How Is The Conch Used In Lord Of The Flies

In Lord Of The Flies by William Golding the conch has hidden meanings. There are so many others that could be talked about, but there is not enough time in this essay. I chose three that are major here they are Power, authority,and worthless. These are only a few examples of the conch.

In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, he shows what he believe is truly hidden in people in a series of ideas and symbols hidden in people and objects. The symbolism of the fire, the conch and Piggy’s glasses are important for the message in the book.

Singer-songwriter Eric Burdon once said, “Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It’s a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other.” In William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies, symbols are used to represent a deeper meaning to the novel. Three symbols he used are the conch, the Lord of the Flies, and the island. There are numerous amounts of symbols in the novel, one of them being the conch that Ralph and Piggy found.

With the splitting of the boys, comes chaos which leads to the fire having a different purpose. The purpose of the fire is for catching or killing Ralph. This leads to much destruction of the island. The fire's purpose at the beginning of the novel was for survival, and it turns into a weapon that holds the purpose of

When the boys first set up the fire, they think that it will just be used for a smoke signal. Ralph, the leader of the group, has a very close connection with the fire. It gives him hope that they will someday

The conch, although we see it as an object it has much power. It is used to summon the boys for meetings and whoever holds it has the power to speak. The conch symbolizes power and Ralph who is leader mostly has possession of it. “Immediately the thing sounded. A deep, harsh note boomed under the palms, spread through the intricacies of the forest…”(pg.17). That was the moment Ralph blew the conch and brought all the boys together, making him leader of all the boys. It was a very important part of the story, but there are much more things to discuss.

To begin, as the smoke elevates so do the boys hopes of going home. The fire represents the notion of home, and rescue. Ralph expresses his shame as he comes to the realization that the boys, Jack in particular, left the fire unattended, “ ‘There was a ship. Out there. You said you’d keep the fire going and you let it out!’ ” (74). Ralph becomes angry as he realizes, there was an adult, a ship, a rescuer, who might have brought them home, however passed because Jack let the fire out. This gives the audience a sense of just how important, home is to Ralph, explaining why the fire plays such an important role in the novel, as the

The conch is a symbol of law, order, and power; it is used to call a meeting towards everyone on the island. The conch creates a small government, which Ralph is the leader of. Without the conch, there would have been total chaos on the island, as the conch was the primary reason to which a meeting was called for and a leader was elected. The rule of the conch is shown when Ralph uses as a substitute to the “hands up” system like at school, “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. Except by me.” (Golding, 33). Throughout the book, the conch is the primary source of law, order, and power, even for the most witty of people. Jack, someone who opposes Ralph countless times

The conch was first used by Piggy and Ralph to call for assemblies. The boys then used it as a way to keep order by only allowing the person holding the conch to speak. It became clear that the conch helped keep the boys civilized. On page 39 the boys are having a meeting. Ralph says, “That’s what this shell’s called. I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.” This is an example if the respect the conch was given, and how the boys used it. The boys still were very civil when they first got to the island and that is represented by how well the conch worked. The conch originally worked very well and helped keep the boys under control, but further into the book the conch’s power begins to die. On page 124 Ralph says, “If I blow the conch and they don’t come back; then we’ve had it. We shan’t keep the fire going. We’ll be like animals. We’ll never be rescued.” This is the point in the book when Ralph and Piggy begin to

He felt “something purposeful” being done when the conch was sounded;it brought the boys together. Having no adults or holder of command, frightened the boys, but the conch is a sense of comfort and purpose to them. The boys weren’t fearful when the

The Lord of the Flies, is a novel about a group of young boys getting stranded on an island. The boys soon have to face obstacles no child should ever have to face. William Golding uses symbolism and irony to show how ordinary objects hold tremendous power, and how some day something so valued could mean nothing the next day. The author chooses to put a great deal of significance on certain items. However, the conch and fire have the greatest impact on the boys.

He finds it, is able to use it as a call to gather the boys on the island, and then uses it throughout his chieftain to be able to acquire power and listening of the boys. “Hands were reaching for the conch in light of the setting sun. He held on and leapt on the trunk… ‘You voted me as chief now you do what I say’ … Jack stood scowling in the gloom and held out his hands” (Golding 81). This evidence not only shows the use of the conch as Ralph being the chief, but also the start of tension and power struggle the conch creates between Ralph and Jack. In the end of the book, the conch becomes an attempted item of barter and Ralph tries to use his power against Jack. “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (Golding 181). The breaking of the conch and Piggy’s death really pinpoints the exact moment of Ralph's lost hope of any kind of reconciling and or peace between him and Jack. It was the end of playing the “fair

Fire has always been the symbol of civilization since it has been found. Ralph thinks that fire is essential to get rescued and he says, “If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us… We must make a fire” (37). To move on, they start the fire with the hope to be seen by the rescuers. Under Ralph’s leadership the distribution of duties are planned on the island, which is another sign of a civilized society. Jack and the hunters are given the duty to keep the fire on, but instead they go for a hunt and let the fire out.

Symbolism is a very important 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.

In the very beginning the conch is used to bring all of the boys in the story together. Ralph blows it and they come. This is the first sign of its power. The boys have been lost and now there is this thing, much like a school bell, calling them to be brought together. It has brought order to this strange place in which they are stranded.