What is a fly?

Answer 1

Houseflies and similar insects:

Not everything has a purpose. There are causes and effects, but no purpose. Everything just exists and there is not any reason for it. Reason is an invention of later man's civilization, but not connected to the universe in any way. This reasoning power was developed from necessity to survive and has resulted in Man thinking that there must be reasons for things, but that is error. Man-made things can be said to have a purpose since they were developed by him for a purpose. Even the power to reason has been given a purpose by man, but the existence of natural things have no purpose whatsoever. They just exist.

One could say that the purpose of a fly is to make more flies and be close to making sense because that is what flies do, But it really avoids the question rather than answers it.

If you think that flies have a purpose, then their purpose would be as decomposers. They are among the first creatures to discover excrement and rotting flesh. The flies mate and lay eggs in the decaying matter and they hatch into larvae (maggots). Then the larvae grows into adults and the process continues. The reason the flies lay their eggs in excrement and corpses is because those are excellent food supplies. After wild or feral animals and flies remove the bulk of a corpse or other rotting flesh, the bacteria and worms (besides fly larvae) take over. Then nothing is left around to spread disease.

Pants fly:

The purpose is to make pants easier to put on. It is also so males can urinate (or even have sex) with their pants on.

Answer 2

a creature that flies around and, well, enjoys being a fly. Bad points: It hangs around horse manure. Good points: they are fun to smush with a fly swatter. No good points, really.

Answer 3

The flies also represent the boys, who are drawn to the evil that Jack represents just as the real flies are draw to the pig's head on the stick, which was an offering to the beast.