Conch Lord Of The Flies Essay

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The book Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is an allegory for civilization. Additionally, in the story the Conch and The Lord of the Flies (pig’s head) are important symbols, but what do they mean and how do the boys on the island perceive them as? Furthermore, the Conch is a symbol of democracy, and The Lord of the Flies is an indication for dictatorship and control. To understand this, one must look at scenes where the items appear, how the items are used, and quotes from the book.

We know that in the book William Golding has added symbolism throughout the story and has given objects more meaning than what meets the eye, but now we must figure out the real significance of these items. For example, one might think that the Conch is just a plain white shell used by the boys to call meetings, but the actual purpose of the conch is to express democracy. The Conch embodies democracy because it allows all opinions to be heard and have the paramount decisions made in a civilized logic way where the verdict has been influenced by the people and not one …show more content…
The boys on the island perceive the Conch and The Lord of the Flies as symbols of leadership. Evidence of this is that both Jack and Ralph use the objects to enforce their position of power. When Ralph blows the conch, all the boys on the island come to wherever Ralph is because he is their leader. Also, when Ralph is holding the Conch, the other kids treat him as if he were a real leader back in England. We see this when William Golding writes “The children gave him the same simple obedience that they had given to the men with megaphones.” Similarly, the boys see The Lord of the Flies as a symbol of leadership because Jack uses it to enforce his opinions about the beast. Lastly, he turns the beast more into reality than a belief, making their fears of the unknown come true, in a

Essay On The Conch In Lord Of The Flies

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