Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

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Lord of the flies (1954) written by William Golding challenges us to develop a social conscience by demonstrating how others can be negatively impacted by an individual's decisions. It shows how others are then left to deal with the consequences of an individual by communicating the injustices created by humanity. It also communicates to the audience that we all have the potential to be savages and fall into those uncivilised ways. In this novel Golding tells the fictional story of a group of English schoolboys which after their plane is shot down during a war have been left deserted on a island with no adults. Golding explores the idea of human evil which is influenced by his personal experience with the real-life violence and brutality…show more content…
Golding uses many objects/things as a metaphor. The conch shell, piggy’s glasses, the beast, the signal fire and the lord of the flies all represent something. The conch shell is first discovered on the beach at the start of the novel by Ralph and Piggy and they use it to call upon the boys together after the crash separates them. But this is also what seperates them after it is broken along with the death of Piggy. In chapter 11 we see the first direct death in the book with the quote: “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist. […] Piggy's arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pig's after it has been killed.” This directly represents the end to civilisation on the island. As the conch shell came to be a very influential symbol of civilization and order in the novel it breaking has a big impact on the boys. The shell is a representation for political validity and democratic power. Piggy is also another symbol as he is the most rational, intelligent boy on the island. So his death is the point from when everything falls apart with Ralph left alone to try and keep the group of now savage boys
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