Lord of the Flies is a literary classic. The novel is filled with symbolism. This writing will elaborate on two of the symbols, the conch shell, and the smoke from the fire. The shell is a delicate symbol of the fragile society the boys have created on the island. It summons them to council and allows them free speech. The smoke is their only hope of salvation. Both the shell and the smoke are delicate and must be protected.
Literary Analysis - Lord of the Flies: Shells and Smoke
What would one expect of a group of boys stranded on an island without supervision? Moderately educated and from good families, their behavior should mirror the standards of society that were instilled in them by their family and teachers. Yet in Lord …show more content…
The best of these were by food and water and had a central location. This is where the main characters Ralph and Piggy discover there means to civilization, a conch shell. Golding (1954) wrote, “Ralph had stopped smiling and was pointing into the lagoon. Something creamy lay among the ferny weeds” (p. 9). The peaceful setting of the lagoon parallels the melding of mind, body, and spirit where people discover their humanity. From this, springs forth the heart of civilization, the conch shell that Ralph pulls from its watery resting place. Now they just need some …show more content…
There are those that think they know a better way. Often dissention can be born of a deep-rooted sense of civic duty or a need to right the course of society. It can also swell up from jealousy and a thirst for power. In a showdown of leaders, Ralph and Jack fight for leadership of the tribe. During the struggle Piggy, who is holding the conch, is killed by another member of Jack’s hunters (Golding, 1954, p.179). The conch is destroyed and the civilization of the boys is extinct. The shell represented their civilization. It gave them hope, power, and organization. The sacred object found in the serene lagoon had been destroyed in the ultimate act of savagery. There was no going
Literary Analysis - Lord of the Flies: Shells and Smoke
What would one expect of a group of boys stranded on an island without supervision? Moderately educated and from good families, their behavior should mirror the standards of society that were instilled in them by their family and teachers. Yet in Lord …show more content…
The best of these were by food and water and had a central location. This is where the main characters Ralph and Piggy discover there means to civilization, a conch shell. Golding (1954) wrote, “Ralph had stopped smiling and was pointing into the lagoon. Something creamy lay among the ferny weeds” (p. 9). The peaceful setting of the lagoon parallels the melding of mind, body, and spirit where people discover their humanity. From this, springs forth the heart of civilization, the conch shell that Ralph pulls from its watery resting place. Now they just need some …show more content…
There are those that think they know a better way. Often dissention can be born of a deep-rooted sense of civic duty or a need to right the course of society. It can also swell up from jealousy and a thirst for power. In a showdown of leaders, Ralph and Jack fight for leadership of the tribe. During the struggle Piggy, who is holding the conch, is killed by another member of Jack’s hunters (Golding, 1954, p.179). The conch is destroyed and the civilization of the boys is extinct. The shell represented their civilization. It gave them hope, power, and organization. The sacred object found in the serene lagoon had been destroyed in the ultimate act of savagery. There was no going