Ralph Golding Symbolism

During the last assembly, Golding characterizes Jack as power hungry, suggesting that he is driven by his instinctual desire to be in a position of authority over others. Golding’s use of symbolism illustrates that jack craves the power that the conch, which symbolizes Ralph’s role as chief. Jack attempts to gain this power by proving that he is a “ proper chief ”,unlike Ralph, because he has now “got the conch” and Ralph “would never have gotten us [them] meat.” When Jack’s attempts are met with” uncooperative” and” deadly silence”, he isolates himself, leading to the boy’s departure from civility with the creation of the savage tribe. Through Jack’s departure, Golding’s purpose is to show how society deteriorates when the individual puts