The Physique of Leaders (An analysis of Piggy in the classic novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding.) What qualities and physique does a leader need to possess? The classic novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding gives us certain characteristics that a leader needs. He does this by picking a character whose nickname is Piggy. Now the background of the story, a big group of boys who aren’t very old land up crashing onto an island, from there they decide how they are going to try and survive. They also agree that they need a leader to make all the decisions. They have Ralph who is very well liked, then they have Jack who wants to be leader and more of a tyrant. Piggy comes in as the quiet fat kid with glasses. Each have different skills …show more content…
and abilities, however, you must have some vital ones to be a fantastic leader. An article written explains Machiavelli’s thinking in the qualities of a leader. She states, “Machiavelli strongly believed in the requirement of a strong leader in order to maintain domination for the benefit of citizens and not for individual advancement.” (W. K. Marriott) Machiavelli said you want the people to fear you rather than love, because love means no respect, you must not let an individual surpass you. Ralph let Jack do this and Jack became the leader, even when Piggy had very good points about problems. Things would have been much different if Piggy has been in charge, he calculates and thinks more thoroughly through problems. There are many characteristics that Piggy has, but there are more that he doesn’t have. William Golding wrote The Lord of the Flies describing the leaders, Piggy would have been the best, but he lacked charisma, was seen as weak, and he has older appearances. The first characteristic that William Golding has Piggy lacking in the book Lord of the Flies is charisma. Charisma is the compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others. Piggy does not have any of this physique, therefore the boys do not see him as their leader. An example of this is when Piggy was talking, and Ralph took the conch shell. "I just take the conch to say this. I can't see no more and I got to get my glasses back. Awful things has been done on this island. I voted for you for chief. He's the only one who ever got anything done. So now you speak, Ralph, and tell us what. Or else—" Piggy broke off, sniveling. Ralph took back the conch as he sat down. "Just an ordinary fire.
You'd think we could do that, wouldn't you? Just a smoke signal so we can be rescued. Are we savages or what?" Isabel Kershner wrote for the New York Times and editorial stating, “he was seen as lacking the charisma and machismo many here consider vital characteristics for a commanding leader.” (Isabel Kershner) To be a successful leader you need to be looked up to, and others must have respect for you, these other boys on the island had no respect for Piggy. Obviously, because they were calling him Piggy, very disrespectful. Even with Piggy’s intelligence, he was often shut down because of the charisma he lacked. Piggy was also seen as a huge pushover. Throughout the book Lord of the Flies, he character Piggy is seen as the weak and vulnerable one. Piggy is very intimidated by Jack, and cannot do as much as the more in shape boys. He cannot run as long and far, and he gets to the fire too late to help with …show more content…
that. "I don't care what they call me," he said confidentially, "so long as they don't call me what they used to call me in school." Ralph was faintly interested.
"What was that?" The fat boy glanced over his shoulder, then leaned toward Ralph. He whispered. "They used to call me Piggy!" John Deacon wrote a very compelling article, “We live in a culture of competition. The strong, the beautiful, the intelligent and the capable are magnified and extolled. The weak and vulnerable are often put aside.” (John Deacon) This really does relate to society, if we do not fit in with the popular crowd we are seen as not enough for them and vulnerable. They make fun of physical appearances because they can. They do it together in a group, so it helps their self-esteem. Along with Piggy’s physique of being weak and a pushover, he also has older facial features. In the novel The Lord of the Flies by William Golding the character Piggy has older appearances and very rational thinking. Throughout the novel, Piggy says some very intelligent things, that if the boys would have listened. An example of this is a conversation between Ralph and Piggy in chapter eight, "…I mean…what makes things break up like they do? Piggy rubbed his glasses slowly and thought […]. "I dunno, Ralph. I expect it's him."
