Conch Shell In Lord Of The Flies

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A simple object; not too big but not ignored. No explicit meaning or value, but still present throughout. This is known as a symbol. Something, an object or an item, added to a novel to add more depth, emotion and meaning; adding an explanation to everything throughout the novel. Usually, goodness prevails and all is well. In William Golding’s Lord of The Flies it is seen that the symbols reinforce the message that the inherent darkness of humanity will prevail over goodness. The conch shell is a strong symbol of sophistication and order, but as the boys descend into savagery, civilization and the conch’s meaning erodes. Piggy’s glasses hold the rationality, knowledge and civility of the island. As the glasses break, so does the society they live in. The…show more content…
As the boys descend into savagery, the meaning of these symbols deteriorates along with the boys’ conscience. When the plane crashes and the boys arrive on the island, they discover the conch shell and it is used to bring order amongst them. At the start of the novel, Ralph and Piggy meet and use the shell to call the boys together. After the boys assemble, they use the conch to keep peace and identify who is speaking, “‘Then I’ll give him the conch.’ ‘Conch?’ ‘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’” (Golding 31). The conch shell is what holds order in the boys’ meetings, whoever holds the shell, holds the right to speak. The conch teaches the boys to have respect and patience for each other, representing discipline and organization. As the civilization breaks down and the boys collapse into savagery, the conch shell starts to lose its power and impact among them. As the boys stop paying attention to the conch and its meaning, Ralph continues to refer back to the shell in hopes of bringing order back, “Ralph got up and went to the conch. He took the shell caressingly with
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