What happens to Piggy in Lord of the Flies? This question looms over readers as they delve into William Golding’s iconic novel, a gripping portrayal of the darkness lurking within humanity when civilization crumbles. Throughout the narrative, Piggy emerges as a significant character who is an outsider burdened with his intellect and physical frailty. As the story unfolds, Piggy faces endless trials that ultimately lead to his untimely death. By exploring the unforgiving dynamics of power, fear, and identity on the deserted island, Golding exposes a disturbing reality that shapes Piggy’s fate in ways that leave readers contemplating the fragility of society and human nature. This article will closely examine what befalls poor Piggy, tracing his journey from outcast to eventual victim in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
What happens to Piggy in Lord of the Flies?
What happens to Piggy in Lord of the Flies? Piggy, a central character in William Golding’s haunting novel Lord of the Flies, undergoes a tragic fate as the story progresses. Initially portrayed as an outcast due to his physical appearance and intellectual nature, Piggy becomes increasingly marginalized and eventually meets a grim end at the hands of his fellow stranded boys.
From the outset, Piggy is presented as an object of ridicule and scorn. His overweight figure, spectacled face, and asthma make him an easy target for the other boys’ mockery. Despite this mistreatment, Piggy remains resilient and serves as a voice of reason and rationality amidst the chaos. He consistently represents civilization, order, and intelligence throughout the narrative.
As tensions escalate on the island and savage instincts take over, Piggy’s position becomes even more precarious. The emergence of Jack’s tribe leads to a power struggle between Ralph’s democratic leadership and Jack’s authoritarian rule. In this struggle for dominance, Piggy aligns himself with Ralph but fails to gain influence or protection from him.
Piggy’s death occurs during a violent confrontation with Jack’s tribe. As they attempt to seize control over Ralph’s group by stealing their fire, Piggy bravely stands up to them: “Which is better—to have rules and agree or to hunt and kill?” (Golding 180). However, his impassioned plea falls on deaf ears as Roger releases a boulder that kills Piggy: “Piggy was gone…[his] head opened…and turned red” (Golding 181). This shocking act signifies not only Piggy’s physical death but also the demise of rationality within their society.
Chapter 11: Castle Rock (Summary and analysis)
In Chapter 11 of Lord of the Flies, Ralph and his remaining companions try to light a fire without Piggy’s glasses, but their attempt fails. Piggy suggests holding a meeting to discuss their options, so Ralph blows the conch shell and gathers the boys who have not joined Jack’s tribe on the beach. Ralph decides that the four remaining members of his group must go to Castle Rock to reason with Jack and his followers to secure the return of Piggy’s glasses.
Ralph takes the conch shell to Jack’s camp, hoping it will remind them of his former authority. However, they encounter armed guards who tell them to leave and throw stones at them. Jack and his hunters appear, dragging a dead pig. Jack tells Ralph to leave and go back to his end of the island. A confrontation between Ralph and Jack ensues, with Ralph demanding Piggy’s glasses back and emphasizing the importance of the signal fire for rescue. Ralph and Jack fight after Ralph calls Jack a thief for stealing Piggy’s glasses. In retaliation, Jack orders his hunters to grab Samneric and tie them up. Angry at Jack for tying up Sam and Eric, Ralph attacks Jack, and the two boys fight again. Above the shouting, Piggy reminds Ralph why they came to Castle Rock and tries to get him to stop fighting Jack.
During the chaos, Roger pushes a massive rock down the mountainside toward Ralph. Hearing the rock falling, Ralph dodges it while Piggy holds up the shattered conch shell and tries to speak about rules and rescue. Roger’s boulder strikes Piggy, shattering the conch shell into a thousand white fragments and killing him as he falls off the cliff to his death on the rocks below. Jack tries to stab Ralph with his spear, causing Ralph to escape into the jungle while being hunted like a pig on the island.
