Conch In Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Essay

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Symbols in Lord of the Flies. 70 - five million people died in World War II. It was a global conflict that lasted for seven years, starting in 1939. Lord of the Flies is a novel by William Golding. This novel is about a group of young British boys who are stranded on an island. Golding creates symbols to relate to the events of World War II. In the beginning, the conch was used for civilization and democracy. Ralph made a rule that only the boy holding the conch could speak. This created an order to tell the others what to do. The conch was so important that the boys would fight over it. For example, “Piggy was surrounded before he could back away. “Here – let me go!” His voice rose to a shriek of terror as Jack snatched the glasses off his face. …show more content…

Give ‘em a call back! I can hardly see it! You’ll break the conch!” (Golding 38) This shows how important the conch is. On the other hand, towards the end of the novel, the conch’s color started to fade and lose its power. The novel says, “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.” (Golding 164) This is when Ralph let go of the rock and knocked Piggy off the cliff. The destruction of the conch and Piggy’s death caused a loss of order. The little ones represent a loss of power. They are innocent, young, and are the first to forget the world. The little ones are very vulnerable and dependent on Ralph and Jack. The boys were scared of the beast they claimed to see and had nightmares. Jack calms them down by saying, “Well then—I’ve been all over this island. By myself. If there were a beast, I’d have seen it. Be frightened because you’re like that—but there is no beast in the forest.” (Golding 90). This shows that the little ones depend on Jack for reassurance and protection. The island represents the world after World War

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