"Jack?" "Jack." A taboo was evolving round that word too. Ralph nodded solemnly. "Yes," he said, "I suppose it must be." Piggy is always curious looking for answers. Making Ralph think, but yet not fully listening to him. In the Chicago Daily Herold, Mr. Paddock talked on the way people judge by the outward appearance, “When you look at someone or something and you judge them by their appearance, you make the mistake of not giving yourself the chance to know their true qualities.” (Paddock) The boys do this, they judge Piggy on his outward appearance. He is quite large compared to the skinny boys, and he even looks older. He has glasses and older qualities etched into his face. The boys do not know what Piggy has been through, he was made mentally superior by the death of his parent. From that experience it forced him to think more independently, whereas many of these other boys are dependent on their parents. When they look to Piggy they ignore his older form and intelligent remarks and unleash a rock down that hill that smashes his head. In conclusion, Piggy has the intelligence to be a leader, but he does not have the outward appearance that the boys think they need in a leader. Throughout the book we see Piggy saying remarks that could have really helped the boys, but they shut him down. Piggy lacks the charisma of a leader, he does not have the charm needed to gain his people’s attention and respect. Since he does not have charisma, he is seen as weak and vulnerable, the boys think they can walk all over him. A big example of this is his name, they call him Piggy because his physique is more on the rounder side. Lastly, Piggy has very rational thinking for how young he is. He gained this after having to experience both his parents’ deaths which forces him to think more like an adult. The boys ignore his older appearances and intelligent remarks like he is not even there, they only use him for his strength to carry fire wood and his glasses to start the fire. Listening to people is an important part of life, if we cannot listen to others and gain their opinion we will not be as successful. These boys would have been more successful listening to everyone in the group rather than cutting people’s opinions out. There was a study done and Alicia Clegg wrote about the findings, “The single most undervalued and under-developed skill is listening, yet people struggle with it. A study by Columbia Business School published in 2012 found that leaders' powers of persuasion rest as much on skilful listening as on articulacy.” (Alicia Clegg) These boys were stuck on an island, they created a good leader, but there were too many who wanted to be leader. They soon became savage and had multiple problems, choosing a leader is very important to succeed.
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 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.
..., the biggest being his relationship with Ralph. He is Ralph’s right hand man and supports him throughout the entire novel. Piggy is always there for Ralph even when he does not agree with Ralph’s decisions. Piggy also proves his loyalty through his relationship with the ‘littluns’. Piggy becomes a father like figure to the younger boys and is always looking out for them when no one else does. Many of the boys on the island do not see the good traits Piggy has because they are so focused on his physical flaws. Piggy is not the most athletic out of the boys and is described as shorter than Ralph, fat, wears glasses and has asthma. His physical abilities keep him from doing tasks that require anything physical such as swimming, running, climbing, carrying heavy items and building the shelters. Many boys see Piggy as a setback; they do not see how valuable truly he is.
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
These include his lousy physical state. He is fat, suffers from asthma, and has bad sight, preventing him to see the world as it truly is. And secondly, his poor social qualities which have been demonstrated throughout many occasions in the book alike the scene in which Ralph sarcastically suggests they should make an airplane, and a TV set on which Piggy responds very seriously that that would be impossible due to the lack of metal. He has trouble making friends and has a rather odd or nonexistent sense of humour. All of these negative qualities limit his abilities and chances of being perceived heroic instead of idiotic as it is possible that his character could irritate the
Piggy's literal function in this novel is to be the intellectual and logical thinker to counteract the emotional thinking of the other boys. From the beginning, Piggy viewed everything logically. He quickly came to the realization that the boys may be on the island for a long time, when he told Ralph "Nobody don't know we're here. Your dad don't know, nobody don't know" (9), contrary to Ralph's assumption that his father, who happened to be a naval officer, would simply come and rescue them. While Ralph became the natural leader based on his charisma, "what intelligence had been shown was traceable to Piggy" (18/19). However, it is unfortunate that this intelligence eventually led Piggy to his demise. Piggy's direct way of analyzing a situation and voicing his opinion tended to make him quite un...
He shows this through Piggy's appearances, personality, and morals. Piggy’s physical description is an enormous factor in the book. Although his physical appearance doesn't change throughout the book it continues to affect him until the end. In the beginning
Piggy is mentally resilient; he has the ability to think things through with the clear mind even during times of crisis. He is the true voice of reason. “‘I got the conch! Just you listen! The first thing we ought to have made was the shelters down there by the beach…But the first time Ralph says ‘fire’ you goes howling and screaming up this mountain. Like a pack of kids!’” (Golding 45). Piggy has the capability to let his voice of reason run unbridled because he tends to think before he leaps. Because of this, he is able to vocalize his morals proudly and never stray from his own beliefs.
