Who Is The Conch In Lord Of The Flies

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Recommended: Literature review on lord of the flies

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a famous novel read throughout the ages. However one thing that tends to go unnoticed is its Golding’s constant use of symbolism that the conch portrays. The conch holds traits such as Rules, Law, Leadership, intimacy, and authority which change many events of the novel . Because of those characteristics the conch shell is a strong representation of the civilisation, Ralph's power, and how it is lost throughout the novel. In the beginning, the conch is found by Piggy and Ralph and is immediately transfigured into a symbol of civilization. Throughout the entire book, the characters struggle with establishing harmony amongst all the inhabitants of the island. The conch represents this civilisation …show more content…

Society and order is built on the foundation of rules and regulations. Without these, people …show more content…

This symbol first emerges when the boys have a vote to decide who will be the chief of the group. More specifically the symbol originates when one of the Littluns yells “Let [Ralph} be chief with the [conch]”(29). That quote proves that the conch indeed does give Ralph power because the only reason he was chosen to become the chief is because he was the one first seen with the conch. In addition When Golding says “They obeyed the summons of the conch . . . because Ralph blew it”(83) it further demonstrates the power Ralph has. That gives Ralph the power becasue he is able to summon others at will. When this is said it is reinforced that Ralph’s power to call upon others is originated from the conch therefore giving him power over the group. For those reasons it is quite clear that the conch is the reason for Ralph’s power. The conch gives him the power to order the boys around, gain a leadership role, and be in command. Without these characteristics Ralph would be week and have no advantage over the others in the group. This is true not only in the context of The Lord of the Flies, but in the real world, where people in power must have some sort of legitimate or referent

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