Conch In Lord Of The Flies
Symbolism of the Conch
Authors frequently use a powerful literary device called symbolism to express their ideas creatively and indirectly. By definition, symbolism is an object or idea that represents more than what the object or idea actually is. The conch, just a mere pretty thing that attracted attention, has more meaning than that of just being a conch shell. The conch’s symbolism can be traced throughout William Golding’s entire novel, Lord of the Flies and is a major symbol of power and order within the story. At first the conch shell effectively governs the boys and keeps them civilized. However, as civilization on the island begins to diminish and as the boys descend deeper into the abyss of savagery, the conch shell loses the power and influence it …show more content…
once had over the boys…
Ralph and Piggy discover this shell, at first a deep cream color with a delicate pattern, on the beach towards the start of the novel and decide to use it to summon the boys together. The shell, in this regard, is actually more than a symbol, here it used as an actual vessel of democratic power and order. The shell’s power is clearly evident even in the beginning of the novel because “…most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch.” (pg 22) There also seems to have been a growing importance for the one who holds the conch as the children vote for Ralph for leader. “ ‘Him with the shell.’ ‘Ralph! Ralph!’ ‘Let him be chief with the trumpet-thing.’ ”(pg. 22) this excerpt shows that the boys believe that since Ralph possesses the conch, he must also posses the needed leadership skills, power, and responsibility to be their chief. The shell becomes a powerful symbol of order and civilization when used. It effectively governs the boys’ meetings because the boy who holds the shell also holds the right to speak. As the story progresses the conch’s power begins to become muted and its starts to diminish.
“Exposure to the air had bleached the yellow and pink to a near-white and transparency.
Ralph felt a kind of affectionate reverence for the conch….” Even though Ralph still believes that the conch has still has mystical, the fading colors seem to symbolize the fading power the conch has. The conch once kept the meetings pure, establishing order by preventing all the boys from discord. But as the boys seem to lose their civilized manner and start to fall deeper into savagery, the power dwindles. “‘If I blow the conch and they don’t come back, then we’ve had it.’ ‘If you don’t blow, we’ll soon be animals anyway.’”(pg 92), even Ralph, at this point in the novel, starts to realize that the conch isn’t effective anymore and begins to become dubious over the conch by doubting its power. Jack, however, never seems to fully respect the conch, since the conch was one of the reasons he wasn’t picked for chief. Jack, who at that time made his own tribe, even mocks the power of the conch by sneering at the boys for forgetting it and by saying that it “doesn’t count on this end of the island” (pg 150).The power the iridescent conch once had seems to now dwindle, but its value wasn’t completely forsaken by all of the
boys.
Near the end of the novel, the conch shell loses all power and “divine” influence it had over the boys. This is clearly evident when Jack’s tribe raids the other tribe; the boys don’t take the conch which shows that the conch has no value to them. “What can he do more than he has?..You let me carry the conch, Ralph. I’ll show him the one thing he hasn’t got”(pg 171), some like Piggy still want to believe that the conch can bring out the civilization in the boys. As Piggy tries to speak of the importance of having rules and being rescued, Roger rolls a boulder onto Piggy, sending Piggy to his death and crushing the conch into a “thousand white fragments”(pg 181) The destruction of the conch signifies the demise of all civilized instinct among the boys on the island.
After the destruction of the conch everything on the island goes downhill, as the hunting tribe comes into complete control.
Drawn to its pearly pink and white colors, Ralph fished out the conch out of the lagoon and made it into a symbol of power and order. No other symbol in Lord of the Flies holds so much power. It is also clear that throughout the novel, this powerful and sacred object loses its value. When the conch “ceased to exist” (pg 181), it signified the end of reason and order on the island. Golding uses this senseless destruction of the conch to show how humans are more moved toward savagery than by having any sense of authority and order.
Authors frequently use a powerful literary device called symbolism to express their ideas creatively and indirectly. By definition, symbolism is an object or idea that represents more than what the object or idea actually is. The conch, just a mere pretty thing that attracted attention, has more meaning than that of just being a conch shell. The conch’s symbolism can be traced throughout William Golding’s entire novel, Lord of the Flies and is a major symbol of power and order within the story. At first the conch shell effectively governs the boys and keeps them civilized. However, as civilization on the island begins to diminish and as the boys descend deeper into the abyss of savagery, the conch shell loses the power and influence it …show more content…
once had over the boys…
Ralph and Piggy discover this shell, at first a deep cream color with a delicate pattern, on the beach towards the start of the novel and decide to use it to summon the boys together. The shell, in this regard, is actually more than a symbol, here it used as an actual vessel of democratic power and order. The shell’s power is clearly evident even in the beginning of the novel because “…most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch.” (pg 22) There also seems to have been a growing importance for the one who holds the conch as the children vote for Ralph for leader. “ ‘Him with the shell.’ ‘Ralph! Ralph!’ ‘Let him be chief with the trumpet-thing.’ ”(pg. 22) this excerpt shows that the boys believe that since Ralph possesses the conch, he must also posses the needed leadership skills, power, and responsibility to be their chief. The shell becomes a powerful symbol of order and civilization when used. It effectively governs the boys’ meetings because the boy who holds the shell also holds the right to speak. As the story progresses the conch’s power begins to become muted and its starts to diminish.
“Exposure to the air had bleached the yellow and pink to a near-white and transparency.
Ralph felt a kind of affectionate reverence for the conch….” Even though Ralph still believes that the conch has still has mystical, the fading colors seem to symbolize the fading power the conch has. The conch once kept the meetings pure, establishing order by preventing all the boys from discord. But as the boys seem to lose their civilized manner and start to fall deeper into savagery, the power dwindles. “‘If I blow the conch and they don’t come back, then we’ve had it.’ ‘If you don’t blow, we’ll soon be animals anyway.’”(pg 92), even Ralph, at this point in the novel, starts to realize that the conch isn’t effective anymore and begins to become dubious over the conch by doubting its power. Jack, however, never seems to fully respect the conch, since the conch was one of the reasons he wasn’t picked for chief. Jack, who at that time made his own tribe, even mocks the power of the conch by sneering at the boys for forgetting it and by saying that it “doesn’t count on this end of the island” (pg 150).The power the iridescent conch once had seems to now dwindle, but its value wasn’t completely forsaken by all of the
boys.
Near the end of the novel, the conch shell loses all power and “divine” influence it had over the boys. This is clearly evident when Jack’s tribe raids the other tribe; the boys don’t take the conch which shows that the conch has no value to them. “What can he do more than he has?..You let me carry the conch, Ralph. I’ll show him the one thing he hasn’t got”(pg 171), some like Piggy still want to believe that the conch can bring out the civilization in the boys. As Piggy tries to speak of the importance of having rules and being rescued, Roger rolls a boulder onto Piggy, sending Piggy to his death and crushing the conch into a “thousand white fragments”(pg 181) The destruction of the conch signifies the demise of all civilized instinct among the boys on the island.
After the destruction of the conch everything on the island goes downhill, as the hunting tribe comes into complete control.
Drawn to its pearly pink and white colors, Ralph fished out the conch out of the lagoon and made it into a symbol of power and order. No other symbol in Lord of the Flies holds so much power. It is also clear that throughout the novel, this powerful and sacred object loses its value. When the conch “ceased to exist” (pg 181), it signified the end of reason and order on the island. Golding uses this senseless destruction of the conch to show how humans are more moved toward savagery than by having any sense of authority and order.