A first impression is something that one gets a single shot at. They either make it count or they completely miss, but one thing one cannot determine from a first impression is some ones true motives. As a wise Joyce Myer once said, “Motives reveal why we do what we do, which is actually more important to God than what we're doing”. One has to sit back and learn why a person said this or said that in a first impression. When one can listen and learn from a person, that is when the reasons behind the choices that are being made come out. In the novel “Lord of the Flies”, written by William Golding, there is a very interesting character named Piggy. In this novel the static characteristics of Piggy allow his motives of insecurity and order to …show more content…
stay consistent throughout the whole book. Second too Ralph, Piggy gets introduced at the very begging of the story. It is tough for one to really see a character in the first couple of pages, but Piggy shows a lot about who he is as a young boy early and often in this story. Specifically, one is able to see that Piggy is very worried, and does not like the fact that he is stranded on an island. Once the days start to pass by, and Piggy starts to settle in, the reader can really start to understand Piggy and the reason behind all of his actions. These actions are due to the fact of him being in such an unfamiliar place, with a lack of food and water, no family and friends, and the devastating thoughts of never making it back home. Things are very hard for Piggy and the reader is able to see his motives of insecurity and order come through these circumstances. These motives stay consistent throughout the entire book, from the start, to the middle, were Piggy plays a very limited part, and in the end when all chaos occurs. This consistency shows just how much of a static character Piggy really is, keeping his morals no matter how different the situation may be. The reader is able to see in the first couple pages of the book that Piggy is your typical young boy that is just a little bit chunky.
This allows one to see his motive of insecurity when he first meets Ralph. This motive is apparent when the narrator says, “The fat boy waited to be asked his name in turn but this proffer of acquaintance was not made…” (Golding 9). There were many things going through Piggy’s head at this time, and it is the same for everyone on their first impression with one. He wanted to listen to what the other boy had to say, but did not want to seem too pushy, and act like it was all about himself. It is almost like Piggy did not want him to ask what his name is because he was not really sure what he wanted to go by. This is showing the reader how shy Piggy is, and gives the reader a good idea that he is holding something back. Piggy did not want to give a bad impression to Ralph and he would achieve this by respecting him, and listening to him. Piggy was worried that if he told him the truth that he would be made fun of, which would be more of a contribution to his lack of confidence. This insecurity of his name is shown again, just a couple pages later when Piggy says in a whisper, “They used to call me Piggy” (Golding 11). Although the reader is not positive, one is able to assume that this is name is a nickname. It is very evident why Piggy has this nickname, considering that he is as chunky young boy. It is also very obvious that he did not want …show more content…
to share this name with Ralph. He did not want to share his name because it was very embarrassing to him, and he knew that Ralph would share it with the other boys on the island. One can see this based on the way Piggy whispers it to him, and lets him know many times that he does not care if Ralph calls him that as long as he does not tell the others. Just from the start of the book and the introduction of his name the reader is able to see the reason behind the name and the insecurities is causes for him in his daily life. Not only is Piggy very concerned about his name, but his glasses contribute a large part to his insecurities as well. Not only do the boys use his specks to start the fires but they will also take his glasses without his consent just to mess with him. Piggy is helpless when the boys take his glasses because he is not able to see them and figure out who has his specks. This is evident when Piggy says, “What you goin’ to do, Ralph? This is jus’ talk without deciding. I want my glasses” (Golding 170). Piggy is relying on Ralph to help him get his glasses back from the boys. He is sacred, and not confident in himself because the boys have the upper hand knowing the fact Piggy cannot make out an object that he sees. He needs those glasses to be himself, and without them he becomes even more reserved. Piggy does not try to stand up for himself when the boys take his glasses because he does not believe in himself and he knows that the boys will team up on him just to take away his specks. Piggy is an easy target for the boys, and he is well aware and all of the actions with his glasses are a large part to the motive of insecurity for Piggy. There is also another motive that Piggy lives by.
