Piggy in Lord of The Flies: Character Analysis

Introduction

Is it easier to rely on others for things you don't think you can achieve yourself? For many people, relying on others is much more convenient than trying to achieve those same things independently. In our world today, people rely on others all the time. People who are dependent on others will have trouble disagreeing with others due to fear; they will struggle to work by themselves and expect other people to give them advice as well as aid them in their endeavour. This scenario is ubiquitous in the workplace. A worker is reliant on a boss for their pay as well as reporting to the higher-ups in their company. Without a boss, many workers would lack the self-esteem to talk directly with the CEO of a company, but it is something which they should have the self-esteem to do. Since many people are dependent on others and do not have that level of self-esteem yet, they can't do the task when asked to do so individually, especially Piggy. Lord of the Flies character analysis demonstrates that he is mainly reliant on Ralph throughout 'Lord of the Flies' because they have similar beliefs in how things should work in an orderly system of laws. Golding uses Piggy to convey the idea that when we give people power over our own lives, we no longer control the outcome.

Piggy as a Dependant 

The reader sees Piggy giving away personal power when he demonstrates his inability to stand up for himself and allows other boys to control him. For instance, when Piggy and Ralph find each other on the island, Piggy tells Ralph, “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’...don't tell the others”(Golding 11). In this scene Piggy shows his extreme lack of self esteem and his inability to stick up for himself by informing Ralph of this. The way Golding writes this shows that Piggy lost all of his confidence after he said his nickname. In the beginning of the quote Piggy says “I don't care what they call me” (Golding 11) with lots of confidence, but he thinks about it while Ralph talks and then loses his confidence and tells him “don't tell the others” (Golding 11). Although Ralph did aggravate Piggy when they got on the island, Ralph quickly became someone who Piggy could really rely on and trust to have his back. But since Piggy is so dependent on other people, he will have trouble keeping his own when those whom he is dependent on are not present.

Golding exhibits the boys’ lack of respect towards Piggy and Piggy’s possessions, physical state and safety. Specifically, this happens when Jack and the hunters let the fire on top of the mountain go out while they are hunting. The fire goes down so there is no smoke when the big boat Ralphs sees passes by the boys’ island. The good news is they have fresh meat to eat but the bad news is they lost what could be their only way off the island. Ralph confronts the boys and tells them the fire needs to stay lit. Piggys tries to restate what Ralph said but to his surprise, “Ralph made a step forward and Jack smacked Piggy’s head. Piggy’s glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks. Piggy cried out in terror: ‘My specs!’”(Golding 71). The boys lack respect for Piggy, but Piggy never actually tried to speak up for himself or defend himself against the boys. He is reliant on Ralph and the other Biguns to stand up for him, so they aren't going to treat him like he has spoken for himself. “Ralph makes a step forward” shows Ralph wants to take charge as leader but doesn't actually protect Piggy. This could be a way of Golding saying that Piggy isn't worth Ralph actually sticking up for him. Ralph has his own motives and his actions don’t always show that his motives are for Piggy. Unfortunately for Piggy the physical pain doesn't stop there.The boys continue to be careless, reckless and barbarous resulting in losses of group members on the island.

Piggy's Accountability in Lord of the Flies

Piggy doesn't hold himself accountable for his actions and he really is dependant on the other boys. In doing this Piggy is giving the other boys the chance to take control of his own life and where it leads. Piggy's glasses were stolen by Jack and the hunters because they needed a way to make a fire. Ralph with Piggy by his side was trying to be as civilized as possible bywas going to the campsite to get back Piggy’s belongings. The two groups-Jack’s and Ralph’s started to build a conflict. “Ralph stood facing them...by him stood Piggy still holding out..the shining beauty of the shell...the rock struck Piggy...the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments...Piggy fell forty feet...his head opened and stuff came out and turned red.”(Golding 180-181). The way Golding explained Piggy standing by Ralph’s side holding the conch which is something they both believe in shows why Piggy looks at Ralph as someone to lean on and look up to. If Piggy did say something earlier and was more independent with his life, maybe the Littluns would have looked up to him and the other Biguns would have had more respect for him.

Conclusion

Although it might go unnoticed, people can take control of other people's lives if they are given the chance to. People have as much power over our lives as we give them. Golding represents this through Piggy. Piggy is controlled by others because he gives them power over his life and he doesn't realize it but he's letting them choose his future. The boys lack consideration and respect for Piggy’s emotions, they make him feel like he doesn't have a choice or control over his own name. The boys lack consideration of Piggy’s physical safety, they make him feel if he says something and they think it's wrong they will assault him. The boys didn't even have respect for Piggy’s life, they basically controlled how and when he died. He gave them power by relying on them so they didn't feel threatened by him leaving them careless. This is seen everywhere people can take control of a life and take them for granted. This is seen in the electronic world, where people find ways to hack into someone's life and control their private information. Sometimes people will use others and their talents to benefit themselves. It is extremely important that one is aware that they control their own lives and should only be dependent on themselves. A lack of self esteem or a strong reliance on others will result in detrimental effects.

Work Cited

1. Golding, William, and Edmund L. Epstein. Lord of the Flies: A Novel. New York: Perigee, 1954.