'Aren't you going to swim?' Piggy shook his head. 'I can't swim. I wasn't allowed. My asthma-' 'Sucks to your ass-mar!'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Piggy explains his inability to swim due to asthma, while another boy mocks him cruelly.
- In plain terms
- He is excluded from swimming because of his health, and others laugh at him.
- What can you take from it?
- Physical limitations can lead to social exclusion.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you treat those different from you?
- When have you felt excluded?
Another view
Mockery often targets those who cannot defend themselves.
More from William Golding
'I was the only boy in our school what had asthma,' said the fat boy with a touch of pride. 'And I've been wearing specs since I was three.'
Permalink to quote #7 'We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They'll come when they hear us-' He beamed at Ralph. 'That was what you meant, didn't you? That's why you …
Permalink to quote #9 'Aren't there any grownups at all?' 'I don't think so.' The fair boy said this solemnly; but then the delight of a realized ambition overcame him. In the middl…
Permalink to quote #6
Related quotes
Mrs Prentice: My uterine contractions have been bogus for some time! Prentice: What a discovery! Married to the mistress of the fraudulent climax.
Joe OrtonJoe Orton quote #27 Who's off his meds and is exaggerating the effects of his illness? Comedian Rush Limbaugh, that's who!
Rush LimbaughRush Limbaugh quote #97 'This emotion I'm feeling now, this is love, right?' 'I don't know. Is it a longing? Is it a giddy stupid happiness just because you're with me?' 'Yes,' she sa…
Orson Scott CardOrson Scott Card quote #211