Student Essay on Piggy and Ralph in "Lord of the Flies"

Piggy and Ralph in "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

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Essay

In William Golding's "Lord of the Flies," the character that I have chosen to compare to Piggy is Ralph as there is a moderate range of contrast between the two characters as well as similarities and a relationship of friendship between the two.

From day one of the boys meeting on the island there has been contrast as well as similarities and a relationship of friendship between Piggy and Ralph from the way they act and there attitudes towards life on the island. From the middle of the novel towards the end we begin to realise that Ralph and Piggy together represent the struggle for order and democracy on the island.

When the boys first land on the island in chapter one, there is a certain link between Ralph and Piggy as they both decide on rules while they are on the island and that Ralph is to be chief.

The significance of chapter two shows that Piggy is the more adult person on the island while the others are said to be acting like children. In this chapter more rules are laid out and it has been decided that a signal fire will be lit on top of the mountain decided by Ralph and Piggy agrees to this idea.

Later in the novel the group begins to split into hunters and Ralph's group where the hunting boys are more concerned about dressing up in war paints then being rescued where as Ralph and piggy are still content on being saved, this shows there friendship as Piggy could have joined jacks hunters and be more accepted in the group as he had been bullied and taken for granted by Jack before but he remains loyal towards Ralph and his chosen way of life on the island.