Lord of The Flies, a novel by William Golding, examines the struggle between chaos and order within humanity and society.These conflicting powers are displayed through the metaphors of the conch and the pig 's head. The conch shell is a symbol of civilization that only Ralph and Piggy consistently respect though the entire novel. The sow’s head represents lawlessness and disorganization. Both objects are used by the boys as a way to control their groups, but the sow’s head wields more power over the boys; the boys are entranced and infatuated by the power of the sow’s head. The power of the conch, a symbol of order that most of the boys only briefly and half heartedly respect, cannot compare to the sow’s head, a symbol of evilness, that the
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When Piggy and Ralph first arrive on the beach, a conch shell catches Piggy’s eye and he explains to Ralph the elegance and value that these kinds of shells hold where they are from. When Piggy tells Ralph that his aunt had one, he suggests that the Ralph uses it to call the other boys because Piggy knew the shell would make a loud noise. Most boys respect Ralph immediately because he was the one who blew the conch. Even some choir boys led by Jack- who wanted to be the leader as well- are hesitant to side with Jack completely because they seem to trust Ralph. This trust in the conch seems to fade relatively quickly once the boys realize that the conch means order and organization, and they could have freedom and anarchy. When Ralph calls an assembly to tell the …show more content…
The novel concludes with Ralph breaking down in realization of the evil that has happened on the island. The boys were not rescued from this evil when the naval officer finds them, rather they never left. When the boys find the naval officer Ralph acknowledges what he and the others have done and begin to weep for the true nature of humankind, “And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of as man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.” (Golding 202). The boys have committed such horrendous acts on this island, yet when they see the naval officer they are reminded of the world from which they left. A world torn apart by violence and war every day. A world where people die in just as terrible ways as they did on the island. The Sow’s head prevails as a symbol of evil in the end, the boys discovering the evil that has lived in their hearts
When Piggy and Ralph first arrive on the beach, a conch shell catches Piggy’s eye and he explains to Ralph the elegance and value that these kinds of shells hold where they are from. When Piggy tells Ralph that his aunt had one, he suggests that the Ralph uses it to call the other boys because Piggy knew the shell would make a loud noise. Most boys respect Ralph immediately because he was the one who blew the conch. Even some choir boys led by Jack- who wanted to be the leader as well- are hesitant to side with Jack completely because they seem to trust Ralph. This trust in the conch seems to fade relatively quickly once the boys realize that the conch means order and organization, and they could have freedom and anarchy. When Ralph calls an assembly to tell the …show more content…
The novel concludes with Ralph breaking down in realization of the evil that has happened on the island. The boys were not rescued from this evil when the naval officer finds them, rather they never left. When the boys find the naval officer Ralph acknowledges what he and the others have done and begin to weep for the true nature of humankind, “And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of as man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.” (Golding 202). The boys have committed such horrendous acts on this island, yet when they see the naval officer they are reminded of the world from which they left. A world torn apart by violence and war every day. A world where people die in just as terrible ways as they did on the island. The Sow’s head prevails as a symbol of evil in the end, the boys discovering the evil that has lived in their hearts