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Barbarism In Lord Of The Flies Research Paper

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Noah A. Shelanski Fritz English 2H Set 6 26 October 2017 An Anticipated Evolution: Civility to Barbarism in the Children of Lord of the Flies There are many laws and unspoken and logical rules that keep society civil. In the beginning of Lord of the Flies, Roger finds himself throwing miniscule stones at the younger boys, however missing them, due to the conditioning of society. This is a result of the little boys being protected by policemen, parents, school and the law. It is also evident and true that there are other factors that allow for civility to prosper in humanity, some of which are present on the island with the boys, but some factors are extremely scarce. But it is when these factors are mostly absent or diminish, that the idea …show more content…

One form in which the conch creates civility is allowing order during the meetings, in the method of allowing the boy who holds the conch, to obtains its power, and is allowed to talk while others listen and watch attentively. This action during meetings is only effective with the conch, no one person has power, not even Ralph, it is when they have the conch that they receive that supremacy. Although the conch served as a good foundation of a civil society, due to factors of human behavior and the environment the boys are in, it’s authority begins to diminish. This process begins most profoundly when Ralph decides not to blow the conch after a troublesome meeting, to call for order. “If I blow the conch and they don’t come back; then we’ve had it” (Golding 92). This shows the beginning of the decline in civility present on the island, and within the boys. The boys begin to disregard the conch, and the civility it creates. Now, with this mindset, the boys begin to drift towards savagery, and the conch can physically be seen to lose its glory, and also, it’s symbolic authority. “…the fragile white conch…” (Golding 155). Now, the symbolic powers of the are vulnerable to fading completely, this description of the conch and its abilities comes after the death of Simon, which begins a blood lust and the decay of their civilized …show more content…

This division is seen between Jack and Ralph mainly, but also the struggle between civility and savagery. Jack wants, and needs to kill for meat, while using any means that he finds necessary. This concept that he can do as he wished for what he thinks is best for the group is a dangerous path to travel. Contrastingly, Ralph would like to continue with the order they have and stay civil, seen in little details. This creates a further transition to savagery, since the majority of boys neglect the conch, and disdain order. They begin to believe there is nothing present on the island to stop their cruelty. The conch and its symbolic powers are finally dismissed by the boy’s when severe savagery is unleashed. “…the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (Golding 181). Roger has fulfilled his need to kill again, and this act of violence has resulted in the obstruction of the last crumb of hope for civility by crushing the conch, when it “ceased to exist”. The only thing able to replace this hope is chaos. The absent of a higher authority leads the boys to the same reality as the adult world, complete destruction where there is no option to stop or go back, due to the magnitude of viciousness and savagery present on this

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The conch shell loses its power and influence over the boys as their island civilization deteriorates and they fall into savagery. The smashing of the conch shell symbolizes the demise of the civilized instinct within a majority of the boys on the island. The Signal Fire- It burns on the mountain and the beach; to grab the attention of passing ships that could potentially save the boys.

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Civilization turned Savage In Lord of the Flies, Golding makes use of multiple symbols to represent his view on human nature. And yet, the most common motif/symbol was the Conch. The conch symbolizes a democratic process, and a civilization and it has a magnificent effect on the readers. The boy who holds the conch has the right to speak at meetings, which is why the conch essentially controls them.

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The conch symbolizes the authority held within the group, keeping in mind that whoever has possession is responsible for speaking. Likewise, Golding demonstrates how authority only has power when society agrees that it does, “They looked at him with eyes that lacked interest in what they saw...” (44). The boys seem to give Piggy no type of attention when he expresses his thoughts and point of view on how to improve their lifestyle on the island. Despite the fact that Piggy is very smart, the others just notice his weight and insecurities which they often take advantage of.

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