In the beginning of The Lord of the Flies, William Golding depicts the conch as symbolism for order and civilization; however, as time goes on, the shell loses the power it once had over the boys and eventually has no meaning whatsoever.
The conch shell holds power over the boys on the island almost immediately after its discovery. Once it is found, Piggy and Ralph decide that they “‘can use this to call the others’” and “‘have a meeting’” (16). Just minutes after Ralph blows the conch, the other boys begin to appear from different parts of the island and wait for either Piggy or Ralph to speak. This shows how the conch is a symbol of civilization; without it, the boys could not have been brought together as they would have had no way of knowing …show more content…
“‘I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking’” (33). Ralph then goes on to compare waiting to speak until one has the conch to the act of raising one’s hand in school, which is a common routine that many people have learned since the age of five or six. Because of this, the conch’s symbolism can be recognized by the readers as well as the characters. Not only does the shell remind one of the importance of being well mannered and polite, as the boys had to be in school, it also introduces the idea that the person with the conch has the most power and influence over the boys. While this type of rule is important for keeping discussions organized and without interruptions, it could also lead to an unfair power imbalance if the person holding the conch refuses to give it up or if the others in the meeting dismiss certain people’s wishes to speak, such as when Piggy is trying to express his concerns after they start the fire atop the mountain. Though he is only attempting to tell the others in the group the fire is of no use due to the lack of smoke, Jack continues telling him to “‘shut up,’” regardless of the fact that Piggy is the one holding the conch. He even goes on to say that “‘the conch doesn’t count on top of the mountain’” (42). Although Jack is the only person to …show more content…
Once Jack’s tribe breaks away from Ralph and Piggy, only the youngest of the children continue to pay heed when they call meetings; the rest of the survivors follow Jack and ignore what order there once was. Eventually, when Ralph’s supporters confront Jack’s tribe about stealing Piggy’s glasses, which is their only hope of creating a fire in order to be rescued, Piggy is killed and the conch is crushed after Roger pushes a boulder towards him. “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (181). Both Piggy and the shell, symbols of civilization, reason, and societal order throughout the novel, are eliminated by the savagery of Jack and his followers. Ralph, who was once the chief of the survivors, now has absolutely no power over them. The hope of keeping civilized, just order is lost and nearly all of the characters are overcome by their inherent evil and animalistic
The conch shell holds power over the boys on the island almost immediately after its discovery. Once it is found, Piggy and Ralph decide that they “‘can use this to call the others’” and “‘have a meeting’” (16). Just minutes after Ralph blows the conch, the other boys begin to appear from different parts of the island and wait for either Piggy or Ralph to speak. This shows how the conch is a symbol of civilization; without it, the boys could not have been brought together as they would have had no way of knowing …show more content…
“‘I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking’” (33). Ralph then goes on to compare waiting to speak until one has the conch to the act of raising one’s hand in school, which is a common routine that many people have learned since the age of five or six. Because of this, the conch’s symbolism can be recognized by the readers as well as the characters. Not only does the shell remind one of the importance of being well mannered and polite, as the boys had to be in school, it also introduces the idea that the person with the conch has the most power and influence over the boys. While this type of rule is important for keeping discussions organized and without interruptions, it could also lead to an unfair power imbalance if the person holding the conch refuses to give it up or if the others in the meeting dismiss certain people’s wishes to speak, such as when Piggy is trying to express his concerns after they start the fire atop the mountain. Though he is only attempting to tell the others in the group the fire is of no use due to the lack of smoke, Jack continues telling him to “‘shut up,’” regardless of the fact that Piggy is the one holding the conch. He even goes on to say that “‘the conch doesn’t count on top of the mountain’” (42). Although Jack is the only person to …show more content…
Once Jack’s tribe breaks away from Ralph and Piggy, only the youngest of the children continue to pay heed when they call meetings; the rest of the survivors follow Jack and ignore what order there once was. Eventually, when Ralph’s supporters confront Jack’s tribe about stealing Piggy’s glasses, which is their only hope of creating a fire in order to be rescued, Piggy is killed and the conch is crushed after Roger pushes a boulder towards him. “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (181). Both Piggy and the shell, symbols of civilization, reason, and societal order throughout the novel, are eliminated by the savagery of Jack and his followers. Ralph, who was once the chief of the survivors, now has absolutely no power over them. The hope of keeping civilized, just order is lost and nearly all of the characters are overcome by their inherent evil and animalistic