How Does Golding Use The Conch In Lord Of The Flies

Words: 1082
Pages: 5
Open Document
In the novel, Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, the author uses symbolism in many ways but I feel the most important use of symbolism is used to show the inevitable collapse of the tribe’s society and civilization. The conch, Piggy’s glasses, and the beast are all important symbols that contribute to the crash of organization and civilization on the island.

Golding foreshadows the destruction of society and order on the island in many ways throughout the novel both obviously and subtly. The most important item used is the conch. The conch is first introduced as a tool that brings a sense of organization, honour and society to the tribe. When first blown, the boys are immediately attracted to it and the authority it holds. The …show more content…
In chapter one, Ralph blows the conch for the first time to gather the boys all across the island. Golding writes “Ralph found his breath and blew a series of short blasts. Piggy exclaimed: “There’s one!” A child had appeared among the palms” (17). This demonstrates he power that the conch held over the children. This simple conch shell found by Ralph and Piggy, was an object that had a powerful importance since the beginning of the story. The conch was used to bring authority and order to their meetings. The boys created a rule deciding that no one can speak unless they are holding the conch. “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he is speaking” (33), says Ralph. Golding represents the destruction of the island civilization by having a character destroy the prize item that brought the tribe society together in the first place. In chapter 11 of Lord of the Flies, the author writes “the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to …show more content…
as a piece Piggy’s glasses were a sign of hope for the tribe. The children used them to create a signal fire that they hoped would help them get rescued. The boys use the lenses from Piggy’s glasses to focus the sunlight and start a fire on the top of the mountain. The glasses held much hope and inspiration for the boys and showed their ingenuity as they tried to be rescued. The glasses seemed to bring organization and optimism just like the conch did. The signal flame was maintained and watched over by Jack’s group of hunters. They were to make sure that any passing ship would be able to see the signal of fire and smoke on the top of the mountain. In chapter 4, the author writes “The fire was out , smokeless and dead; the watchers were gone…Ralph ran stumbling along the rocks, saved himself on the edge of the cliff, and screamed at the passing ship.” (68). This was the beginning of the downfall of civilization on the island. Jack was so blood thirsty that he was too involved with killing a pig, he irresponsibly ignores one of the most important jobs on the island. The boys began to lose hope of getting rescued after this moment and the tribe’s civilization on the island only went downhill from this point. The example of Jack not maintaining the signal fire is the first indication there will be problems on the island. The events which led piggy’s glasses to being broken is another symbol of how their
Show More

Related Documents: How Does Golding Use The Conch In Lord Of The Flies

How Does William Golding Use The Conch In Lord Of The Flies

William Goldings and Destruction of Order Imagine trying to survive with no adults. William Golding talks about a group of boys who get stuck on a island and try to survive. As they are their, there order starts fading and they start. becoming more savage. Golding uses the conch, fire and Ralph to emphasize the idea how the order starts declining. William Golding uses the conch shell to show how the boys use it to have order. The Conch is important in the whole story they use it to have…

Words 602 - Pages 3

Fire In Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Essay

Lord of the Flies is a novel in which the author, William Golding, creates an enticing text that draws people in through the deeper meanings of the words on the page including characters, setting, and situations. The conch shell symbolizes law and order on the island. The title of the story itself translates from the Hebrew word, Beelzebub, which is another name for the devil. Used to symbolize hope and rescue, the signal fire serves as a reassurance for the novel’s main protagonist, Ralph. The use…

Words 824 - Pages 4

Symbols In Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

says something symbolically, they leave the reader to figure out what it means. In the allegorical novel Lord of The Flies by William Golding he uses objects to symbolize the nature of man and many other things, and leaves the reader to determine what he means. The first symbol that will be discussed will be the fire that the boys try to keep lit throughout the whole novel, second would be the conch which demonstrates power, and last is Ralph’s hair which would grow uncontrollably. There are many objects…

Words 1349 - Pages 6

Lord Of The Flies: Fragility Of Society

Fragility of Society Does the fragility of civilization affect the amount of disasters that can possibly occur? The novel The Lord of the Flies by William Golding emphasizes this idea. Golding describes how civilization can be vulnerable to disaster through symbolic and allegorical meanings throughout his story. These symbols help direct readers through the plot and unfold the true meaning of the fragility of society through an interesting and riveting novel. Additionally, Golding provides examples…

Words 843 - Pages 4

Lord of the Flies Literary Analysis Essay example

factor in many books. The use of symbolism in William Golding’s novel The Lord of the Flies is the most essential aspect to the function of the story. At first glance you may not think the symbols are very important, but with some in-depth thought you can see how it is necessary to explain the microcosm of an island. The conch shell is the opening symbol in the novel and lasts roughly to the very end of the story. The conch is found by Ralph and Piggy, which they use to summon the boys together…

Words 1277 - Pages 6

Power In Lord Of The Flies Essay

of civilization? Golding's Lord of the Flies shows us how do people ruin their civilization. In the story, Golding uses kids to represent people. He let kids separate into two groups: One group represents the power of civilization which has a conch shell as a symbol, and the other group represents the power of violence which has a sow's head as a symbol. Obviously, the group with conch shell has more organized order because every kid will go to the meeting when the conch shell is blowed. However the…

Words 582 - Pages 3

Lotf Essay

Lord of the Flies Essay Imagine being stuck on a plane crashing to a deserted island with lots of chaos and the only thing holding it together…goes away. That’s how it was for the 12 boys in the plane crash that survived. During the novel you encounter 3 main symbols, the conch shell, Piggy’s specs and the signal fire. These symbols help hold the island together and without them the boy are lost and do not know what to do. The conch shell represents the leadership authority and whoever is holding…

Words 615 - Pages 3

Conch Lord Of The Flies Research Paper

Hayden Lane Mrs. Sparks 11th English 2/19/24 Symbols of Great Power The conch shell and the pig's head symbolize so much throughout the novel and hold an immense amount of authority. Likewise, the conch shell signifies countless amounts of power and plays an enormous role in the government of the island. Furthermore, in the Lord of the Flies, the pig head offers power and forgiveness to the beast. In what ways do readers and the boys of the island perceive these symbols differently? Young boys experience…

Words 816 - Pages 4

Essay On The Conch In Lord Of The Flies

and influence the actions of others or it could also personify one’s special privileges. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the most important idea is the role of power on the island and how it is displayed through the possession of the conch and the natural leadership qualities of Ralph because they demonstrate the origin of power on the island. Throughout the story, the conch is seen as a prize that grants anyone holding it with the ability of freedom of speech and respect from…

Words 698 - Pages 3

Conch Lord Of The Flies

Use of Symbols in Lord of the Flies In the novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, the conch, Piggy's glasses and the huts are all vital symbols to the novel. Firstly, the conch is a symbol of power and government on the island but later, its importance diminishes as savagery among the boys grows. Secondly, Piggy's glasses at the beginning of the novel represent man's way of intellectually thinking, but as the novel progresses it soon becomes a symbol of destructive human thoughts. Another…

Words 1448 - Pages 6