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How Is Piggy Presented In Lord Of The Flies

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William Golding's, Lord of The Flies, follows a group of boys who crash land on a deserted island, and their ensuing struggle to survive. As the island's only inhabitants, the boys are forced to govern themselves and balance the difference between right and wrong, civility and barbarity, and to dole out responsibility according to individual talents or lack thereof. Piggy, one of the novels main characters, is by far the most intelligent, but his authority and ability to contribute to the community are unfortunately impaired by physical ailments and initial lack of respect. Piggy’s physical and medical issues complicate his life and stand in the way of accomplishing activities the others easily accomplish. Many of the other boys are confident in themselves and are ready to participate. Piggy is the exact opposite; he is a person who lives in his mind, dependent on his intelligence, whereas the others depend on their bodies and physical strengths. They assume that Piggy is odd and abnormal, which results to him not fitting in. The boys look upon Piggy as just the “smart guy," a role commonly deemed a social outcast. “You’re talking too much. Shut up, Fatty,” (Pg. 20). Weak …show more content…

They represent civilization, a symbol and reminder of the intellectual side of humanity. His eyesight may be weak, but his insight is powerful. Piggy is bullied to the point where his glasses are taken away, and because of this he's made helpless and unable to handle the rigor of the island. Piggy in turn gains confidence by standing up for himself, but his character is unappreciated, his intelligence ignored and uncared for. His stand only makes matters worse. The boys see him as just another animal, hence he's killed as though he was one. Ironically, they have become animals themselves by their acceptance of murder. “He lay against a log, his mouth gaping, blue shadows creeping round his lips. Nobody minded him.”

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