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The Lord Of The Flies Conch Essay

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By portraying the conch as the boy’s instrument for authority in the beginning of the novel, the illustrations of the beast in the middle and at the end of the book, Goldiing shows that without structured order in place, there is an absence of civilization on the island, proving that without order and structure a civilized culture dissolve.

Early in the book, The Lord of the Flies, a conch is introduced to the story as a means to call the boys together for meetings. The conch becomes a symbol of authority, and law and order. Whoever is holding the conch is the first to speak and introduce an agenda. The authority given to the conch is noted in these lines from The Lord of the Flies, “Ralph continued to blow short, penetrating blasts. …show more content…

The naval officer is a stark contrast in his white, formal officer uniform to the boy’s ragged dirty appearances. The officer’s presence stops the “hunter” boys in their mission to kill Ralph. Initially, the officer assumes that the boys are “playing”. He quickly becomes disgusted when he realizes the low, uncivilized level the boys have sunk to. The symbolism of the blurred lines between civilization and utter chaos are apparent as Ralph stands before the officer,” Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy”.

The Lord of the Flies is a somewhat morbid book that describes an unfortunate plane crash on an island. The plane was occupied by a large group of English boys. The adult pilot did not survive the crash. The boys attempt to organize themselves and create a somewhat civilized society that ultimately becomes chaotic, disorganized and violent. Thorough out the book, there are many twists and turns that involve symbolic comparisons and interpretations. Golding used the conch as a symbol for authority, the parachutist

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