Piggy Change In Lord Of The Flies

In the beginning of Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Piggy is seen as a weak and cowardly character, allowing the boys to walk over him. Throughout the book, he becomes more confident. For example, one instance where Piggy is seen as insecure is at the first meeting on the island. Piggy tells Ralph, another fellow survivor, that he doesn’t want anybody to call him Piggy. Later, after using a conch to summon the boys to the area, Ralph reveals Piggy’s name. Instead of insisting that Piggy is not what he wanted to be called, the book states that “he went very pink, bowed his head, and cleaned his glasses again” (Golding 21). This change is negative because Piggy is them to call him by this name he didn’t want.

When Ralph decides to explore

Normally, being put down by the others, he can use the conch to speak his mind. Even though the rule is that no one can interrupt someone holding the conch, Piggy has to constantly remind the boys of this, as they try to talk over him. Piggy says “I got the conch” and also states “You let me speak!” (Golding 42). This is a positive change because he is starting to fend for himself.

At the signal fire, Jack and his hunters cook the first pig. Initially, Jack gives meat to everyone, but Piggy. Jack tries to “leave him in doubt, as an assertion of power; but Piggy by advertising his omission made more cruelty necessary” (Golding 73-74). Piggy openly argues with Jack, telling him that even though he didn’t hunt, nor did Ralph or Simon, who already had pieces of meat. This change is positive. Piggy is voicing his opinion on how unfair Jack is being.

Wanting to relax, Piggy and Ralph go swimming in one of the island’s bathing pools. Ralph starts squirting water at Piggy. Piggy tells him to be mindful of his glasses or he’ll have to clean them. Ralph ignores him and does it again. “He laughed at Piggy; expecting him to retire meekly as usual and in pained silence. Instead, Piggy beat at the water with his hands” (Golding 147). Piggy, irritated, tells him to stop as he splashes water into Ralph’s face. This is a positive change because Piggy is seemingly more self-assured than