He wants everything to stay in order on this island. He is aware that if people start to fight and separate, it will make their chances of getting off of the island even slimmer. When things started to go downhill between the two groups Piggy got very upset at Jack, and he did not like the choices that Jack was making. The reader is able to see this when he says, “You and your blood, Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might have gone home…” (Golding 70). Piggy was tired, he was frustrated, and he wanted to go home. He knew that what Jack was doing was not contributing to the boys and their quest to get off of the island. Piggy had finally had enough, and he knew that splitting off into two groups and having two leaders was not going to keep order on the island. It was simply going to cause more chaos than there already was. Piggy was focused on the big picture, which was getting off of the island. He was the one doing the things that were going to allow them to get rescued such as maintain a fire, build shelters, and gather food all as a group to be more efficient. Piggy was not about the amount of pride and popularity that would be gained for doing something incredible, but simply about being as effective as possibly to get back home to his family. As the book goes on Piggy’s motive for order does not change, he still wants to have the most important thing to get off of the island and that is evident when he says,
“Just and 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?” (Golding 170). Maintaining this fire was the most important thing there is to Piggy. He knows; along with Ralph that that is what is going to catch the attention of a ship. He is very upset with Jack because he is worrying about things that are completely irrelevant, such as who is chief and how many pigs he can kill. Piggy is aware that order on the island is gone, and that people are starting to go insane but he is just simply trying to keep one necessity alive. Piggy has been a hard worker since the beginning of the book and he is not going to allow the chaos of the two groups corrupt everything that he has worked on. It is not easy for him but he will never give up on it because it is something that means a lot to him, because he wants to get home and sleep in his own bed. The motive of order is a very consistent one for Piggy, and no matter the circumstances he will do what he believes is right. Piggy is driven by two very particular motives in this story, insecurity and order. These two things allow him to be the character that he is. These motives do not change over the course of the story, allowing Piggy to be a very static character. Piggy goes through a lot, but he does not let any of it bother him; staying on course with what he believes is best for all.
Piggy is upset with Ralph before they leave the island because Ralph thinks it is ok to make their choir boy group into hunters to kill animals. For example in the story in chapter 1 it says “Ralph talked the group into becoming hunters and killing a pig stuck in rope. Another example is when they left to go to walk and look around the lagoon Ralph saw a pig and chased it but stopped himself and said “ next time I will show no mercy.” Piggy didn't want to be a killer nor wanted his friends to
In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding created an island, which represented a microcosm of the world. The characters in the book had unique and different personalities to simulate the real world. Every kid on the island was different. Each character fell under the artisan, rational, idealist, or guardian temperament. The characters' personalities helped determine their temperament. Two specific characters were Jack and Piggy. Piggy exhibits aspects of the artisan temperament, whereas Jack exhibits aspects of the rational temperament.
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.
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
The character Piggy in William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies serves as the intellectual balance to the emotional leaders of a group of shipwrecked British boys. Ironically, their new society values physical qualities over intellectual attributes whereas it is the rational actions that will lead to their survival. Piggy's actions and the reactions from his fellow survivors foreshadow his eventual death. Lord of the Flies is overflowing with creative symbolism, surrounding every event and character; Piggy is no exception. From being the representation of scholars to the comparison with Prometheus, Golding ensures Piggy's short life is well remembered.
( Golding, 87) When everyone else was afraid, he just thought that " if there's something wrong, there's someone to put it right". ( Golding 87) This shows that Piggy was levelheaded and he knew that the only thing to fear on the island were themselves. This is like he knew that the cause of breakdown in the society would be from themselves. While piggy and Ralph were able to keep order almost successfully, others would leave because they were in to not having rules and just having fun without actual work and effort being put in to help them along. Ralph says, "Piggy, are you the only one left? No there's Samn'Eric." This is later in the book and it shows how people are able to ignore the rules. Only the moral and honest people stayed with Ralph and Piggy To try and be saved. The rest were bloodthirsty savages and left with Jack to hunt and Kill. Piggy also really respected Ralph. When Ralph was upset with the "accident" that happened with Simon, Piggy knew that even though Ralph was doing wrong things, he would work things out. Piggy helps to show how unnecessary it is to dwell on these matters saying "What good're you doing talking like that". (Golding, 156) Piggy knew no one would listen to himself, so he
“I cannot believe there is caste system in society; I cannot believe people are judged on the basis of their prosperity.” No matter how much you’ve got to bring to the table, society will always find a way to put you down and aim for something else whether that something is worst or better than what you have to offer. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding has shown this external conflict several times throughout the story with characters such as Ralph and piggy. The conflict of character vs. society is present in these characters: Ralph, the elected chief of the group of British schoolboys is constantly having to remind the group of the bigger picture; Piggy, ultimately the brain of the
Both Piggy and Ralph’s personalities had a large amount of contrasts that determined their relationship at the beginning of the story. Piggy was the outcast, due to his large awkward body, his thick glasses and his know-it-all personality. While Ralph on the other hand was the stereotypical image of an ordinary boy. Piggy had no friends, besides those that he lived with. Thus was not used to being among other children. He quickly trusted, and latched onto Ralph, ignoring Ralph’s constant teasing . Ralph was insecure as all boys his age are, he didn’t really want to be caught liking the outcast so he teased him. “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: pg.11) Piggy confided to Ralph, asking him to be secretive, thinking that Ralph was his friend. When really he couldn’t care less about Piggy’s fate. Ralph betrayed Piggy by announcing to all the other boys Piggy’s name, not really caring about the consequences it would have on Piggy and Ralph’s friendship. Piggy is hurt but quickly forgives and forgets, thinking that him and Ralph are friends. Ralph doesn’t really mind Piggy’s dependence upon him, but finds Piggy to be a bore and does not consider him to be a friend. “Piggy was a bore; his fat, his ass-mar and his matter of fact ideas were dull, but their was always a little pleasure to be got out of pulling his leg, even if one did this by accident'; (Golding: pg.65). Ralph joined the others in teasing him, especially about his asthma and his love and dependence upon his auntie.
