A Beacon in the Abyss Brad Champion

A Beacon in the Abyss

The voice of reason in this modern morality play, the physically flawed, socially inept Piggy serves as a confidant in The Lord of the Flies, providing Ralph with a balancing presence while embodying the principles of intelligence, technology, and progress. This story, like the morality plays of the Middle Ages, possesses characters created to represent different facets of human nature; Piggy, with his deep well of practical knowledge and keen sense of living, takes the role of intelligence and reason. However, unlike morality plays of old, Piggy presents a much more complex, multidimensional character, as he also exists to balance the malleable mind of Ralph, essentially competing in a mental tug-of-war with his polar opposite, Jack. As Ralph holds the most responsibility for the direction of the group after he gains leadership, Piggy's presence and tutelage prevent Ralph from succumbing to the hunger that consumes Jack. Where he receives ridicule and contempt from nearly all of his peers for his pitiable debilitations and gauche social skills, Piggy garners sympathy from the reader, starkly contrasting the revolting savagery of Jack. Piggy, with all of his shortcomings, represents the choice between...