Piggy's Specs

Authors Avatar

Karan Modha

Piggy’s Specs

        On the island Piggy is one of the most important member of Ralph’s tribe, and most probably the smartest on the island. He looks after the little’uns, helps make the shelters and most importantly helps make the fire. But there is only one thing/body standing in his way and he is Jack Merridew.

Several other authors obviously influenced William Golding in his creation of Lord of the Flies. His references to Coral Island and the use of the names Jack and Ralph are both derived from Robert Ballantyne's Coral Island. He has also had influence from the likes of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Jules Verne. Golding, however, held a much more negative outlook on human nature, which he expressed in his works, beginning with Lord of the Flies. In his first novel, William Golding used a group of boys stranded on a tropical island to illustrate the malicious nature of mankind. Lord of the Flies dealt with changes that the boys underwent as they gradually adapted to the isolated freedom from society. Three main characters depicted different effects on certain individuals under those circumstances. Jack Merridew began as the arrogant and self-righteous leader of a choir. The freedom of the island allowed him to further develop the darker side of his personality as the Chief of a savage tribe. Ralph started as a self-assured boy whose confidence in him came from the acceptance of his peers. He had a fair nature, as he was willing to listen to Piggy. He became increasingly dependent on Piggy's wisdom and became lost in the confusion around him. Towards the end of the story his rejection from their society of savage boys forced him to fend for himself. Piggy was an educated boy who had grown up as an outcast. Due to his academic childhood, he was more mature than the others and retained his civilized behaviour. But his experiences on the island gave him a more realistic understanding of the cruelty possessed by some people. The ordeals of the three boys on the island made them more aware of the evil inside themselves and, in some cases, made the false politeness that had clothed them disappear. However, the changes experienced by one boy differed from those endured by another. This is attributable to the physical and mental differences between them.

William Golding presented numerous themes and basic ideas that give the reader something to think about. One of the most basic and obvious themes is that society holds everyone together, and without these conditions, our ideals, values, and the basics of right and wrong are lost. Without society's rigid rules, anarchy and savagery can come to light.

Golding is also showing that morals come directly from our surroundings, and if there is no civilization around us, we will lose these values.

Other secondary themes include the following:

  • People will abuse power when it's not earned.
  • When given a chance, people often single out another to degrade to improve their own security.
  • You can only cover up inner savagery so long before it breaks out, given the right situation.
  • It's better to examine the consequences of a decision before you make it than to discover them afterward.
  • The fear of the unknown can be a powerful force, which can turn you to either insight or hysteria.

Piggy is a short and overweight boy who wears glasses and represents order and democracy. He is afflicted with asthma and doesn't care to do strenuous work on the island. He tries very hard to cling to civilization, and tries his best to keep peace. While probably the smartest boy on the island, he lacks any social skills whatsoever, and has trouble communicating or fitting in with the others. His glasses are a very important part of the book, as they are used over and over to start fires. Piggy's constant polishing of them shows his desire for clear-sightedness and civilization. Jack is about twelve years old, with a skinnier build and red hair. His freckled face is described as being "ugly without silliness." From the very beginning, he seems to harbour emotions of anger and savagery. At first, he is the leader of his choir group, who become hunters as the book progresses. Finally, his savage personality and ability to tell people what they want to hear allows him to overtake Ralph as chief. Ralph is twelve years old with blond hair, and is the most charismatic of the group. He is described as being built "like a boxer," and is initially chosen as leader due to his many positive qualities. He maintains a conflict with Jack throughout the entire novel, attempting to keep order whereas Jack isn't concerned with it. Ralph and Piggy together represent the struggle for order and democracy.        

Join now!

Jack was first described with having an air of cruelty that made him naturally unlike able. As leader of the choir and one of the tallest boys on the island, Jack's physical height and authority matched his arrogant personality. His desire to be Chief was clearly evident in his first appearance. When the idea of having a Chief was mentioned Jack spoke out immediately. "I ought to be chief," said Jack with simple arrogance, "because I'm chapter chorister and head boy." He led his choir by administering much discipline resulting in forced obedience from the cloaked boys. His ill nature was well ...

This is a preview of the whole essay