Preview

Lord of the Flies

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
969 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies

Typically, in western culture masculinity is traditionally constructed as a way to show physical superiority. Masculinity in society is typically shown through the physical body which shows that masculinity is generally constructed to be heroic and a dominant power. This is shown in the novel Lord of the Flies, the theme of masculinity through the physical body is used to gain power from the group of boys. Characters in this novel were made to show different views, these characters Piggy, Ralph and Jack Merridew. As much as Ralph and Piggy try to provide hope the need of power pushes the other boys into complete savagery.

Piggy is an overweight boy with asthma that can not see without his glasses. In the novel he represents physical weakness and mental strength. Piggy’s obesity and poor sight help show that he lacks in physical well being, also his glasses help illustrate his intelligence. In the novel Piggy provides ideas that are valuable to the group. His ability to be logical in situations helps Ralph lead the group. But because of Piggy’s lack of physical appearance he is not treated like as leader like Ralph and Jack. Piggy has contributed to the group numerous times. He has helped Ralph become leader by identifying the conch and how to use it. Piggy always stands by his ideas and decisions; he defends his system of having names and having laws. When Piggy dies all the law and order dies with his as well. In many instances Piggy was either ignored or threatened by other boys. Piggy was a main target for Jack because of his lack of physical strength and the need to be logical. The only ideas that were considered being used were the only ones that Ralph had suggested as the group would not listen to Piggy. Later in the novel when the boys separate into different groups the need of fire for survival overwhelms humanity and forces Jack and others to steal Piggy’s glasses, another factor of Jack’s decision was because of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    lord of the flies

    • 1127 Words
    • 1 Page

    hunter, and ultimately becomes completely engulfed with savagery and power. Unfortunately Jack takes over the island leading everyone to do what he says because of the fear he instills in…

    • 1127 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Lord of the flies

    • 1346 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Lord of the Flies: Loss of Innocence As we age we lose the thrill of imagination, the value of it. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding this very much happens when pre-teen boys crash on an island. The longer they stay on the island less we see of them when the first crashed on the island. The boy’s actions and beliefs turn from innocence to corrupt. In the book there are many examples of innocence to corruption these are the examples of Jack, blank, and blank.…

    • 1346 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lord of the Flies

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Lord of the Flies EXPOSITORY ESSAY FINAL COPY Lord of the Flies” by William Golding is a dramatic novel filled with irony, fear and truth. It touches on many issues surrounding government, Christianity and democracy. The book focuses on society and through its effective use of conflict, gives us an idea what life would like without rules and civilization. The novel tells a story of a plane filled with British school boys that crashes on a deserted island during World War 2. The boys, struggling to survive, test their morals, values and beliefs. Conflict is developed throughout the novel in the form of man vs. nature, man vs. man, man vs. himself, and man vs. society.…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lord of the Flies

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The symbols in the book "Lord of the flies" all reinforce the theme of the novel. All of the characters themselves were very symbolic. Ralph is a symbol of civilization, he is always the one who attempts to organize and accomplish things in order to better the group, like the fire and the building of shelters. Jack, on the other hand, is a symbol of anarchy. The struggle between Ralph and Jack is symbolic of the struggle between the forces of civilization and anarchy, or the struggle between moral conscience and the heart of darkness. The central symbol itself is the "Lord of the Flies," which implies destruction, decay, demoralization, hysteria, and panic, which were all seen throughout the book, and fits well with the novel's themes. In "Lord of the Flies", Golding was trying to capture three main different ideals by symbolizing what Ralph, Jack and Lord of the Flies all stand for.…

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lord of the Flies Essay

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Piggy is the biggest outcast to of all the boys on the island. Everything from his maturity to his looks places him on a pedestal for bullying. This is proven in chapter four when he says “Having sense makes you an outcast” (71). He constantly refers to his aunt and tries to preserve sophistication; piggy is the most logical character. But this connects to the real world. People with respectable looks would be considering a leader, then someone who resembles piggy-fat, slow, pinkish skin. Piggy presence in the novel shows that no matter the quality of ideas not all people are listened to. Piggy remains confident to the savagery going on around him, until he is killed by giant rock. “How can you expect to rescue if we don’t put first thing first and act proper?” (45) Piggy says this at a meeting with the boys. That statement couldn’t be any truer, but not when it’s coming from piggy.…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lord of the Flies

