Power In The Lord Of The Flies Analysis

“Power is dangerous. It attracts the worst and corrupts the best.” When the young boys first gathered after the crash, they were civil, mostly well behaved boys until the need for power took advantage of them. Two crucial symbols from the novel are the sow’s head and the conch shell. Each of these symbols represent power however, their powers have different meanings. Consequently, the demand for power thrived on their souls and drove them to their breaking points. Lord of the Flies is about the role of power and control in the world and how it can enhance society or bring civilization as we know it, crumbling down. Throughout the novel, the leaders in the book, use certain symbols and objects to give them authority over the other boys and have law and order on the island. Nevertheless, the pig’s head and the conch both wield a certain power over the boys while giving control to the leaders of the group, but in the end, their obsession over control is what makes them lose control. How does the power of the conch differ from the power of the Lord of the Flies? Well, the conch portrays power and authority. When a meeting needed to be held the conch was blown to round up all of the boys. When one of the boys would like to speak during one of their gatherings they were required to be in the possession of the conch. In chapter one Ralph is the first person to be granted with the right to maintain the conch when he holds his first assembly on the island, “But there was a