Lord of the Flies Group

Question:

jazmin11
jazmin11
Student
High School - 10th Grade

Why do you think Golding repeatedly refers to Ralph as the "fair boy" and piggy as the " fat boy" in the first few pages of Lord of the Flies?

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Posted by jazmin11 on Wednesday April 22, 2009 at 5:06 PM and tagged with fair and fat boy, golding, lord of the flies, piggy, ralph.

Answers:


  1. danylyshen Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Golding refers to Piggy as the "fat boy" in the first few pages because he is trying to set Piggy apart as the alienated and isolated one among the boys. The boys pick on Piggy, because he is fat, asthmatic, and intelligent.

    Golding refers to Ralph as the "fair" boy because, traditionally anyway, people without tans and colouration were seen as cultured and of a higher social class. Perhaps Golding was making this connection, however tenuous.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/flies/characters
    http://www.enotes.com/flies/summary
    http://www.enotes.com/flies/themes

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    Posted by danylyshen on Thursday April 23, 2009 at 9:41 AM