Lord Of the Flies

The role of the conch changes ends of the spectrum from the beginning to the end of the story. At the beginning of the story the conch shell represented the humane and organized side of the boys and the island. The shell also gave the boys a sense of power. For example, “ …there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch”(page 22). The conch is the main reason why Ralph was elected chief; the boys felt he was powerful because he possesse

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When Ralph’s power was at its low point, the importance of the conch shell lost its signifiance. In addition, during the reinactment of the hunt, the boys chant, “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!” (page 152). Ralph was the first leader they elected to lead and the conch was the symbol that represented their need for order and responsibility. Jack and his followers created the Lord of the Flies as an emblem of their determination to conquering their fear of the beast. For example, during a group meeting Jack spoke out of turn saying “we don’t need the conch anymore, we know who ought to say things”(page 101). During Ralph’s reign as chief, he was able to control and organize the boys with the ruling conch shell. Jack was able to use the sow’s head to establish himself as chief and provide protection from the beast. It no longer had anything to do with the need for food, only the feeling they got from the act. As their survival needs shifted from civilized to barbaric, so did the importance of the symbols.

In conclusion, Golding shows how the drive for power and survival can overtake ones sense of logic and morality. This shows that the boys became so overwhelmed with the admiration of conquering the beast that they became obsessed with the will to kill. Civilized thinking declined and savage ways began to take over.

Common topics in this essay:
William Golding, Lord Flies, lord flies, conch shell, , beginning story, beast lord flies, stranded island, power boys, sows head, killing sow, beast lord,

Approximate Word count = 699
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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