Lord Of The Flies Piggy Character Analysis

“I think there’s a time in your life where you feel like you don’t fit in. I think everybody has that when you’re a teenager, especially, and especially in the society we live in” - Matthew Vaughn. In his 1954 Bildungsroman Lord of the Flies, William Golding explores the sense of belonging in an adolescent society through the character of Piggy. Using the genre of a Bildungsroman, Golding evolves Piggy’s character over the course of the novel to outline the moral and psychological growth of Piggy’s youth to adulthood, making Piggy a dynamic character, while retaining some of his characteristics. Initially, Golding introduces Piggy as a loyal, not fully educated and non-physically active follower, through the indirect characterisation of his constant companionship with Ralph, odd grammar in his dialogue, and direct characterisation over Golding’s reference to him as ‘the fat boy’. He later develops into a mature and intelligent guardian over the indirect characterisation of his thought that the children are senseless, his martyred expression, and his recognition over the priorities of survival and eventual escape. Eventually, Piggy uses a harsh tone in his dialogue to express irritation over the lack of the children 's respect for him.

To begin with, Piggy exhibits continual loyalty, specifically towards Ralph. As seen from excerpt 1, “the fat boy hung steadily at [Ralph’s] shoulder” (Golding 4). Golding uses indirect characterisation to display Piggy’s obedience towards