Lord of the Flies Double Entry Journal #1 Conch “But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out; there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely there, yet most powerfully there was the conch” (22). While voting for a leader, Ralph is singled out and chosen due to the presence of the conch. The conch is a symbol of power—as well as a representation of law and democracy. When Ralph is found blowing the conch by the other boys, he is seen as the most capable and right leader.
A Symbolic Moment Arguably, the conch shell is one of the most symbolic items in the novel; the moment Ralph blows into it, the boys are brought together. It is this pivotal moment that makes Ralph appear to be the clear choice for a leader. It is easy to understand why the boys gravitated towards him, their first sight of Ralph was of him sitting, "the conch trailing from one hand, his head bowed on his knees;" (Golding, 19) a clear image of confidence and strength. The boys are easily swayed by his symbolic power and when it comes time to choose between Ralph and Jack, the majority of the boys rush to support Ralph as their leader. Why did they choose Ralph?
The same up here as down there" (Golding 42). This indicates that the conch has power over where the meetings are, which is where people’s points are heard out and the important things are said. This is to control and set the authority of the conch. The conch indicates the theme of control by showing that the conch was why Ralph was picked to be the leader and control the tribe, along with the conch dictating where a meeting is held on the
At the beginning they were able to maintain their structured society; they had an election-- a civilized way of selecting their leader-- and they had the conch. As Ralph said “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak... and he won’t be interrupted. Except by me” (Golding 33). This shows how the children were trying to uphold their constitutional monarchy by having the conch give everyone an opportunity to speak. However, they were not able to uphold their cultural values much longer once fear came into the picture.
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is about British schoolboys which are stranded on an island that is free of adults. This newfound freedom forces the children to organize themselves until the grownups arrive to rescue them. Varying ideas on leadership separate the castaways into two factions. Initially, the boys elect a chief named Ralph. Ralph discovers a conch and determines that it holds the basic powers that will structure their new way of life.
The conch shell is first found by Piggy and Ralph who use it to call for survivors. The shell is then established as a symbol of democracy, as found in this quote, “... I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking,” (33). Allowing each boy to speak when in possession of the conch shows that, although Ralph is chief, all boys can have a say in the rulings of the island. This democratic system is a beginning representation of our world in which everyone knows their place and there is overall peace.
The conch starts off as a symbol for civilization, however as the book progresses it is also a symbol for the loss of civilized manners and maintaining order, and this is shown through the ability to start meetings, granting the ability to talk, and the destruction of the conch. The conch had the ability
In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses items and people to symbolize many different things. These symbolic things include Piggy’s glasses, Simon’s epilepsy, the Lord of the Flies, and arguably the most important symbol, the conch shell. The conch shell was first found in the water by Piggy, who then comes up with the idea of using the conch as a blow horn to call for meetings. Throughout Lord of the Flies, the conch shell becomes not only associated with Ralph and his leadership, but with Piggy and his intuitive and wise ideas and Jack and his dictator-like, irresponsible authority. The conch shell, representing law and order, assisted in the election of Ralph as chief and ultimately determines the future of the island.
“Let him be the chief with the trumpet thing” (Unknown page 22). Ralph was elected chief because the sound of the conch resounded throughout the island to gather survivors. This shows that the conch represents authority and power. Ralph would blow the to council a meeting and be able to silence everyone by holding it up. There
Ralph notices the discord but resolves it by enforcing, “I 'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he 's speaking” (Golding 33). The conch represents the discipline of the boys and their civilization. Since Ralph thought to use the conch as a speaking system, the conch represents his leadership and authority over the boys. It also represents his authority because he is the only boy that does not need the conch to speak.
Shortly after, Ralph blows the conch, which leads to the boys forming a meeting. This is the first time the conch is used as a thing of power. By blowing the conch, it gave the others an authoritative sense coming off of Ralph. “The children gave him
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.
In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Ralph and Jack compete to have the title of chief, this illustrates Golding's message that in society dictatorship can be more successful than democracy. Characters in this novel resemble people in WWII. Jack is a symbol of dictatorship and Ralph is a symbol of democracy. Though in the beginning of the novel Ralph had control, Jacks dictatorship caused him to take total control. Between the two boys Jack is the more successful leader.
This is an example of the rules the conch symbolizes because, when Ralph holds the conch up they all know they need to be quiet and do as he says. Another example that shows the conchs rules is when the author writes ¨He held the conch before his face and glanced around the mouth. ´ Then i 'll give him the conch. ´ ´
The conch is an important symbol because it helps the boys stay civilized and not chaotic. For example, Ralph says, “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking” (31). They will use the conch for when they are at meetings so that no one talks at the same time, and to make the society refined. In addition, William golding states, “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (164).
