Piggy: Totalitarian Dictatorship

Lastly, both a democracy and totalitarian dictatorship cannot function with only one leader; each requires support, for democracy, Piggy provides intellect and brain power for Ralph, albeit not effective at other necessary functions, and the henchman Roger carries out the orders of the dictator to ruthlessly suppress opposition, in order to maintain power. To illustrate, as Ralph attempts to maintain what remains of the original democracy and explain why the boys still in attendance of the meeting, “[He] pushed the idiot hair out of his eyes and looked at Piggy… ‘The fire’s the most important things on the island, because, because一...’ Piggy whispered urgently, ‘Rescue,’” (Golding 141-142). Intervening to avoid the further collapse of the

Foremost, Ralph’s logical reasoning and interest in the betterment of the people demonstrates how Golding uses him to symbolize a democratic leader of society. Whereas Jack, arrogant and crude with no respect for the individual, clearly represents a totalitarian dictator with no remorse. Critics or analysts such as Samuel Hynes and Björn Bruns pick apart the symbolic features and qualities of the characters to understand the meaning of the allegory. Each may take a different spin on the images in the novel, creating different perspectives, or present the same ideas solidifying one central message. In the world today, especially the West, society lives in a time of relative ease without pending doom, looming above them; and the democratic governments in place largely satisfy the population. However, in places of turmoil or crisis, dictators take advantage of the disarray to seize control over the frightened citizens. If the West should ever face a major internal crisis, a dictator may muster the courage to take what lies in chaos, and completely change the Western ideology. Perhaps even, that day approaches rapidly to claim the civilization after the current democracy “commits suicide”, as John Adams once