Philip’s successful climb up the tree is a symbolic of his reaching a state of greater maturity that will allow him to survive the loss of Timothy.
Sharks
The symbolism of the sharks is foreshadowed in the opening line of the novel in which a simile draws a comparison between them and the Nazi submarines which showed up in the middle of the night. Sharks and fascist ideology are both predatory beasts literally threatening Philip’s life, but acting as a symbolic threat to at all times.
The Creature in the Hole
When Philip makes his first attempt to kill a spiny lobster on his own, he sticks his hand into a hole and is immediately attacked by some unknown creature. Later, he will decide that based on the injury to his hand and the shape of its body, the creature was likely a moray eel. The whole point of the scene is that he doesn’t know for sure what it was and that it doesn’t even matter. Whether an eel or some animal he’s never heard of, he is simply trying to survive by finding food while the creature is trying to survive by defending its home. Philip and the creature are in this moment both symbols of the evolutionary imperative: do whatever it takes to survive.
