Lord of the Flies Essay
The Power and Theme of the Conch Shell
The novel; “Lord of the Flies” is a highly renowned novel written by William Golding and published in 1954. The novel embodies many themes and events that are mysterious and unanticipated for the reader. During the course of the essay I will explain how the conch shell that is found at the foundation of the first chapter plays a significant role throughout the novel and how diverse themes are brought on from this influential shell. This essay will express an opinion on the conch shell, in the end has more power and order than the actual ‘beast’ that is signified on the island. I will also explore the social leadership of the conch throughout the novel which will also touch on a few themes that the conch shell plays a role in. The conch shell is one of the first real theme/symbol that readers are introduced too and stands its power for most of the novel which is why it should be explored in further detail in this essay.
The conch shell is found early in chapter one (“The Sound of the Shell”) by Ralph who is bathing in the sea because of the strenuous heat of the deserted island that the boys have been stranded on. Ralph discovered the shell and he first thought it was a rock, which may foreshadow future events in the novel. At first Ralph wasn’t sure what it was but knowledgeable Piggy informed him that it was a conch shell symbolizing leadership and power. Piggy specified that the conch shell was “Ever so valuable--” The conch shell fascinated both Piggy and Ralph as they realized the possibilities of the shell, “Now the shell was no longer a thing seen but not to be touched, Ralph too became excited.” Ralph had ideas in his head about all the uses of the ...
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...ck, turning over as he went. The rock bounded twice and was lost in the forest. Piggy fell forty feet and landed on his back across that square, red rock in the sea.” (Golding pg. 200-201)
The official power of the conch shell has finally been destroyed and everything is lost as well as Ralph’s true friend Piggy. The conch shell’s social order, symbolism and power have been destroyed by Jack’s tribe which can only lead to chaos in the future. Only Ralph remains; powerless and despondent without the precious shell that he cherished as chief. The island, set fire by Jack’s tribe, leaves Ralph to escape alone among the smoke. Since the decadence of the conch the island, as predicted has fallen apart with absolutely no social order, leadership, civilization and power to keep the boys alive and in order which really shows the true importance of the conch shell.
The conch shell symbolizes the law and order among the children who trapped in the deserted tropical island. It is used to call the groups of the boys to assembly in a certain place. Ralph, the chief and the central leadership of the group is responsible to take care the conch. The conch shell represents the authority which the boys must obey. The conch is an instrument like a trumpet blowing to order the boys. Finally, the conch shell is broken down into pieces and the leadership is torn down and abandoned. The atmosphere of the island society collapses into chaos and no longer peace remind.
Importance of Leadership Leadership is something that stands out in people. In a group, people tend to look for the strongest person to follow. However, the strongest person may not be the best choice to follow. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Ralph and Jack each have leadership qualities. Jack is probably the stronger of the two; however, Ralph is a better leader.
Lord of the Flies is a novel written by William Golding in 1954 about a group of young British boys who have been stranded alone together on an island with no adults. During the novel the diverse group of boys struggle to create structure within a society that they constructed by themselves. Golding uses many unique literary devices including characterization, imagery, symbolism and many more. The three main characters, Ralph, Piggy, and Jack are each representative of the three main literary devices, ethos, logos, and pathos. Beyond the characterization the novel stands out because of Golding’s dramatic use of objective symbolism, throughout the novel he uses symbols like the conch, fire, and Piggy’s glasses to represent how power has evolved and to show how civilized or uncivilized the boys are acting. It is almost inarguable that the entire novel is one big allegory in itself, the way that Golding portrays the development of savagery among the boys is a clear representation of how society was changing during the time the novel was published. Golding is writing during
Lord of the flies, William Golding best exemplifies the theme of the power through the conch shell and the pigs had as both control the boy’s emotions and actions throughout the course of the novel.
Lord of the Flies: Final Essay Exam. Are the defects of society traced back to the defects of human nature? The defects of society, and how it relates to the defects of human nature, can be explained with the savagery that drives the defects of society and the same savagery that drives the defects of human nature. In this story, Lord of the Flies, Golding shows the id, ego, and superego within the characters in the book. Golding represents the id with Jack, whereas the id says “I want, and I want it now,” and Jack constantly wants and needs power, and wants his way in every situation.
The two boys worked together to retrieve the shell. “In color the shell was deep cream, touched here and there with fading pink. Between the point, worn away into a little hole, and the pink lips of the mouth, lay eighteen inches of shell with a slight spiral twist and covered with a delicate, embossed pattern. Ralph shook sand out of the deep tube.” (Golding page 16) The fair colored boy, Ralph, blew the conch, knowing that it would draw the others in. Ralph was right, the other boys came. The conch was, at this point, established as an important point in the novel The Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
This conch is the only connection to the order and rules of the boys’ past lives, as there is no other influence on them in the isolated natural state of the island. Golding’s readers are able to see the boys’ return to their innate savagery as they increasingly reject all that the conch represents. When the shell finally ceases to exist, cruel savagery and terrorizing fear take over the island. Their inherently savage selves are finally
Golding uses the characterization of Jack, Roger, and Ralph to show their capacity for destruction. One of the effects of war is the destruction of buildings, people, and even entire land masses. At the heart of civilization lurks a persistent sense of savageness, and once men were stripped of the veneer of adulthood, they quickly revert to being malicious boys who kill for sport (Singh); Jack undeniably represents evil and violence-the dark side of human nature in Lord of the Flies. From the moment he arrives on the island, it is evident that Jack possesses a sense of superiority, “the boy came close and peered down at Ralph, screwing up his face as he did so. What he saw of the fair-haired boy with the creamy shell on his knees did not seem
If anyone is interested in a novel where boys are stranded on a deserted island and attempting to kill each other, then The Lord of the Flies is the book! The author, William Golding, includes many objects with significant meaning. The conch shell is the object that first draws everyone together on the island. When Ralph blows into it, the boys that were once scattered all over the island follow the sound to find him. Throughout the book, the conch serves many purposes; it is used to specify who is allowed to speak and when. Furthermore, it indicates the start of each meeting. The conch is shattered while Roger pushes a boulder off the cliff, killing Piggy. Another symbol is Piggy’s spectacles; Piggy’s eyeglasses are used to light a signal fire in hopes of being rescued.
