The dehumanisation and death of Piggy in Golding's 'Lord of the Flies'

Piggy is dehumanised and ostracised by the group of boys because of his physical appearance. Piggy's glasses, weight, asthma and lower-class upbringing all give him vulnerabilities that the other boys exploit. The boys treat Piggy like an animal, but he is ironically the most human and civilised character. Piggy is pragmatic: he arguably represents rationality, reason and civilisation. Piggy's death metaphorically represents the death of civilisation and the abandonment of rationality.