After Ralph carelessly reveal the nickname “Piggy” to the others it triggered all the boys, "even the tiniest," to laugh which sets up Piggy to be the brunt of jokes and bullying. As the story develops, Piggy demonstrates time after time that he is able to contribute to the group mentally. For an example, Piggy suggested that they should construct the signal fire on the beach instead of the top of the mountain after Jack formed his own tribe. Piggy’s wisdom and intelligence begins to become obvious to Ralph but to the rest of the group, Piggy is still thought as weak and useless; it seems that the only time anyone speaks to piggy it involves an insult of some sort.
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 the novel, Piggy represents intelligence and rationality because of how he thoroughly thinks through all situations that he faces and due to his exceptional ability to create simple solutions to any problem. At very beginning of the novel, shortly after emerging from the wreckage of the crashed plane, Piggy and Ralph first meet each other. As the pair walk along the beach, Ralph finds a conch, which gives Piggy the idea of using the conch to “‘call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us’” (Golding 16). Even after the initial shock of crash-landing on a presumably deserted island, Piggy is able to gather his wits and realize that their best chance of survival to gather all the boys and get some kind of organization established. Although Ralph found the conch initially, he was only attracted to it because it looked like “a worthy plaything” (16). Piggy however, unlike Ralph, immediately thought up a novel idea of how to use the conch to better their situation, by using it to gather everyone else, and to assess the overall predicament they found themselves in. Piggy was focused on long-term survival and sustainability rather than the short-term entertainment that the conch presented. People who have high levels of intelligence often possess extremely rational thinking methods. The Beast had begun to terrorize the mountain, particularly in the vicinity ...
Being the only boy that wasn't violent shows how diverse Piggy was from the other boys on the island. "I got the conch I tell you" Piggy screamed in attempt to gain the boys' lost attention, "I tell you I got the conch." Good finally prevailed and Piggy gained the boys' attention. Never once did Piggy resort to violence, even when his glasses were stolen, he proved he was above violence. Unlike Jack, Piggy never killed. Piggy never hunted or killed a pig, let alone hurt another human being, he used his mind not his size to get attention. Being the biggest boy on the island, he had the upper hand in any fight that would have gone his way. Piggy talked out his conflict; in his opinion violence was not an option. "I just take the conch to say this. I can't see no more and I got to get my glasses back. Awful things have been done on this island. I voted for you (Ralph) for chief. He is the only one who ever got things done.
Piggy is picked on a lot by the other boys because of his weight and sight hindrance, but nonetheless he does not give up his share of the authority. Piggy is constantly saying, "I've got the conch," ( a sign of authority and a sign that all should listen to the person with the conch. Piggy's death symbolizes the destruction of society and civilization on the island, and the rise of savage behavior. It also shows the demise of order and the rise of the devil.
In the beginning of Golding’s book, Lord of the Flies, one of the main characters, Piggy suffers from low self-esteem and low self-confidence. This can be seen on page 11 when Piggy says “I don't care what they call me, so long as they don't call me what they used to call me at school...They used to call me Piggy,” (Golding 11). This quote shows his low self-confidence and gives the reader a glance into Piggy’s past. The reader can assume from the quote that Piggy was made fun of for his weight before he came to the island and does not want to be treated like this again. Piggy seems scared that the new boys will tease him. Another example of Piggy’s low value of himself is when he begins to show leader ship qualities and is shot down. “I expect we...
Piggy is one of the intriguing characters of the novel. He rarely agrees with the opinions of the others and he seems to be smarter. Still, the other boys pretty much don’t listen to him, except Ralph, who appreciates his opinion in some parts. At the beginning of Lord of the Flies, Piggy talks a lot, especially about him and his aunt, but quickly he learns that nobody is interested in it and he accepts being ignored, "’I don't care what they call me,’ he said confidentially, ‘so long as they don't call me what they used to call me in school. [...] They used to call me Piggy’” (Golding 11). The boys haven’t been on the island for a very long time at this point, and Piggy makes the mistake of telling Ralph the