Piggy is the novel's most civilized character and is Ralph's biggest supporter throughout the story. Although Piggy is regarded as physically inferior by the other boys, he is by far the most intelligent boy on the island. He is the first to identify the conch and fiercely defends its power when Jack begins to disregard the rules during the assemblies. The conch is a symbol of civility throughout the novel that Piggy protects and honors. Piggy also continually reminds Ralph about the importance of maintaining a signal fire. Similar to the conch, the signal fire is also a symbol of civilization, hope, and rescue. Piggy is in favor of a democratic, egalitarian society where even the littluns have a say during the assemblies. He believes that the boys should work together to accomplish various tasks and continually chastises those who act like "savages." Piggy understands that without rules, regulations, and structure he will not survive because he is not as physically strong as the others. Creating and maintaining a structured society where people respect each other and act civilly is Piggy's only hope to remain alive on the island. Unfortunately, Piggy is killed by a massive boulder that Roger hurls at him. Piggy's death and the broken conch both symbolize the utter destruction of civility on the island.
No comments:
Post a Comment