In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, young boys are faced with the challenge of surviving alone with no parental figure or supervision. Many symbols like the conch, Piggy’s glasses, and Jack, all represent the shift from orderly manners to savage-like behavior. All alone, the boys are forced to create their own society using a conch shell to decide who should be the leader but soon the feeling of freedom and superiority overtakes the boys and they find themselves becoming savage-like. The boy's actions will eventually lead to the destruction of their peers and society on the island. This actively demonstrates that without orderly manners and civilization, humans will develop unhuman-like behaviors. The various symbols Golding uses and the various ways in which they are destroyed convey
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When they first land on the island, the boys use a conch shell to find the others. This conch shell is believed to represent authority, and Ralph, the leader of the boys, rules that whoever has the shell has the right to speak. Because there are no authority figures like police or parents there to punish the boys for misbehaving, the boy's actions eventually lead to the destruction of the conch and all authoritative control. The boys find themselves refusing to follow the rules of the conch. Piggy, one of the more civilized and reasonable boys, still believes in the powers of the conch, but none of the other boys want to listen to him. Because of this, he loses his temper when no one listens to him when he holds the conch, “I tell you, I got the conch” (Golding 180). This displays the loss of interest in the conch and their once organized society turning defensive and savage. Without the conch, the boy's behavior will take a turn on the way they run their civilization. Ultimately, the conch is destroyed when it shatters into thousands of
When they first land on the island, the boys use a conch shell to find the others. This conch shell is believed to represent authority, and Ralph, the leader of the boys, rules that whoever has the shell has the right to speak. Because there are no authority figures like police or parents there to punish the boys for misbehaving, the boy's actions eventually lead to the destruction of the conch and all authoritative control. The boys find themselves refusing to follow the rules of the conch. Piggy, one of the more civilized and reasonable boys, still believes in the powers of the conch, but none of the other boys want to listen to him. Because of this, he loses his temper when no one listens to him when he holds the conch, “I tell you, I got the conch” (Golding 180). This displays the loss of interest in the conch and their once organized society turning defensive and savage. Without the conch, the boy's behavior will take a turn on the way they run their civilization. Ultimately, the conch is destroyed when it shatters into thousands of