In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies a group of English schoolboys is stranded alone on an island during WWII. This island is a microcosm of and inspired bythe WWII and is inspired by it. Piggy, a smart, unathletic fat boy with thick glasses, and Ralph, a strong, athletic boy, find a conch shell. This conch shell is an important symbol throughout the book. By blowing the conch Ralph gets the attention of the boys and they make him their leader. The conch signifies civilization, and an orderly society. At first the boys welcome the conch as a reminder of the rules and order they had in their lives in England. The holder of the conch has the right to speak, similar to a politician or someone in a legal trial. However, as time passes
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Ralph blowsuses the conch like a trumpet to rally the kids together. The kids say they need a leader to decide things. Even though “...the most obvious leader was Jack...there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely,yet most powerfully, there was the conch.” ( Golding 22) The conch sets Ralph apart and the boys elect him chief. The conch gives Ralph power and he uses it to bring order to the group. One of his first rules is that the holder of the conch has the right to speak. This type of formality reminds them of the rules and order of their lives in …show more content…
They keep the fire lit and hope to be rescued. One night they are attacked by Jack’s hunters, who steal Piggy’s glasses, leaving Piggy almost blind and Ralph’s group without the ability to light a fire. Jack and Piggy have no choice - they must go back to Jack’s tribe. They are worried that the hunters are too wild, so they bring the conch, but they are met with booing and rocks. “Piggy held up the conch and the booing sagged a little then came up again to strength” (Golding 179), showing that the conch was now almost powerless. Finally, when Roger kills Piggy and crushes the conch Jack yells “See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I mean that! There isn’t a tribe for you anymore! The conch is gone--” (Golding 181) Jack is saying that the civilized tribe is gone and all that is left for Ralph is wildness and savagery. Their old structured way of life with rules and laws is gone. It has been vanquished by the bBeast - the dark side of
Ralph blowsuses the conch like a trumpet to rally the kids together. The kids say they need a leader to decide things. Even though “...the most obvious leader was Jack...there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely,yet most powerfully, there was the conch.” ( Golding 22) The conch sets Ralph apart and the boys elect him chief. The conch gives Ralph power and he uses it to bring order to the group. One of his first rules is that the holder of the conch has the right to speak. This type of formality reminds them of the rules and order of their lives in …show more content…
They keep the fire lit and hope to be rescued. One night they are attacked by Jack’s hunters, who steal Piggy’s glasses, leaving Piggy almost blind and Ralph’s group without the ability to light a fire. Jack and Piggy have no choice - they must go back to Jack’s tribe. They are worried that the hunters are too wild, so they bring the conch, but they are met with booing and rocks. “Piggy held up the conch and the booing sagged a little then came up again to strength” (Golding 179), showing that the conch was now almost powerless. Finally, when Roger kills Piggy and crushes the conch Jack yells “See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I mean that! There isn’t a tribe for you anymore! The conch is gone--” (Golding 181) Jack is saying that the civilized tribe is gone and all that is left for Ralph is wildness and savagery. Their old structured way of life with rules and laws is gone. It has been vanquished by the bBeast - the dark side of