Literary Analysis Lord Of The Flies

Karlee Duncan

Mrs. Werner

Lit. and Comp. II Honors

10 April 2014

Lord of the Flies Literary Analysis

Imagine an island run by young boys without a single adult... In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, an English plane with a group of young boys crashes on an unknown island in the midst of World War II. The pilots are dead, so there are no adults, and the boys are forced to begin governing themselves. The young boys are forced with the conflict of working towards creating a civilization or succumbing to chaos, violence, and savagery. Eventually the boys decide on a leader and split up into different roles on the island. Ralph is appointed as the leader, and Piggy assumes the position as his “lieutenant.” Over time tension grows among the boys, and savagery begins taking over. In Lord of the Flies, Piggy represents the rational and intellectual side of civilization.

In the beginning of the novel, Piggy is very passive while assisting Ralph, and his intellect often leads to innovation and civility among the boys. Piggy is organized in his thinking, and he always has his focus on the best way to increase their chances of survival and civility. Before all of the boys are gathered together, Piggy and Ralph begin evaluating the situation, and Piggy gives Ralph a conch shell that he discovers. "'We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They'll come when they hear us--' He beamed at Ralph. 'That was what you meant, didn't you? That's why you got the conch out of the water?'" (16). Piggy is always one step ahead of the others, and his strategic thought processes lead to great innovation, such as later on in the novel when he creates a makeshift sundial to help the boys tell time. Without Piggy, the others wouldn't h...

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... across the the square red rock in the sea. His head opened and stuff came out and turned red. Piggy's arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pigs after it has been killed" (181). Piggy's dead, the conch is smashed, and all order on the island is officially gone. Without the conch, there is no assembly or organization of the boys, and with Piggy gone, the rationality of the boys and their intellect has vanished. Throughout the novel, Piggy represents order and civility, and when he's gone, the whole island is permanently changed.

In Lord of the Flies, Piggy symbolizes the intellect of society and order of the boys creating their own civilization. Throughout the novel, Piggy progresses as a leader and innovator, but when he dies, all hopes for withstanding savagery are lost. Along with the loss of Piggy, the boys lose their last connection to the adult world.