The Lord Of The Flies Conch Essay

889 Words4 Pages
News channels continually spew forth world events, illustrating an abundance of examples of societal breakdown. Look no further than the recent outbreak of the deadly Ebola disease in West Africa to see how order can swiftly move to chaos. Previously caring members of the afflicted communities now shun people suspected of carrying the disease. Hospital staff has closed the doors on patients in need of care leaving people to lie dying on roadsides. In his book, The Lord of the Flies, the author, William Golding, crafts a tale of the gradual but incessant erosion of ordered society to a chaotic collapse of civilisation. In the novel a plane crash leaves a group of young English boys stranded on a remote island with no adult supervision.…show more content…
Used to call meetings and conferring the right to speak, the conch represents authority and regulation amongst the boys. The rights bestowed by the conch aid Ralph to be elected leader. The antagonist Jack, initially respects the conch for what it signifies and even after he attempts and fails, to usurp the position of leader, still cares about the authority of the conch. * As the structure of island life starts to disassemble Ralph realises that the power of the conch is not real and it is impotent without agreement and good will in the group. * The group begins to splinter and more people defect to Jack’s group of hunters. Ralph decides not to blow the conch because he senses the boys will no longer respond and prefers not to test the situation. The cataclysmic end to the conch mirrors the total breakdown of civilisation in the story. Jack’s group have spiralled into violence and murder. The conch is annihilated by a massive boulder rolled deliberately by evil Roger, at Piggy who falls to his death. From its initial authority to its destruction the conch symbolises the transition from order to depraved and chaotic life on the
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