Monday, August 18, 2008

How is Piggy's death similar to Simon's in Lord of the Flies?

's death
is extremely similar to 's in that both result from violent savagery under 's guidance and
leadership.  Although Piggy's death had a much different setting,is the instigator; his action
of leaning on the lever resulted in the boulder crushing Piggy.  Roger also figures as one of
the key instigators in Simon's mob-death, because Roger takes up the role of play-acting inside
the circle before Simon enters in the dark and is killed by the boys. 

In
both murder scenes, the killing of each boy stems from a 'mob mentality,' whether it is the
deathly dance circle which pulverizes Simon or the 'us versus them' mentality that lends Roger
the confidence to lean on the lever under the boulder.  If Roger had felt in any way insecure in
his position, he would not have been gutsy enough to kill Piggy; but at Castle Rock, surrounded
by other savages and Jack as the wild chief, Roger felt just the right amount of security that
he needed to know that his foul deed would be accepted, even embraced.


Similarly, the aftermath of both deaths takes place in the sea, where the waves wash
away the evidence of the boys' wrong doing.  Simon's body travels out to sea, and Piggy's body
is knocked over the side of the cliff and onto the rocks.  Golding uses the sea as a cleansing
agent in the novel, erasing the record of the boys' murderous deeds, therefore making them more
easily forgotten or ignored. 

Both Simon and Piggy's deaths are the
culmination of unchecked savagery and violence.

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