In William Golding's Lord of the Flies there are many characters. Two of the most prominent and distinct characters are Piggy, and Jack Merridew. Both Jack and Piggy, are stubborn English boys of about 12 years old and symbolically represent groups of society and parts of the human thought, but Jack and Piggy's similarities end there. Jack is a physically healthy boy with little intellect who cannot think and rationalize too deeply, he represents anarchy and is the id of society whereas Piggy has little if no physical ability and can think and rationalize very well. Piggy represents the super-ego of the microcosm society/world. He is the voice of wisdom and guidance in the novel. The differences between Jack and Piggy are quite clear at the beginning of the novel and continue to develop and become more evident throughout the novel as Jack and Piggy react very differently to situations and problems that face them.
At the beginning of the book the differences in physical ability and fitness are distinct between Piggy and Jack. Piggy is very corpulent, hence the nickname Piggy. He can barely run and cannot swim because of his asthma and has been wearing glasses since he was three.
He tip-toed down the sandy side of the pool, and sat there up to his neck in water smiling proudly at Ralph. "Aren't you going to swim?- Piggy shook his head. "I can't swim. My asthma----.
In contrast, Jack is a tall thin boy who does not have any instruments to aid his senses. He does not have asthma and can swim and run freely. He, Ralph, and Simon are the ones who go exploring the island at the beginning. This is the same exploring trip that Ralph denies Piggy because he lacks the physical requirements and would only slow them down. Jack quickly develops the reputation of being a great hunter because of his stamina, his tracking ability, and because he succeeds in killing his prey. "Jack paused, cradling the conch, and turned to his hunters with their dirty black caps.
Compare/Contrast Essay The Lord Of The Flies The Lord of the Flies book was different and similar in many ways from the movie. ... Another way was when Jack's tribe stole Piggy's glasses so he could not see. A third way was when Ralph and Piggy were at Jack's tribe, Piggy was holding the conch and Roger rolled a rock down and it hit Piggy on the head and killed him. ...
One novel in particular that illustrates this is Lord of the Flies by William Golding. ... In the book, Simon engages in a dialogue with the Lord of the Flies. The lord of the flies is head of the pig that Jack and his tribe offer to the monster in the Island. ... In the movie version Simons encounter with the Lord of the Flies is quite dull. When Simon leaves the other boys to go wonder around he is face with the Lord of the Flies. ...
There are four main characters in the book - Ralph, Piggy, Jack and Simon. ... This is where Jack is introduced into "Lord of the Flies" "Something dark was fumbling along" (P.26). ... Jack is a direct contrast with Ralph - "peered down at Ralph?... He has no respect for Piggy (due to his appearance), even though Piggy could be a very useful asset to the group. ... In "Lord of the Flies," Jack and his "hunters" take on many roles on the island, mostly the physical, violent ones. ...
