Which of the two do you think behaves more sensibly on the island on the island, Piggy or Simon? Consider.

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Q.2. Which of the two do you think behaves more sensibly on the island on the island, Piggy or Simon? Consider.

  1. Their response to being on the island.
  2. What they have to say.
  3. Their relationships with other boys.
  4. The events of the novel.

Both Piggy and Simon have a mature approach to dealing with the environment around them. Piggy has the adult-like qualities and acts sensibly by offering his wisdom and common sense. Simon has a prophetic-like temperament and seems to be in harmony with the nature around him ‘…gauly butterflies danced round each other.’

Piggy’s maturity is first shown in his introduction to the novel, where he explains ‘My auntie told me not to run…on account of my asthma.’ He has been brought up to as a sensible child and compared to the other boys he is more level headed. In some ways, Piggy is more sensible than Simon as he is more outspoken than him and is willing to share his advice. Simon on the other hand, although he has prophet-like qualities, he tends to keep them to himself but we are given the sense that he is more mature than the other boys, by Golding’s descriptions of the environment around him ‘The candle-buds stirred. Their green sepals drew back a little and the white tips of the flowers rose delicately.’

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The founding of the conch is seen as an important event in the novel, as this symbol represents unity and authority, which again Piggy seems to bring to the island. He is the one who brought some morality onto the island by advising Ralph how to use it ‘A conch he called it…ever so valuable.’

The relationship between Piggy and the other boys seems hostile, after Jack started calling him ’Fatty’. ‘Piggy’s glasses were misted again-this time with humiliation.’ Although he is seen as sensible and mature, which Ralph and Simon think is respectable, the other boys find ...

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