Lord Of The Flies Piggy Character Analysis

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Piggy’s Character Analysis

Appearance is shockingly important in today’s culture; it seems you will not be taken seriously if you are not a handsome white man. Many opinions and ideas are rejected without forethought, simply because the person who brought it up might be a woman, black, or have any other “subordinate” traits. In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, a group of boys is stranded on an uninhabited island via plane crash and feel they need to choose a chief. The boys seem to think of a good leader as someone who is strong and good-looking, whether this person actually has good leadership qualities or not--similar to today’s political world. One of the main characters, Piggy, is rejected many times because of his obesity and
One example of this is almost immediately in the novel, when Ralph notices a conch resting in the water. Piggy comes up with the idea to use it to call the others. Assuming it was Ralph’s original intention to do this, Piggy asks him, “That’s what you meant, didn’t you? That’s why you got the conch out of the water?” (16) when that probably isn’t the case. Ralph uses Piggy’s idea, gaining admiration from many of the boys, without ever admitting that it wasn’t his idea. Piggy is the thinker of the group, which is a good quality for a leader to have. Had Piggy not been with him at the beginning, there’s a good chance that Ralph would not have been chosen as chief, because he would not have been admired for being the one to get all of the boys together. Although it was Ralph’s idea to have the speaker hold the conch, Piggy is the one who actually recognizes its importance.

The conch signifies order and civilization. Piggy relies heavily on it, thinking it still gives him rights no one else believes in anymore, and is constantly heard saying, “I got the conch,” (42) while the other boys are trying to silence him. Even as the others forget about the conch and realize it no longer matters, Piggy clings to it, and to the idea of a fair democracy on the island. He is the only one who comprehends the fact that they need order to survive. Piggy is smart and sensible, which would also make him a good

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