At the beginning, clearly Ralph feels that Jack is an ally, a companion; not a rival for leadership, "Ralph found himself alone on a limb with Jack and they grinned at each other ... that strange invisible light of friendship". The chosen leader of the group, Ralph tried to lead the stranded boys into some kind of order. The authority of Jack and the sensibility of Piggy easily sway him. When Ralph first meets Piggy, he sees him as a lower person who should be ridiculed. He starts off by asking for his name and he is told that people used to make fun of
First impressions leave a lasting impact on one’s view of a person which alters the way they act around/treat specific people. First impressions are extremely powerful since they can be the deciding factor in what type of relationship you have with a certain person. The statement that first impressions greatly impact people’s views of one another is evident in the first chapter of Lord of the Flies when each main character is introduced to each other for the first time. For example, the first encounter between Ralph and Piggy demonstrates the admiration that Piggy developed for Ralph due to Ralph coming off as a sincere person who has leadership qualities. Piggy quickly takes a liking to Ralph due to his kindness which is demonstrated in the quote “The fat boy hung steadily at his shoulder”(Pg. 9). Piggy’s first impression of Ralph will stick with him throughout the course of the book and alter the way that they act around others. Another example of how first impressions impact the way that people view one another is presented when the character of Merridew is introduced to the boys. Merridew comes off as a snotty and stuck up boy who has dominance over the boys of the choir. The quotes “The boy came close and peered down at Ralph, screwing up his face as he did so” and “He turned quickly, his black cloak circling” (Pg. 20) demonstrate Merridew’s arrogant nature. This first impression will later go on to affect a major decision between the boys regarding leadership as well as the outcome of other situations.
He acted powerfully, and he placed fear into the other islanders hearts. Where Jack enters the story, the text states, “Piggy asked no names. He was intimidated by this uniformed superiority and the offhand authority in Merridew’s voice” (Golding 21). This is an example of the automatic fear that struck the others at his moment of arrival in the story that seemed to carry out through the entirety of the story, and possibly even intensified closer to the end. Again, Jack strikes fear when he makes conversation about hunting- which ends up overtaking him completely by the end of the book, “All the same you need and army- for hunting. Hunting pigs-’” (Golding 32). Although he is talking about hunting for food, this quote has an eerie feeling to it, almost as though he is a little too excited to create his own army just for hunting; could this possibly be his first display of extreme power that transformed into hunger for it as the story progressed? One last example of Jack’s dictatorship is when he cries excitedly, “‘We’ll have rules!’” (Golding 33). He seems to want to force everyone to follow him in this section of the story by making rules that everyone must follow; This is also ironic because he is also the first to start disobeying them when he realizes that they are not what he wants so he can gain that full lead, or dictatorship, he strives to ‘achieve.’
More specifically, Jack says to the littluns “Fear can't hurt you any more than a dream. There aren't any beasts to be afraid of on this island....Serve you right if something did get you, you useless lot of cry-babies” (75). Upon knowing that because the littluns are so young and ignorant, they should be looked out for more and taught to make positive choices. Instead of comforting the littluns, Jack is quick to tell them off by hoping the beast gets them because they are weak and useless. By saying such a vulgar statement, Jack shows how cruel and self-centered he is because he does not consider the feelings of others and how much his words would affect them. Jack therefore only considers his feelings and expects everyone else to follow what he says because he sees his words as law. By doing so, Jack starts to break the laws of the civilized and turn towards what he wants instead of what everyone else needs. In contrast to Jack, Piggy shows greater benevolence towards others but because of his appearance, he is looked down on by the other boys. To demonstrate, when Piggy tries to voices his opinions on the fire, Golding describes, “They (the boys) looked at him with eyes that lacked interest in what they saw” (44). The boys show how little they care about Piggy and what he says because they do not see him as someone who should hold authority over them. Because he is fat, ugly, and has glasses and asthma, the boys stereotype him as a pushover and a fool. As a result, Piggy is outcasted by the other. So if Piggy was the leader of the boys and could not get them to listen to his ideas then it would just lead them to corruption. Ultimately, the leadership of both Jack and Piggy would only lead the boys to corruption and violence while Ralph’s leadership would be peaceful because he demonstrates confidence and positive
In Golding’s book, Lord of the Flies, Piggy learns to stand up for himself and have more self-confidence which is a positive change. Piggy is shy and weary of his actions in the beginning but as the story progresses the troubles and responsibilities of being stranded on the island causes his self-confidence and self-esteem to grow.
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