LOTF model essay piggy as outsider (grade 8/9)

​ ow​​does​​Golding​​present​​Piggy​​as​​an​​outsider​​in​​Lord​​of​​the​​Flies?​
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​Write​​about:​
​.​
​what​​Piggy​​says​​and​​does​
​how​​Golding​​presents​​Piggy​​as​​an​​outsider.​
​[30​​marks]​
​A04​​[4​​marks]​

I​n​​Golding’s​​allegory​​‘Lord​​of​​the​​Flies’,​​Golding​​presents​​Piggy​​as​​an​​outsider​​through​
​rationalised​​thoughts,​​repeated​​ridicule,​​naivety,​​and​​how​​his​​death​​causes​​the​​breakdown​​of​
​civilisation.​​Perhaps,​​Golding​​suggests​​that​​civilised​​thought​​becomes​​isolated​​and​​powerless​
​when​​confronted​​with​​savagery​​and​​mob​​mentality.​

​ irstly,​​Golding​​presents​​Piggy​​as​​an​​outsider​​through​​his​​intellect​​as​​his​​rationalised​​thoughts​
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​separate​​him​​from​​the​​temptation​​of​​savagery​​the​​rest​​of​​the​​boys​​feel.​​This​​is​​evident​​in​
​Chapter​​5​​during​​a​​meeting​​when​​Piggy​​expresses​​his​​anger​​at​​the​​group’s​​anarchy.​​He​​asks​
​‘What​​are​​we?​​Humans?​​Or​​animals?​​Or​​savages?’.​​This​​list​​of​​4​​rhetorical​​questions​​reflect​
​Piggy’s​​inner​​turmoil​​and​​hope.​​It​​highlights​​his​​awareness​​of​​the​​group’s​​moral​​decline​​and​
​perhaps​​hinting​​at​​his​​intellectual​​superiority.​​He​​is​​not​​able​​to​​distinguish​​their​​collective​
​transformation.​​There​​is​​a​​tone​​of​​disbelief,​​as​​though​​he​​is​​irritated​​by​​the​​boy’s​​diminishing​
​morality​​and​​civility.​​The​​noun​​‘savages’,​​suggests​​violent​​uncontrollable​​beings,​​as​​though​​the​
​boys​​are​​becoming​​bloodthirsty​​and​​chaotic,​​channeling​​their​​inner​​beast.​​Perhaps​​this​​moment​
​is​​foreshadowing​​their​​transformation​​when​​they​​become​​murderers.​​Piggy​​here​​is​​acting​​as​​a​
​voice​​of​​reason​​and​​long,​​heightening​​how​​he​​is​​disconnected​​from​​the​​emotional​​fears​​and​
​violence​​the​​boys​​so​​desperately​​wanted​​to​​embrace.​​This​​could​​perhaps​​reflect​​the​​WWW2​
​socio-political​​environment​​where​​soldiers​​were​​able​​to​​descend​​into​​savages​​and​​commit​​horrid​
​murders​​in​​the​​name​​of​​their​​country,​​disconnecting​​themselves​​from​​rationality.​​Alternatively​​it​
​may​​be​​perceived​​that​​Piggy​​is​​so​​disconnected​​from​​society​​that​​his​​logical​​thinking​​and​
​intellect​​has​​blinded​​him,​​from​​the​​fears​​the​​boys​​had,​​preventing​​him​​from​​descending​​into​
​savagery.​​Golding​​is​​perhaps​​using​​this​​moment​​to​​emphasise​​how​​individuals​​may​​lose​​their​
​sense​​of​​humanity​​without​​societal​​constraints,​​thus​​presenting​​Piggy​​as​​an​​outsider​​through​​his​
​lack​​of​​shared​​thoughts​​of​​rationality​​and​​savagery.​

​ oreover,​​Golding​​depicts​​Piggy​​as​​an​​outsider​​through​​how​​he​​is​​constantly​​ridiculed​​by​​the​
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​rest​​of​​the​​boys.​​This​​is​​evident​​in​​chapter​​9​​when​​all​​the​​boys​​are​​together​​and​​they​​haven’t​
​killed​​Simon​​yet.​​It​​is​​said​​that​​‘Piggy​​once​​more​​was​​the​​centre​​of​​social​​derision​​so​​that​
​everyone​​felt​​cheerful​​and​​normal’.​​This​​juxtaposition​​between​​‘social​​derision’​​and​​‘cheerful​​and​
​normal’​​emphasizes​​how​​publicly​​humiliated​​Piggy​​is​​being​​treated.​​It​​suggests​​that​​his​​mockery​
​is​​sadistic,​​providing​​joy​​and​​excitement​​for​​everyone​​else.​​It​​relates​​to​​the​​mob​​mentality,​​as​
​though​​they​​become​​a​​collective​​unity​​to​​express​​the​​horrid​​opinions.​​Perhaps​​here​​it​​is​​hinted​
​that​​although​​his​​mind​​may​​be​​logical​​and​​scientific,​​it​​is​​powerless​​against​​the​​teasing​​of​​his​
​character​​through​​his​​fatness​​and​​lower​​status.​​Perhaps​​Golding​​is​​attempting​​to​​convey​​the​
​class​​differences​​after​​WW2​​when​​people,​​who​​were​​of​​a​​lower​​status,​​were​​often​​undervalued​
​and​​belittled,​​thus​​perhaps​​critiquing​​society’s​​faults​​where​​their​​dark​​impulses​​and​​enjoyment​