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Throughout literature we can see how alliances and new friend ships are formed but as likely as that is we can also see a betrayal and hatred form.…

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Lord of the Flies

    • 1091 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Symbolism in The Novel Lord of the Flies The novel Lord of the flies by William Goulding, Is about a plane load of British school boys that crash land on an uninhabited island, with no adults, in 1954 while being sent to safety from an atomic bomb threat. They elected one of the older boys, Ralph as the leader. They begin their society on the island with some order, over time, many of the boys’, Jack especially, rebel, Jack forms his own tribe of savages, who light the island on fire causing total chaos. This essay will prove Goulding uses object people and places to symbolize man’s desire for order and equal desire for chaos.…

    • 1091 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The character Piggy in William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies serves as the intellectual balance to the emotional leaders of a group of shipwrecked British boys. Ironically, their new society values physical qualities over intellectual attributes whereas it is the rational actions that will lead to their survival. Piggy's actions and the reactions from his fellow survivors foreshadow his eventual death. Lord of the Flies is overflowing with creative symbolism, surrounding every event and character; Piggy is no exception. From being the representation of scholars to the comparison with Prometheus, Golding ensures Piggy's short life is well remembered.…

    • 1421 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lord of the Flies

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Lord of the flies - appearance vs reality could be when the boys think they see a monster, when it is a trapped parachute. Also them generally imagining 'the beast' from nothing , out of fear their minds run riot and create unreal dangers.…

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He uses his ability of charisma which touches most of the boys, and he eventually uses force as a means for the others to join his tribe. From the time that Ralph got voted over him for chief, it was a forecast of Jack becoming a savage. Piggy is the complete opposite since he follows rational thought. Jack's savagery prevented him from coexisting with Ralph, but Piggy's civilized behavior allowed him to basically be the adviser for him. He happens to look back at his past and past values in England which Jack does not do. Jack is violent, and it clearly showed when he broke a lens of Piggy's glasses intentionally, and also the scene where he brutally killed a sow. The lord of the flies symbolizes the power of evil which exists within Jack and his savage tribe. Piggy, on the other hand, is peaceful. With all the chaos going on near the end, he is still loyal to Ralph. The part where he was killed by a boulder is a possible example of how he sacrificed himself in order to save Ralph. In general, Piggy is a good-hearted, peaceful, and civilized human…

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lord of the Flies Did you know Lord of the Flies has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide? In which spreading different styles of leadership to any who read it? A prominent, but overlooked leader in Lord of the Flies, is a twelve-year-old boy named Piggy. Piggy displays virtues such as a tendency for peaceful solutions to violent situations throughout the novel. He also brings a wise and civilized voice to the group. Another exceptional virtue Piggy displays is his loyalty, not only to Ralph but to his own morals. Piggy shows that leadership is not an excuse to establish power, or use it as an excuse for violence, but an opportunity to distribute the power among others.…

    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Piggy is seen as a symbol of intelligence in Lord of the Flies, Piggy offers ideas and sees the right way to do things, but most of the other boys on the island don't care for Piggy's ideas and they usually beat him up most likely because he is overweight and is seen as different due to this, his asthma and the glasses he must wear. In the novel, Piggy's real name is never mentioned and he is even called "Fatty" by Jack and the others adding to the way Golding uses Piggy to advance the novel's theme which is the conflict between Human's savage nature and the rules of society and the dehumanization of the boys. Piggy who is seen as intelligent and Jack who is seen as a savage can be also seen as the conflicting pair between Human's savagery…

    • 185 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lord of the Flies

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages

    William Golding, in his novel lord of the flies, implies that without the constraints of social order, people would descend into anarchy and chaos. Three examples in the text that demonstrate this idea are the conch, the character of jack, and the deaths of piggy and Simon.…

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    lord of the flies

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The beast inside us Every man has a savage inside him; men show their inner human nature. Lord of the flies written by Golding writes the cause and effect of human behavior during survival and the human defect back to human nature. This book is about a group of children that where in an airplane crash into a deserted island explains how civilized society can change when a group of people experience differences, desperation and power struggle.…

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lord of the Flies

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Questions 1. The chant symbolizes a changing from modern and civilized to the opposite. 2. At first, the kids act very civilized. But through-out the book, they begin to be more barbaric. You can tell this because of these reasons. First, Jack becomes obsessed with killing the pigs, and then becomes a bloodthirsty devil.…

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays