Barrier Between Piggy And The Other Boys example essay topic

Piggy is represented throughout the novel The Lord of the Flies as an annoying intellectual boy who possesses the only order and reason left among the boys remaining on the island. Just as Piggy's name is literally symbolic for his connection with pigs, which the other boys hunt and kill, Piggy's disabilities such as his obesity, asthma and near blindness creates a barrier between Piggy and the other boys. The other boys view Piggy as an outlet to harass and torture to satisfy their primal needs. Piggy's disabilities make him an easy target to the boy's aggression.

Unlike Ralph who is admired among the boys Piggy is looked down upon as a nuisance and troublesome character. When the boys first realize they are alone on the island, Ralph blows the recently discovered conch to rally the scattered boys. When Jack and the choir boys find Ralph and the other boys, Jack's first reaction is to put Piggy down and exploit Piggy's size. This is illustrated in the following passage when Jack says, "You " re talking too much", said Jack Merri dew. "Shut up, Fatty."He's not Fatty", cried Ralph, "his real names Piggy!"Piggy!"Piggy!" (Golding 21). Jack is naturally cruel and malicious and bothers Piggy for no specific reason except his large figure and glasses.

These articles separate the "normal" boys who don't wear glasses and are not fat from Piggy. Piggy is obviously reserved and restrained which only worsens the situation after the boys believe they can get away with harassing Piggy without much complaint. Jack is the focus of the group that usually bothers Piggy. While being the leader of the hunters, the hunters only encourage Jack to inflict more mental and physical harm upon Piggy when they laugh at Jacks misdeeds. From the moment Jack laid eyes on Piggy, Jack viewed Piggy as a weakling and an individual to take advantage of.

This idea is most likely associated with the various complaints Piggy made regarding his asthma, the importance of his glasses and his failure to hunt and work. This is clearly depicted in the following passage when Jack strikes Piggy after his hunters agree with Piggy's criticism of Jack's irresponsibility of maintaining the fire. Ashamed and enraged Jack, "Took a step, and able at last to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggy's stomach. Piggy sat down with a grunt."You would, would you? Fatty!" (71). This without a doubt is proof of Piggy's vulnerability and susceptibility to anger from any of the boys.

Jack merely wants to vent his anger with a punch and who better but Piggy who is just there. Piggy's is an ideal target because he did not take any part in the hunting of the boar which puts Piggy negatively into the eyes of the other boys. They view Piggy as lazy although Piggy would give up anything for the chance to be able to run and hunt without the restrictions of his obesity and asthma. Throughout the novel, William Golding perpetuates the idea of Piggy's helplessness through various acts of physical and verbal violence inflicted upon him by the other boys. He is an ideal target due to his weaknesses in sight, stature and breathing ability and loses the ultimate battle when killed by the malevolent Roger. Piggy represents the necessity of civilization and order on the island and the boys represent the power of corruption and evil which so easily overwhelm Piggy.

Piggy is always the focus of the boy's aggression on the island throughout the Lord of the Flies. He is picked on because of various physical and mental characteristics that he possesses. These characteristics include his weight, need for glasses and most prominent his asthma. Piggy's name is as symbolic as his asthma, his name having the obvious connection with pigs which the boy's hunt and kill.

Like his name, Piggy's asthma weakens Piggy in the eyes of the boy's. Most of the boys do not have asthma and this separates him from the other boys. Piggy is viewed as an outsider among the people he most admires. Throughout Lord of the Files, Piggy's asthma represents his faults and weaknesses which the boys use to abuse Piggy physically and emotionally. asthma is also symbolic of Piggy Piggy has an obvious meaning, and the name connects the boy to the pigs which the other boys hunt and kill. Piggy is a little like Simon in that he is the butt of cruelty and laughter. He has several disabilities-his asthma, his obesity, and his near blindness-and they set him apart from the other boys.

But his illnesses have isolated him and given him time to think about life. Like Simon, Piggy is wiser than most of the boys; however, he is able to speak up at meetings more than Simon can, and he becomes Ralph's respected friend. As advisor to Ralph, Piggy understands more than Ralph does. It is Piggy who knows that blowing the conch will call the boys together. Piggy tries to help Ralph keep order. He also tries to think what adults would do if they were in the same situation.

Piggy represents civilization and its hold on man. Piggy is a thinking person, one who has a strong belief in scientific explanations and rational solutions to problems. However, Piggy has his blind spots. He wants to believe that once you " re an adult, you no longer fear the dark, and that life can always be explained. He also wants little to do with understanding evil.

After Simon has been murdered, Piggy tries to deny and rationalize the killing. Piggy's presence on the island is a constant reminder of how thinking people live. In the jungle he becomes weakened, civilization recedes, and with his death the law of the jungle prevails. Piggy is Golding's argument for the need of civilization and his case against man's return to a more innocent state in nature. Piggy - Ralph's lieutenant. A whiny, intellectual boy, Piggy's inventiveness frequently leads to innovation, such as the makeshift sundial, which the boys use to tell time.

Piggy represents the scientific, rational side of civilization..