ipl-logo

William Golding Lord Of The Flies Conch Analysis

750 Words3 Pages

William Golding uses a multitude of symbols in his book, Lord of the Flies. One of the many symbols Golding uses is a conch, which is described as a creamy pink color, and approximately eighteen inches across. “In color the shell was deep cream, touched here and there with fading pink…lay eighteen inches of shell…” (16). The conch is a private symbol that Golding created to represent different interpretations to different characters. Ralph’s interpretation of the conch is power and authority; Whoever is holding the conch gets to speak, and it is Ralph who declared this rule. For Piggy, the conch represents order and reasonable thinking, because the conch is what holds civilization together and keeps the boys from becoming savage. As for Jack, his interpretation of the conch is that it holds rules, because it limits him from doing what he wants. In Lord of the Flies, the conch represents authority to Ralph, order to Piggy, and rules to Jack.
Ralph is introduced in chapter one as a privileged boy with blonde …show more content…

“…he was tall, thin, and bony…and ugly without silliness” (20). Golding creates a vivid image of Jack by telling how he is lanky, and not attractive. For Jack, the conch symbolizes rules, because it permits him to listen to others, and inhibits him from doing everything that he wishes. In chapter six, Jack finally begins to tell the others that the conch is unnecessary. “We don’t need the conch anymore” (102). After doing so, he also states that the conch doesn’t count on his side of the island, implying that he feels that the conch is completely meaningless. Shortly after the conch is destroyed in chapter eleven, Jack begins to scream loudly and hurls his spear at Ralph. Him doing this demonstrates that now that the conch is gone, Jack doesn’t have to follow the rules that it implied. Jack views the conch as a symbol of rules, because it keeps him from doing what he

Show More
Related

  • How Did Lord Of The Flies Change Piggy's Behavior

    822 Words  | 4 Pages

    The conch was the last thing that held onto democracy, and after the conch had been destroyed, everything that Piggy and Ralph had fought for had been demolished and disappeared forever on the island. Overall, the conch symbolized order, law and democracy in the beginning of the Lord of the Flies. It was mainly used to call assemblies and allowed the person that held it to share their thoughts without being interrupted by another. As the novel advanced, the boys grew more savage which lead to the diminishing of the conch and Piggy. Along with the conch, the civil instinct of the boys had

    Read More

  • Dialectical Journal For Lord Of The Flies

    3277 Words  | 14 Pages

    In the Lord of the Flies, Ralph and Piggy discover a conch shell on the beach. The Conch is used to summon the boys altogether after the crash that separates them. The conch shell becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order in the novel. I think the Conch symbolizes as the last reminder of civilization or the holder of conch is powerful because the Conch is a difficult tool to use/ activate. The reason that Ralph was the leader of the group was because he could activate the conch and that conch is seen as power and authority towards the boys.

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies Conch Symbolism

    882 Words  | 4 Pages

    Symbolism of the Conch in Lord of the Flies by William Golding represents civilization. The novel Lord of the Flies is about a group of boys from England who have been stranded on an island after an airplane crash. They are expected to fend for themselves and are slowly reverting back to their primal savage ways. The group is quickly split into two a savage side and a rational, civilized side. Throughout the novel a key symbol was the conch.

    Read More

  • How Does Jack Change In Lord Of The Flies

    1218 Words  | 5 Pages

    Initially, he goes along with the idea of an organized method of using the conch to keep the island functioning efficiently. However, when Ralph, as chief, begins holding more power than him, he looks for an alternative to the conch to assert his dominance. He does so through hunting. Since he was the only one who was able to kill a pig, the others began to regard him with awe and reverence. This helped Jack gain control through the emotions of others, and made his knife an important reflection of his character.

    Read More

  • The Lord Of The Flies: A Symbolism Analysis

    615 Words  | 3 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Quotes From Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis Essay

    1458 Words  | 6 Pages

    To all the boys from Ralph and Jack The significance of this quote is that the conch was initially used for giving undivided attention and complete respect

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies Conch Quotes

    589 Words  | 3 Pages

    After the conch is broken it is spoken by Jack that the conch is gone in a wildly manner, he then proceeds to stab Ralph with a spear. The conch represents a certain jurisdiction for these boys and as soon as that's lost so is that line they don’t cross. The line gets blurred and they can no longer see it. However, there is more symbolism in this book; such as ‘the monster’ representing the lurking and growing evil in human nature. " ‘What I mean is...

    Read More

  • Power Corrupt In Lord Of The Flies

    1511 Words  | 7 Pages

    This shows how the power roles have changed throughout the novel, where at first the conch held the symbol of democracy, but now that the faith in it has dissolved, the conch is just a shell thrown around in the monarchy holding Jack as ruler. Throughout the novel, many items and people change as power rolls in between their hands. Consequently there comes a time when an object loses power completely, yet even in destruction it may

    Read More

  • The Conch In Lord Of The Flies Analysis

    1193 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Dictatorship In Lord Of The Flies Essay

    681 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • How Does Golding Present Human Nature In Lord Of The Flies

    1164 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the novel, Golding associates the conch with the boys nature, signifying there civilisation till it was destructed and therefore, the dark side of the boys was released when there was no unity or order. The beast is another important symbol demonstrating their impulses to becoming violent, that the 'beast' is within the boys themselves. The antagonist Jack is addressed to represent that without regulations of society all human beings are savages by nature. Golding includes these symbols, motifs and characters to confront the idea the dark side of human nature is represented when left to your own

    Read More

  • Conch Lord Of The Flies Essay

    1119 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the novel, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, the conch is a primary symbol, which represents civility and order. Throughout the book it served as a power tool that the boys highly respected, in fact, the symbolism of the conch begins before it is even blown. Ralph is the one who originally discovers and posses the shell, but it’s Piggy who explains it’s significance. Piggy has to teach Ralph how to blow it; this shows how from the beginning the conch is linked with both Piggy and Ralph.

    Read More

  • Conch Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies

    1036 Words  | 5 Pages

    This is an example of how the conch symbolizes the rules within the boys society because the conch is what tells when the boys when they can talk. The rules created by the conch is what led to a lot of the boys disagreements which slowly drove them to become¨beasts¨. Overall the conch is the most symbolic piece in Lord of the Flies because it symbolizes the boys rules, their civilization, and power over the boys. This is important to the theme of the story because the conch helps the boys realize that they are the beast all along. The conch helps the boys to notice this because when it breaks they realize it was controlling them all along and making them the

    Read More

  • Essay On The Conch Shell In Lord Of The Flies

    1951 Words  | 8 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Conch And The Sow's Head In The Lord Of The Flies Analysis

    796 Words  | 4 Pages

    The conch and the sow’s head both wield a specific type of power over the juvenile boys in Lord of the Flies. The conch, used to call assemblies, represents progress and civilization while the sow’s head represents terror, barbarity, and malevolence and is partly to blame for Simon’s demise. Lord of the Flies is a novel about power because throughout the book Jack and Ralph quarrel over who should be the chieftain of the children and the novel uses the conch and the sow’s head to represent divergent forms of power and authority. Also, the book shows the reader the power of symbols such as the conch and the pig’s head and even the island that the children remain inevitably imprisoned on until their liberation at the conclusion of the novel. Just about everything within this novel is a representation of something that is considerably greater.

    Read More

More about William Golding Lord Of The Flies Conch Analysis

Open Document