This chapter sees important symbols destroyed: Roger crushes the conch shell while killing Piggy, symbolizing civilization being crushed by savagery. Likewise, in later chapters, Ralph destroys the Lord of the Flies—representing dark impulses within individuals—associated with order being destroyed by chaos. With Piggy’s death and Samneric joining Jack’s tribe under duress, Ralph is left alone on the island facing defeat against bloodlust.
The hunt has been closely associated with savage instincts throughout Lord of the Flies in that hunting is ironically necessary for survival but drives boys into barbarism. The conflict between Ralph and Jack represents a clash between the hunters’ interests and those of the group. Jack’s savagery prevails as Ralph becomes prey, unable to mitigate the power of the hunt with rules and civilization structures. Ultimately, Ralph is left alone, doomed to be defeated by primal chaos.
Why was Piggy killed in Lord of the Flies?
Piggy is killed in Lord of the Flies because he represents reason, intelligence, and order on the island. As the story progresses, all semblance of civilization and order slowly disintegrates. The boys descend into savagery and abandon any sense of morality or responsibility. Piggy’s death symbolizes the complete breakdown of rationality and the triumph of chaos and brutality. Without Piggy’s presence, there is no longer any opposition to the boys’ descent into savagery, as he was the voice of reason that attempted to maintain order throughout their ordeal.
Additionally, Piggy’s death reveals how power dynamics play a role in his demise. Due to his physical weakness and reliance on his glasses for vision, he becomes an easy target for Jack and his followers. Piggy’s murder highlights how those who possess physical strength dominate over those who are intellectually inclined or weaker physically. Ultimately, Piggy’s killing reflects the boys’ loss of humanity and moral conscience as they succumb to their primitive instincts in an environment devoid of any external authority or societal norms.
Was Piggy’s death an accident?
Piggy’s death in Lord of the Flies Chapter 11 can be seen as both an accident and a deliberate act of brutality. While it is true that his death occurs during a chaotic moment where emotions and violence escalate, it is also clear that Piggy is intentionally targeted by Roger, who pushes a boulder off the cliff directly at him. This deliberate act suggests that Piggy’s death was not purely accidental but a calculated act of aggression against him and his intellectualism.
Furthermore, Piggy’s murder represents the final severing of any ties to civilization and humanity on the island. He symbolizes reason, logic, and rationality amidst the growing savagery of the other boys and serves as a voice of morality throughout the novel. With his death, the group loses its last connection to order and sanity. The intentional nature of Piggy’s murder highlights the vulnerability of intellectualism in an environment dominated by brutality and illustrates how easily civilization can crumble when confronted with primal instincts.
What happens to Piggy’s body?
In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Piggy’s body is washed away by the ocean. During a confrontation between Jack’s group, which has descended into savagery, and Ralph’s group, Piggy scolds Jack’s group for their barbaric behavior. As he speaks, Roger, one of the boys in Jack’s group, intentionally pushes a boulder down the hillside. The massive rock hits Piggy, knocking the conch out of his hands and sending him tumbling off the cliff. Piggy lands on rocks below and is instantly killed. His lifeless body is then washed away by the ocean tide, symbolizing not only his physical demise but also the loss of reason and civilization in their isolated society.
How does Piggy lose his innocence?
In Lord of the Flies, Piggy loses his innocence through a gradual process of disillusionment and exposure to the savagery that emerges within the group. Initially, Piggy represents rationality and morality as he opposes killing people and animals. However, as the boys descend into chaos and violence, Piggy is confronted with the harsh realities of their situation. He witnesses Simon’s brutal murder and becomes aware of the growing bloodlust among his peers. This realization shakes his innocence and forces him to confront the darkness within human nature. Consequently, Piggy’s transformation into a more mature individual is marked by a loss of naivety and an understanding of the inherent evil that exists in society.
