Power In Lord Of The Flies

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Throughout history, many have pondered where the source of power lies. It is wondered why certain people, who seem less than qualified or worthy, have come upon it. Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a story about a group of grade-school aged boys who must survive together on an island after their plane crashes. They try to form a society, as they wait, vainly hoping that somebody will come to their rescue. As they continue to spend more time on the island, power struggle increases with the boys’ animalistic instincts. The matter of who power should be given to, Jack or Ralph, is hotly debated between characters. However, although Jack and Ralph are two of the most outspoken and self-assertive boys, they are not necessarily the most fit …show more content…
Symbolism is defined as the use of physical symbols to represent abstract ideas or themes in literature. Throughout Lord of the Flies Golding conceals many crucial ideas as mundane objects, such as the conch shell, which is a representation of organized power and authority. The initially revered conch shell is discovered at the start of the story by Ralph and Piggy, when they are first figuring out their situation on the island and how to proceed. Piggy is clever and innovative. Of the two, he is the only one who has any idea of what the shell can do, and how to use it. The underlying meaning of the shell is revealed when Piggy realizes that the shell can be of greater importance, that it can act as a call to unite the boys on the island, and that it can confirm the power of the wielder. When Piggy first shares his ideas with Ralph he suggests, “‘We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us.… Ralph pushed back his fair hair. ‘How did your friend blow the conch?’ ‘He kind of spat’ said Piggy ‘My auntie wouldn’t let me blow on account of my asthma. He said you blew
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