Piggy Lord Of The Flies Names Analysis

“They Used to Call Me Piggy”

Names. Designated words in which someone or something is known by. Names are important in the book Lord of the Flies. There are certain boys names that we learn and some that we don’t. There are boys who are categorized based on their size and their minds. Even stranger, there are boys whose names become unknown. Ralph. Jack. Piggy. Simon. Sam’n’Eric. Percival. Through these names, William Golding creates a unique theme about the interaction of humans and how we relate to each other

Many of the characters have names that refer to other sections of the book or foreshadow key events. The protagonist of the story, Ralph, is one of the oldest boys on the island. He quickly becomes the group's leader. Ralph's name, from the Anglo-Saxon language, means "counsel." His character struggles to maintain order and is then forced to compete with Jack for respect. Jack's name, Hebrew in origin, means "one who supplants." This symbolizes his use of power unjustly. Jack represents the savagery in man. It is shown that he is unable to contain his sanity and loses his civilization. “The madness came into his eyes again.I thought I would kill (50).” Although Jack was clearly an antagonist, there were some boys who became evil through Goldings idea of human nature. Golding first describes Samneric as two separate people who act simultaneously. Yet, as the story goes on they are portrayed as one person. “They breathed together, they grinned together, they were chunky and vital.” Golding’s decision to combine the twins into a single character may represent many ideas. Samneric

are eventually viewed as a potential threat or burst of darkness. "Two boys...two dim shadows talking sleepily (96)" Samneric are associated to "dim shadows.” They are symbolically representing the darkness that is associated with shadows.

Simon's name comes from the Hebrew word meaning "listener." This is shown during his discussions with the Lord of the Flies.

Because Simon symbolizes the recognition between good and evil, it also important to recognize the murder of Simon as a symbol. As the boys savagely murder Simon they are also killing what he represents; which, once again is the recognition of good and

evil.

Throughout the novel, we began to see a connection between the Lord of the Flies and Piggy. Piggy’s name is clearly related to the pigs that the boys hunt and kill. Piggy was hunted by Jack, just as the pig was. Another relationship is the head on the stick. When Piggy got pushed onto the dangerous rock in the sea, his head split open and was washed away by the waves. Piggy and the lord of the flies carry the story along, without them, this book would probably not exist. Piggy is the closest thing to an adult on the island. He defended the conch, just to protect sanity on the island. He makes a big deal about learning names, "frowning to remember them" (18): he sees each boy as a fellow human being, and wants to give him the right and privilege of being called by his proper name. Having names matters to Piggy, because, just like the conch, it represents a system of rules and order.

Percival Wemys Madison. Early in the book, he recited his name, number, and address. Yet, as the book goes on, he slowly starts to forget parts of himself. Eventually, he is lost in the islands, a place the littluns believe is safe and not inhabited by the beast.. When the British Navy comes to rescue the boys, Percival tries to recite his name and address but cannot. By Chapter 12, of course, when savagery has taken grip, Percival remembers nothing of his identity. This illustrates that Percival is losing the memory of civilization.

Civilization separates man from savage but when civilization slips away, man reverts to a more animal like nature. The boys use masks to cover their identity, and this allows them to kill and later to murder. This loss of a personal name personifies the loss of selfhood and identity. Ralph. Jack. Piggy. Simon. Sam’n’Eric. Percival. All boys who once had sanity in them. Yet, with the power of human nature, they become like savages. William Golding, uses bold and creative names to enhance the meaning of the book.