How Is Piggy Presented in Ch1 of Lord of the Flies

Piggy was presented physically vulnerable however shown to possess greater intelligence. Firstly, the boys call him “Piggy” which he got ridiculed for. The word “Piggy” has connotations of obesity as well as the pigs the boys hunt on the island. This could foreshadow Piggy’s death later in the book. However, this could also show how society judges people by appearance. From the start of the novel, Piggy is shown to be physically vulnerable and we were shown the struggle he was in with nature when the thorns made his knees “plump, caught and scratched”. The use of the power of three and the description of him being “very fat” as well as having “ass-mar” shows us how he wasn’t best fit for survival on this island. In CH1 Ralph “stood on his head and grinned” at the fact that there were no adults and laws to control them while Piggy realised that “this is an island. Nobody don’t know we’re here. Your dad don’t know, nobody don’t know.” This quote presents Piggy to be from a lower working class due to the incorrect use of the word “don’t.” The repetition of the phrase “don’t know” three times displays how Piggy is beginning to panic and is frustrated with Ralph and him immaturity during this situation. The repetition makes the reader see how serious the situation is and also helps the reader see that Piggy is a practical character unlike Ralph who is trying to convince Piggy that his father will come rescue them. Without Piggy there wouldn’t be any hope of rescue or anyone to think rationally in serious situations which would lead to chaos which we saw in the last chapter after the death of Piggy