The discovery of the shell represents the start of their society. When the boys Ralph and Piggy find the conch they blow into it in order to start their new way of life, and this is how they recruit the other boys on the island. They use this conch to call a meeting to session. Piggy says to Ralph, “‘We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us-’” (Golding 16). This is when they start their civilization. The conch as helped them to discover how they will now live from here on out. This relates to the conch symbolizing their society because right now their society is shiney and new. The conch is fresh from the lagoon so it is very nice quality. Their
The conch is first introduced a couple pages into the book when ralph encounters Piggy and they are walking along the shore of the island. When Ralph saw the conch he decided that they can blow into it and the other survivors of the plane crash will be in their presence. This is shown when he says, “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us” (Golding 16). The conch then also represents civilization because throughout the course of the novel, the conch is used for summoning all the boys to notify them of important information or to have a meeting. For example, the conch is used to gather all the boys together when Ralph wants to gather all the boys to discuss building shelter. From this point on the conch is not only an ordinary shell; it is a symbol for laws, rules, government, order, and politics.
This symbol fights off that sense of fear as the conch is implemented in this story to relieve the sense of fear. This fact is a direct connection to Ralph can be looked at as an annoying character in the novel. Also, in the quote, “‘S'right. It's a shell! I seen one like that before. On someone's back wall. A conch he called it. He used to blow it and then his mum would come. It's ever so valuable-’” (Golding 15). The main speaker in this quote is Piggy, directing his statement at Ralph. The quote describes the fact to the reader that the conch is described as grabbing the attention of the other people that may have survived the plane accident. The narrator views the symbol positively, as when Ralph sounds the conch for the first time, the other boys come to the general location where they heard the conch shell being blown. The boys view the conch as being a positive figure in their timespan when they are on the island. In the indicated moment, the other boys have contradicting ideas about the symbolism of the
When Piggy and Ralph first arrive on the island, while getting to know each other they discover the unique shell in a lagoon. "S'right. It's a shell! I have seen one like that before. On someone's back wall. A conch he called it. He used to blow it and then his mum would come. It's ever so valuable--" (Golding, 15). When Piggy explains Ralph what the shell can be used for, it introduces the idea of using the shell to signal an assembly of people. At the first assembly containing all the boys, they notice that Ralph was the one who blew the conch. “Him with the shell! Ralph! Ralph! Let him be chief with the trumpet thing.” (Golding, 22) When Jack and Ralph are voted upon, the majority agrees that Ralph should be their chief, due to the fact that he was the one who blew it. The conch calls attention to one person, in an effort to stay organized, and civil. Throughout the book, the conch and Ralph are observed to have a strong connection. "But 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. The being that had
William Shakespeare once said, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Despite whatever personal philosophies one might hold, this quote holds true in The Lord of the Flies. When the ensemble of boys crashes on the deserted island, established society is effectively removed from their lives. Once society is removed, the boys fall prey to the so-called “beast,” that is, their own murderous impulses. The true victim of the beast, however, is Simon, who is the first boy murdered on the island. William Golding uses Simon to represent pure goodness and morality to advance the theme that without societal constraints, man’s true nature is revealed.
The conch is an important cornerstone in the processes of building and destroying civilization on the island. Ralph and Piggy discover the conch right when they get on the island. They soon realize it was an important shell and soon gave it a special identity. Ralph addresses the boys saying, ¨...I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking. And he won't be interrupted. Except by me¨ (33). Piggy and Ralph new that this conch was important, and indeed it was. The conch has a special meaning to all of the boys. An insignificant, useless, unmeaningful rock has so much value and worth. The significance of the shell holds the boys together for the majority of the story. Piggy later in the story gets angry and yells at Jack after no one will listen to him, he goes on a tirade and shouts, ¨´I say! You voted for me for chief. Didn’t you hear the conch? You played a dirty trick—we’d have given you fire if you’d asked for it—´ The blood was flowing in his cheeks and the bunged-up eye throbbed. ´You could have had fire whenever you wanted. But you didn’t. You came sneaking up like a thief and stole Piggy’s glasses!´¨(176) Up until now, whenever the conch was blown everyone would go silent and whoever holds the shell gets to talk. Now, this isn't the case, no one would listen to Piggy and it all started with Jack.