lord of the flies william golding

"You're acting like a crowd of kids!" says Piggy, hardly more than a kid himself.

Welcome to the Bullying Prevention book review this month!  There has been a tremendous focus on the issue of bullying in the news during the month of October, especially involving social media and the preventable death of Tyler Clementi.  If you are concerned about bullying, are a victim of or know someone that could use some strategies to cope, I recommend that you investigate J. Richard Knapp’s International Bullying Prevention monthly newsletter. Remember, bullying is not only a children’s issue.  These book reviews are a small part of this free subscription.

You’re Acting Like a Crowd of Kids…and Other Statements
That Led to Piggy’s Downfall
in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies

William Golding’s first novel in 1954 was recognized as an instant classic for the social experiment within.  The main thrust of the plot is a school of English boys stranded on a deserted island when their transport plane crashes.  The only adult on board, the pilot, dies.  So, the boys (who range in ages from approximately 6 years to 14 years old) must learn to fend for themselves.

Immediately, the reader is immersed in the relationship between two of the three main characters, Ralph and a boy only known as Piggy.  The reader never does discover Piggy’s real name, as he becomes an easy target of the other’s repulsion with his asthma, his glasses and by being overweight.  Although Piggy is somewhat of an outcast within the tribe of schoolboys, he is one of the few older children and, most importantly, is council to Ralph, the voted chief of the island.

Ralph is a graceful, good-looking, self-confident type that the other boys see as a natural leader.  The only threat to this duo is Jack, a tall, lanky redhead who insists that hunting the island pigs is far more important (and much more thrilling) than keeping a signal fire going in order to be rescued.

As the novel progresses, the power shifts from the lawful use of assembly via a conch shell that denotes the speaker who has the floor, to a hodge-podge dictatorship run by a half-crazed and painted-faced Jack, with his strongman, Roger, to do his evil bidding.  Although a once banned book, Lord of the Flies is standard reading for most high school English curriculum, so it may come as no surprise to most that Piggy’s own words are his ultimate downfall in his final confrontation with Jack.

Piggy, the voice of reason and order on the island, becomes nothing more than a target to bully as the balance of power shifts to Jack.  Because of Piggy’s adult reasoning in this expanse of children, Jack feels the need to silence Piggy in order to be able to give himself and the rest of the boys completely over to the savagery in which they wish to participate.


In Piggy’s final speech, he appeals to Jack saying:

‘I got this to say.  You’re acting like a crowd of kids.’
The booing rose and died again as Piggy lifted the white, magic shell.
‘Which is better – to be a pack of painted niggers like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is?’
A great clamour rose among the savages.  Piggy shouted again.
‘Which is better – to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?’
Again the clamour and again – ‘Zup!’
Ralph shouted against the noise.‘Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up?’
~page 200

Conformity is sadly still one of the sticklers of social acceptance.  Piggy never compromises his inner wisdom of things he believes to be right and wrong and therefore becomes a figurehead for the boy’s rebellion against adulthood.  Should have Piggy been less rigid, joined in the hunt and admit to Jack’s style of leadership?  Or was the downfall of Piggy inevitable?

If you have never read or studied this novel before now, I strongly encourage you to do so.  Discover in what places we, as adults, ‘go along to get along’ and when we decide to stand up against the odds for what we know is right.



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