Conch Lord Of The Flies Analysis

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“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foes, that lead him to evil ways” (Buddha). In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the English boys who get stranded on an island experience symbolism through many of the items they use. Through the use of the symbols such as the conch, the beast, and Piggy’s lenses. Golding shows that humans, when separated from civilization and rules, allow their inner goodness turn into evil. The first symbol appearing in the novel and used throughout is the Conch. The Conch, a musical item made from a shell symbolizes the authority on the island. When the boys vote for leader, Ralph wins the majority because when the vote occurs he is holding the conch. The conch shows not only authority but also law and order. The boys all respect the idea of the rules, “We’ve got to have rules and obey them” ( 42). Without rules a civilization cannot function. As the end of the …show more content…
Piggy’s glasses symbolize the technology and innovation on the island. The boys use the glasses to start a fire, “His specs- use them as burning glasses ( )! Piggy’s glasses also symbolize vision. Piggy is constantly cleaning his glasses and the boys are remaining civilized. Once one of piggy’s lens broke from Jack smashing them civilization weakened. The boys were more interested in hunting then getting rescued. Finally when Piggy’s glasses broke civilization died. The boys turn into savages, kill Piggy and hunt for Ralph, and set the whole island on fire. The evil in the boys has more effect on them as they spend time isolated from society, demonstrated through Piggy’s specs. Shown through the conch, the beast, and Piggy’s glasses humans are inclined to evil. William Golding shows this in Lord of the Flies by symbolizing items and by making the book an allegory. If humans are separated from society for a long enough time, people can turn into Nazis and let their fear control them. How can we control our inner