Ralph also experiences a similar loss of innocence, aligning himself with Piggy’s stance against killing. Together, they represent a moral compass in contrast to the savage impulses embraced by others on the island. As they witness increasing violence and disregard for life, their principles are tested, resulting in their own transformation from innocent boys to individuals who recognize the corruptibility of humanity. By refusing to indulge in killing and displaying empathy towards other living beings, Ralph and Piggy ultimately demonstrate their growth into mature individuals who have confronted their own inner darkness while still retaining some semblance of conscience amidst the chaos.
What happens to the conch?
In the novel Lord of the Flies, the conch, a symbol of order and civilization, meets a tragic fate. As chaos and savagery take hold of the boys on the island, Roger releases a massive rock that kills Piggy and shatters the conch into pieces. This pivotal event marks not only the physical destruction of the conch but also signifies the complete breakdown of law and order within their society. With Piggy’s death and the demise of the conch, any semblance of rationality and democracy is lost, paving the way for anarchy to prevail on the island. The destruction of both Piggy and the conch serves as a powerful metaphor for how civilization crumbles in an environment devoid of rules and moral guidance.
What do Piggy’s death and the destruction of the conch represent?
Piggy’s death and the destruction of the conch in Lord of the Flies symbolize the ultimate collapse of civilized rules and democracy on the island. With his glasses representing intelligence and rationality, Piggy serves as a voice of reason throughout the story, advocating for order and cooperation. His death signifies the loss of intellectualism and logical thinking within the group. Similarly, the conch shell initially represents democratic principles, as it is used to establish order during meetings by granting individuals the right to speak. Its destruction reflects how power has shifted away from a collective decision-making process toward a more chaotic and authoritarian rule. Together, Piggy’s demise and the breaking of the conch illustrate how society’s norms and values crumble under extreme circumstances, giving way to primal instincts and anarchy.
What happens to Piggy’s glasses in Lord of the Flies?
In Lord of the Flies, Piggy’s glasses play a crucial role in the story. Piggy wears glasses to see, and his glasses are also the only way the boys can start a fire on the island. After Jack punches Piggy, his glasses fall off, and one side gets smashed as Piggy says frantically, “My specs! One side’s broken” (Golding, 71). The breaking of Piggy’s glasses symbolizes the increasing chaos and loss of civilization on the island.
Later, Jack steals Piggy’s glasses, leaving him unable to see. By stealing his glasses, Jack not only leaves Piggy virtually blind but also prevents Ralph from starting a fire, which is their only hope for rescue. The glasses represent intelligence and reason, and their destruction signifies the triumph of savagery over civilization in the boys’ society.
What happened to Piggy’s mom in Lord of the Flies?
In Lord of the Flies, the author suggests that Piggy’s mother has either died or is no longer in his life. Piggy tells Ralph that his father has passed away. After his father’s death, Piggy goes to live with his auntie, who owns a candy store. These details imply that Piggy’s mother left or passed away before the events of the story take place. The absence of Piggy’s mother contributes to his vulnerability and longing for adult guidance throughout the novel.
How does Jack represent savagery in Lord of the Flies?
Jack represents savagery in Lord of the Flies through his actions and mindset:
- He becomes obsessed with hunting, seeing it as a means to assert power and dominance over others. He revels in the act of killing and enjoys the feeling of control it gives him.
- Jack challenges Ralph’s leadership, fueling division among the boys and creating an atmosphere of chaos and violence. He disregards rules and order, opting for his own desires and impulses instead.
- Jack lures many of the boys to his side by promising fun and meat when he breaks away to form his own tribe.
His ability to tap into their primal instincts wins them over, further emphasizing his embodiment of savagery in the novel. Overall, Jack’s actions demonstrate a descent into barbarism as he embraces violence, rebellion against authority, and manipulates others for his own gain.
Conclusion
In conclusion, what happens to Piggy in Lord of the Flies is a tragic tale that reflects humanity’s capacity for violence when stripped of societal constraints. His journey from being ostracized for his appearance and intellect to ultimately being killed by his peers encapsulates the novel’s exploration of the darkness that exists within us all. Piggy’s death serves as a harrowing reminder of the consequences of unchecked savagery and the fragility of civilization.