Pig Smarts Even though it is very valuable, intelligence is often put down. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the concept of intelligence being set aside is presented many times. Piggy, an overweight young English boy who is ridiculed, is used by Golding to depict the idea of a bright yet cowardly character not receiving the credit he deserves. The boys on the island overlook Piggy even though he possesses intelligent ideas. Given the circumstances Piggy gets caught in, he changes into a strong character who finds his self-confidence and does not put up with mistreatment from the others. In Lord of the flies, Piggy shows signs of a shy character that is often stepped on by the other boys. He is a very intelligent human with bright ideas, but every time he suggests a thought, no one …show more content…
When havoc occurs regarding the beasts and the boys suggest it is a ghost, Piggy states “I don’t believe in no ghosts” (90). Piggy’s rationale is superior to that of the other boys. Everybody is on the verge of insanity, yet Piggy has held onto his sanity. His statement is logical and not unreasonable, unlike the others’. Also, he is not forward enough with his idea though, so no one listens. His quiet voice is drained by the others’ loud and boisterous voices. Very rarely Piggy fearlessly speaks his opinion to the others. When situations get out of hand, he tries to create order and take control of the situation. For example, during a meeting, Piggy constantly shouts, “I got the conch” but is not forceful enough; therefore, no one listens to him (83). The system of only the person holding the conch talking is much more efficient than everybody yelling at once. If the boys would listen to Piggy, they would be much better off. They could have harmony as Piggy suggests so often. Piggy sometimes watches
Piggy is also very intimidated by boys like Jack and Roger. For example, when Jack tells Piggy to shut up “Piggy [wilts]”and this shows that his confidence always seems to go down whenever boys like Jack are
Piggy was a moral person and an uncorrupted person for his time on the island. he was moral because he believed in guidelines and weighed each decision he made with what the rest of society would say. He was moral because of this and never would he stray from what was moral or good in society so he would be mostly correct. Piggy had very strong ideas. when everyone else was starting out on the island, the rest of the worlds rules were with them. everyone slowly was drawn away from
Piggy is known for being the most intellectual and reasonable out of the boys. While the other boys are off fooling around and dreaming about their next adventure, Piggy is using reason to plan an organized method of survival on the island where everyone is satisfied. For example, while the other boys were exploring the island, Simon came up with an idea and said, “‘I’ve been thinking,” he said, “about a clock. We could make a sundial. We could put a stick in the sand, and then—’” (Golding 90). Although the boys can rule using any form of government on the island, Piggy attempts to create a civilized and orderly environment by advising Ralph to implement a democratic state. Despite his weak appearance, Piggy has a very strong moral compass and sense of self assurance, meaning, he’s very confident in the moral choices he makes. Since he bases his actions and way of thinking on reason and justice, he has a tendency to believe everyone should follow and share his methods because “rules are rules.” As seen when electing a leader, Piggy believed that because the conch and name system were his ideas, he should have been voted as leader, resulting in “Every hand outside the choir except Piggy’s was raised immediately. Then Piggy, too, raised his hand grudgingly into the air.” (Golding 29). Due to his strong confidence, Piggy is not afraid to act upon his beliefs and what is right, even if it may not be a popular
Good leadership qualities are based on intelligence and patience. Piggy is enormously significant to the evolution of Lord of the Flies. Piggy has a poor eyesight, weight problems and asthma. Piggy is one of the best leaders on the island because he is the most sensible and cautious amongst the boys on the island, and he demonstrates his sagacity and cautious attitude many times in the book. Piggy’s existence on the island is a continuous reminder of the necessity for order and knowledge in society.
Piggy tries to do what’s best for everyone. He was the ‘word of reason.’ But since nobody respected him, he was never given power. The author states, “ ‘I got the conch,’ said Piggy indignantly. ‘You let me speak!’ ‘The conch doesn’t count on top of the mountain,’ said Jack. ‘So you shut up.’ ‘... I got the conch!’ Jack turned fiercely. ‘You shut up!’ Piggy wilted.” (Golding 42.) Jack treats Piggy as if he is unimportant. All characters show cruelty towards Piggy one way or another. Because Piggy has the mentality of an adult, the boys refuse to listen since they want their freedom. The author indicates, “... Roger with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all
In Golding’s book, Lord of the Flies, Piggy learns to stand up for himself and have more self-confidence which is a positive change. Piggy is shy and weary of his actions in the beginning but as the story progresses the troubles and responsibilities of being stranded on the island causes his self-confidence and self-esteem to grow.
