Piggy is one of the boys that crashes onto the island, and he quickly distinguishes himself as both a physically weak and intellectually strong boy. Readers never learn his real name; he identifies himself as Piggy from the onset and secures that as a name for himself by saying that he hopes the boys on the island won't call him what other kids used to call him at school--of course, that is exactly what they call him. In spite of his seemingly uncanny ability to attract bullying, Piggy is the most intelligent, rational boy on the island.
The book opens with an interaction between Piggy and Ralph, in which readers discover that Piggy is overweight, has asthma, and wears glasses.
He was shorter than the fair boy and very fat. He came forward, searching out safe lodgments for his feet, and then looked up through thick spectacles.
His physical appearance, his nickname, and his constant references to his "Auntie" cause the other boys to pick on him from the beginning of the novel all the way until his death in the end, which comes at the hands of Roger.
In spite of his physical appearance and the tendency of the boys to pick on Piggy, he demonstrates repeatedly that he has a firm grasp on both rationality and morality, likely as a result of his superior intelligence.
Piggy knows that, in order to survive, the boys must create some sort of order; he suggests using the conch shell he and Ralph find in the water to call all of the boys together. “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us—.” He also suggests taking down everyone's names so they have an accounting of all of the boys.
As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Piggy believes that, whether they are rescued or not, rules are paramount. He insists on holding the conch to speak, and he grows frustrated when others don't respect his right to speak. He also looks after the younger boys when they begin to fear "the beastie," and brings their fears to the attention of Ralph. Ralph, throughout the novel, seeks Piggy's input as an unofficial "second in command."
Piggy is shown to be such a model of rules and order throughout the novel that his death at the hands of Roger can be seen as a metaphorical death of rules and order itself.
As a character that starts out the novel as a seemingly weak asthmatic who can't swim, Piggy soon distinguishes himself as someone who, as an adult, would likely have grown out of the childish judgments cast upon him and become a successful, moral, upstanding citizen due to his intelligence and loyalty.
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