Conch Lord Of The Flies Symbolic Analysis
Alvana Ha
11/03/2012
Moradkhan
English 2A
Symbolism in Lord of the Flies A literary symbol is something in literature that stands for something else and may be interpreted in many ways. Lord of the Flies just so happens to be one big allegory, containing many objects that represent abstract ideas or concepts. In the book, symbols begin to change with time as it goes on. The changes also represent what the symbols mean. First off, the conch becomes a symbol of authority as well as law and order when Ralph and Piggy find it shortly after crash landing on the island. “Where’s the man with the trumpet?” (20) supports my theory of the conch being a symbol of authority. When others first hear the conch they believe that it is a trumpet and it is a “man” and not a “boy” who is in possession of the source. This shows that the conch is a sign of sovereignty. The conch is used to call assemblies and only the person holding it is allowed to speak. The boys have imposed this “rule of the conch” on themselves, and thus the conch represents society’s rules, politics, and speech or in shorter terms, law and order. When the conch shatters into pieces, anarchy takes over because any hope of strong, central leadership is destroyed. The specs that Piggy wore upon arrival of the island symbolize clear vision, and technology/society. Throughout the novel …show more content…
It is located in the soul and mind of the boys, leading them to the natural chaos of a society without adults. Simon is the only boy who really discovers what the beast really is, but before he is able to tell the others the truth he is murdered, mistaken as the beast. “and then, the beast might try to come in. You remember how he crawled” (160) is what Jack says to his tribe after the killing of Simon the supposed “beast.” At that point, fear of the beast has taken over the minds of the boys, which means the inner savagery of the boys has completely
11/03/2012
Moradkhan
English 2A
Symbolism in Lord of the Flies A literary symbol is something in literature that stands for something else and may be interpreted in many ways. Lord of the Flies just so happens to be one big allegory, containing many objects that represent abstract ideas or concepts. In the book, symbols begin to change with time as it goes on. The changes also represent what the symbols mean. First off, the conch becomes a symbol of authority as well as law and order when Ralph and Piggy find it shortly after crash landing on the island. “Where’s the man with the trumpet?” (20) supports my theory of the conch being a symbol of authority. When others first hear the conch they believe that it is a trumpet and it is a “man” and not a “boy” who is in possession of the source. This shows that the conch is a sign of sovereignty. The conch is used to call assemblies and only the person holding it is allowed to speak. The boys have imposed this “rule of the conch” on themselves, and thus the conch represents society’s rules, politics, and speech or in shorter terms, law and order. When the conch shatters into pieces, anarchy takes over because any hope of strong, central leadership is destroyed. The specs that Piggy wore upon arrival of the island symbolize clear vision, and technology/society. Throughout the novel …show more content…
It is located in the soul and mind of the boys, leading them to the natural chaos of a society without adults. Simon is the only boy who really discovers what the beast really is, but before he is able to tell the others the truth he is murdered, mistaken as the beast. “and then, the beast might try to come in. You remember how he crawled” (160) is what Jack says to his tribe after the killing of Simon the supposed “beast.” At that point, fear of the beast has taken over the minds of the boys, which means the inner savagery of the boys has completely