Significance: Piggy is averse to most of the other boys, who he thinks are acting like little children (they are children, obviously, but Piggy acts like the adult figure).
Piggy is the only one who says what boys have to do instead of just playing. However, he is disappointed that they don’t listen to him, and even many boys become frenzied and harass him harshly.
-Piggy is still hanging on to the slim amount of civilization left, as he forces Ralph to blow the conch even though there are only four boys left, proven when he says, “It’s all we got.” This shows that although ineffective, calling an assembly with order and talking in turn still comforts Piggy, and ultimately shows that he is still civilized.
Piggy’s leadership in the novel is portrayed as knowledgeable but lacks confidence from time to time. Piggy is shown to be a potential leader because of his wisdom. He portrays knowledge from time to time, for example, “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us-” (12). This exhibits his knowledge of the art of survival. Even though in the novel, Piggy is shown as the weak link, his wisdom out powers his flaws. Although Piggy has lots of wisdom which makes him a potential leader, he lacks confidence. “Piggy opened his mouth to speak, caught Jack’s eye and shut it again.” (42) This proves that Piggy lacks confidence because he is afraid to express his thoughts. He would rather not contribute to a conversation than be laughed at his ideas. However Piggy does see the importance of having priorities. Specifically, when he says, “How can you expect to be rescued if you don’t put first things first and act proper.” (45) The quote proves that Piggy prioritizes the needs of his pee...
In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, though several characters demonstrated quality traits to be a good leader, only one had the greatest sense of long-term leadership to “confront the major anxiety” of all the boys as John Galbraith defined. Though Jack held a voice among the boys, his desire for hunting and power led the civilization to corruption. Piggy’s intellect improved the development of the society, but his ideas were belittled by the other boys when he offered them. Therefore, only Ralph could have held a stable leadership because of his determination to lead the boys and ability to take initiative of a situation .
A first impression is something that one gets a single shot at. They either make it count or they completely miss, but one thing one cannot determine from a first impression is some ones true motives. As a wise Joyce Myer once said, “Motives reveal why we do what we do, which is actually more important to God than what we're doing”. One has to sit back and learn why a person said this or said that in a first impression. When one can listen and learn from a person, that is when the reasons behind the choices that are being made come out. In the novel “Lord of the Flies”, written by William Golding, there is a very interesting character named Piggy. In this novel the static characteristics of Piggy allow his motives of insecurity and order to
In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Simon and Piggy are among a group of boys who become stranded on a deserted island. Left without any adults, the boys attempt to create an orderly society. However, as the novel progresses, the boys struggle to sustain civility. Slowly, Jack and his hunters begin to lose sight of being rescued and start to act more savagely, especially as fears about a beast on the island spread. As the conflict progresses, Jack and Ralph battle for power. The boys’ struggle with the physical obstacles of the island leads them to face a new unexpected challenge: human nature. One of the boys, Simon, soon discovers that the “beast” appears not to be something physical, but a flaw within all humans
Piggy's intellectual balance to the emotional leaders proved to be his downfall, as the new social order formed by the boys valued physical qualities over intellectual attributes. If this large, asthmatic, and generally unattractive boy would have been more charismatic and emotional, would he would have undoubtedly been the island's sole leader? Would there have been less death and destruction due to Piggy's logicality, rationality, and intelligence? Golding's creative symbolism using Piggy to represent intellectuals who are usually ignored by political hopefuls, and the comparison with Prometheus, ensures Piggy will be well remembered character in the William Golding's masterpiece Lord of the Flies.
In Lord of the Flies, Golding is able to exemplify intelligence, violence, and leadership, through the behaviors, responses, and actions of Piggy, Jack, and Ralph, respectively. Golding provides insight into the delicate touch-and-go basis of human nature, something that to this day has yet to be fully understood.