Lord Of The Flies: Piggy Symbolism

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Piggy as a Symbol in Lord of the Flies In the story of Adam and Eve from the Bible, God banishes Adam and Eve from the paradisiacal island for tasting the forbidden fruit, which forces them to learn to be civilized beings. In Lord of the Flies, by Sir William Golding, the group of boys acquire the sweet taste of the “forbidden fruit” (no civilization) and spiral down to a hellish anarchy. In the allegorical novel, a group of young boys fly in a plane to flee the country, for they find themselves in the midst of a war. The plane crashes into a beautiful island, and there they must learn to adapt to the new surroundings and keep everything and everyone under control. All seems well, but then suddenly the boys find themselves thrown into…show more content…
They help people understand their place in civilization. Piggy realizes that he should attempt to learn names of all of the children so everyone feels equal. When the children feel equal with those around them, then civilization comes easier. In addition, Piggy wants to keep things in civilized order by telling Ralph, the leader, ‘“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “about a clock. We could make a sundial. We could put a stick in the sand.”’(64) Piggy wants to keep track of time because time stands as an important piece of civilization. By knowing the time, the boys can have chores or tasks to be done by a certain time. Knowing time also allows the boys to prepare for the fall of night by doing what they need to do before the daylight is consumed. Also, the boys do not have smart thoughts like Piggy does, and Ralph realizes “I can’t think. Not like Piggy.”(78) Many boys realize Piggy’s intelligence and that Piggy seems educated, which they resent him for because his intelligence makes him the closest to a “grownup”. Being smart and educated is one thing that civilization gives to all. Because of his education and intelligence the two “leaders”, Ralph and Jack, in a sense, fight over whose side Piggy is on because…show more content…
Towards the conclusion of the novel, Piggy, Ralph, and Samneric, go up to Jack’s tribe to get Piggy’s glasses back in a civilized manner, but fighting begins and, “Jack had backed right against the tribe and they were a solid mass of menace that bristled with spears.”(180) This scenario depicts the sudden decline of and almost complete loss of civilization. The tribe has their war paint on and assume fighting position instead of trying to talk the situation out, like civilized people. The once lovely, little British boys turn almost totally savage. Once the boys transform to complete savages, Ralph will have no one to help him. Piggy dies and moments after Piggy’s death, Jack, “began screaming wildly. ‘“See? See? That’s what you get! I meant that! There isn’t a tribe for you anymore! The conch is gone-’ […] ‘I’m chief.”’(181) Jack feels quite ecstatic about Piggy’s death because Ralph finds himself alone now; Piggy’s death acts as the death of civilization. Since Ralph has no one following him, Jack claims he rules as the chief and believes he can do anything. Once Jack becomes the absolute leader, readers see the type of government shift from democracy to anarchy. After Piggy’s death, Ralph finds out that, ‘“They hate you Ralph. They’re going to do you. They’re going to hunt you tomorrow.’”(188) Jack and Roger plan on hunting Ralph because he still runs the tribe and they know his

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