Baughcuts: Piggy as an outsider in 'Lord of the Flies'

In this episode, I focus on Piggy's character in William Golding's Lord of the Flies. Through five significant quotations, I explore themes of marginalisation, dehumanisation, and Piggy's outsider status. This analysis highlights how Piggy's treatment by the group reflects broader societal tendencies to dismiss intellect and rationality in favour of charisma and dominance.

Quotations Featured in This Episode

1. "Piggy, who in this context was an irrelevance."
   • Chapter: 1
   • Significance: Highlights Piggy’s early exclusion and how his intellect is undervalued because of superficial judgments.
2. "For a moment the boys were a closed circuit of sympathy with Piggy outside."
   • Chapter: 1
   • Significance: Emphasises Piggy’s dehumanization and the group’s unity built on his exclusion.
3. "Piggy glanced nervously into hell and cradled the conch."
   • Chapter: 2
   • Significance: Depicts Piggy as the lone advocate for order amidst the boys’ growing recklessness and chaos.
4. "Life," said Piggy expansively, "is scientific, that's what it is..."
   • Chapter: 5
   • Significance: Illustrates Piggy’s intellectual isolation as the group descends into superstition and irrationality.
5. "Piggy fell forty feet and landed on his back across the square red rock in the sea..."
   • Chapter: 11
   • Significance: Marks the collapse of order and Piggy’s ultimate dehumanisation as the group rejects reason entirely.

Key Themes Discussed

• Marginalisation: How Piggy’s intellect and practicality are dismissed due to his physicality and awkwardness.
• Dehumanisation: The boys reduce Piggy to a source of amusement and ultimately a victim of their savagery.
• Outsider Status: Piggy’s role as the rational outsider highlights the fragility of civility in the face of primal instincts.