Battle between Civilization and Savagery in Lord of the Flies

The conch is a symbol in the novel and represents civilized authority and democracy. When the group of boys are stranded on the island, they choose Ralph as the

The conch is just a shell, But it does represents much more than that, the conch is power, order, respect and civility and when it's broken, It’s the loss of civilization. The conch is first found by Piggy and Ralph when they first get to the beach. Piggy who’s seen one before at someones house said “He used to blow it and then his mum would come. It’s ever so Valuable”(11). Then later Ralph used it to do the same thing by blowing in it to find all the boys on the island and to call meeting later. During one of the

The struggle between humanity and savagery portrayed through the events of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies demonstrates how simple it is for one to succumb to the mannerisms of depravity. This is impossible with the implementation of structure and order, as such concepts provide boundaries and keep man sane and behaved. Once the boys arrive on the island, isolated and expelled from society, they look to a shell to relieve them of this hardship, and to institute a form of government that will keep them from acting out. Despite the trust they put in the shell, it fails to hold them from corruption, only adding to the growing tension between all of the boys inhabiting the mysterious island. Through the escalating tension surrounding the

Men, without rules, can be led towards destruction. Lord of the Flies depicts at first a group of boys trying to maintain order, and a later descent into savagery. One of the most direct, apparent examples of this is through Roger. Through the contrast of the self-restraint Roger has at the beginning of the novel and the murder he absentmindedly commits at the end, Golding illustrates how man’s desire for savagery is restrained only by the enforced civilization of society.

The conch, throughout the whole story, is used to achieve order, and a symbol of authority for whom ever has possession of it, "I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking" "And he won't be interrupted" (33). While they were all getting along and all working toward one thing, the conch served it's purpose. It was used to call meetings and to bring silence during

The conch is well respected and gives meanings of authority, the boys decide that no one can speak unless he holds the conch, representing order from the old schoolyard society of strict limitations. Quote: "Ralph felt the conch lifted from his lap. Then Piggy was standing cradling the great cream shell and the shouting died down." In this quote, the conch is lifted as though it was as powerful as a crown, reminding the distracted group of rules; that

Piggy doesn't want the conch just to speak, but to have a voice. The conch is like a microphone for Piggy because it helps him raise his voice so everyone can listen to him. Even if he didn't have anything to say he still would've wanted the conch because he wants everyone to listen to whatever he has to say, whether it's important or not. Piggy want to speak up for himself when he gets bullied, but he doesn't know how to. Thinking the conch might help him he asks for it.

In Lord of the Flies, evil is described in many situations. The author Golding is trying to put an image in our heads showing how the group has lost their civilization The conch is one of many symbols in the book to show fear. Ralph found the conch on the beach and he now uses it to obtain order .Whoever uses the conch has the right to speak,also when the conch is blown it means there is a meeting.

the would run lose like a bunch of savages. In the novel, Lord of the flies, by William Golding the conch symbolizes order, the fire represents hope, and Piggy’s glasses illustrates survival.

If the instinct for savagery lies latent in all human beings, can they truly be held personally accountable for their actions? In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, one of the overarching themes of the novel is the conflict between savagery vs civilization, and explores the concept of the individual vs the society. Civilization, society and its righteous and morally good ideologies are represented by Ralph, and those of aggression, individualism and the morally bad are associated with Jack. Ralph, as first elected leader of the tribe of boys argues for organization and self sacrifice for the better good of being rescued and maintaining peace, whereas Jack slowly and insidiously wins over the support of the boys by promising fun and freedom- under his tyranica rule, naturally. It is plainly obvious, with both the reader’s good sense and Golding’s obvious inclination towards Ralph, that he is the most appropriate leader and that a civilized society is the correct and right way to go about governance.

The first time the reader sees the conch tying itself to power is when the conch is actually found. (PG15) Piggy sees the conch and proceeds to tell ralph about a boy he knew that used a conch to call his mother. “ He used to blow it and his mum would come.” This reminds the reader about the value of power to someone who needs to be in control.

(Golding 171). His constant connection to the conch also shows him as the need for social order, standing by the conch’s way of life even in the face of doubt. Surrounded by the darkness of man in the hearts of children, Piggy stands by the conch’s way of life until his

(Golding, 20). Immediately Piggy realizes what the conch could do for their group, maintain order and preserve civilization. Ralph bestows a certain power to the conch, it becomes an object of unity for the group. From then on, it would be the summons for gatherings and the power to speak. For the boys, it is a banner, a reason to cling to

Piggy had an idea that every time the tribe had meetings, they should utilize a conch that would specify who would be the one to talk. From here, the conch shows to be a symbol of authority. Whoever holds the conch has the authority to speak and be heard by the group. But the conch does not stay in place throughout the whole novel. “As the story progresses, the influence of the shell degrades at the same rate as the society and the very end, a boulder crushes the conch shell, effectively symbolizing the end of the boys civilized instinct”, an online article states in “What does the conch represent in Lord of the Flies” (Anne Julie). What the quote mentions if that the conch seemed to fail, as well as the power that Hitler had, in which he abused and turned out to be a chaotic situation. 1/21/2013 | Aurora from Tallahassee, FL | 3 Answers | -2 Votes, 1/27/2013 | Donna Ann P., 1/21/2013 | Annejulie B., and 2/16/2013 | Nancy L. "What Does the Conch Represent in Lord of the Flies? - Wyzant Answers." Wyzant Tutoring. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec.

In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, many images and objects pop up that symbolize a certain meaning in the story. Some symbols that are mentioned in the book are: the conch, spectacles, war-paint, the pig/piggy, and the parachutist. Starting from the beginning of the book, Ralph uses the conch to “...call all the others” (Golding 20). It is their form of leadership and authority for whoever hold it. It shows the civilization and democracy within the boys. Unfortunately,the conch loses its power completely which turns very dangerous because of the breakdown of civilization. Piggy, who is one of the main characters in the book, owns a pair of spectacles because he is very blind. The boys use his spectacles as an advantage to make a fire