ipl-logo

Civility In William Goulding's Lord Of The Flies

469 Words2 Pages

When you hear the word civility, you associate it with manners, and remember those moments when your parents nagged you about putting your napkin in your lap and saying your thank you’s. These skills are not naturally known, they have been taught over the years throughout history. Take that all away, and what would you have? The answer is in William Goulding 's Lord of the Flies, when a group of boys get stranded on an island with no rules, parents, or civilization. Over time, their previous life begins to disappear, and with that comes this barbaric side that brings chaos and destruction. Once the boys accumulate, they vote for a chief, electing Ralph, as he is in possession of the conch who brought them together; "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." (Goulding 22). The conch has given Ralph authority and sets him apart from the other boys. When they get out of hand, all Ralph has to do is remind them who is in power; ”You voted me for chief. Now you do what I say.’ They quieted, slowly, and at last were seated again. Ralph dropped down and spoke in his ordinary voice” (Goulding 89). In this way, Ralph symbolizes order and balance. …show more content…

The opposite of this character is Piggy, representing civilization and logical thinking. When the boys all assemble, Piggy is the only one who tries to make an effort to learn their names: ¨Piggy moved among the crowd, asking names and frowning to remember them. The children gave him the same simple obedience that they had given to the man with the megaphones”(Goulding ?). This quote relates him to a man with a megaphone, and in this way he symbolizes life back home. This means that when Piggy dies, all civilization is lost, along with the conch; "exploding into a thousand white fragments" (11.209). In these ways, the main characters symbolize different parts of the human mind; savagery, civility, and

Show More
Related
1016 Words | 5 Pages

Lord of the Flies Double Entry Journal #1 Conch “But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out; there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely there, yet most powerfully there was the conch” (22). While voting for a leader, Ralph is singled out and chosen due to the presence of the conch. The conch is a symbol of power—as well as a representation of law and democracy. When Ralph is found blowing the conch by the other boys, he is seen as the most capable and right leader.

Read More
546 Words | 3 Pages

Ralph represents order within society. He decides to use the conch as an object to hold meetings and attempt to maintain order. Ralph is athletic and organized. He makes most of the calls in terms of what to do next. Although Piggy is intelligent, Ralph’s looks surpass his intelligence when the group of boys voted for a leader.

Read More
857 Words | 4 Pages

Instead of giving up on the boys he is determined to keep going in his new system. He gathers the boys and tells them, “Look at us!... And yet we can’t keep a fire going to make smoke… Can’t you see we ought to – out to die before we let the fire out?”(81). The system crumbles under Ralph, yet it does deteriorate Ralph from his goal. It fuels him to achieve more and increases his determination to help the boys.

Read More
1230 Words | 5 Pages

In the Roman Empire, England, France, and the Middle East, ever since people have been around, there has always been conflict and fighting. A common theme in war is inhumanity. For example, in World War I mustard gas would produce terrible blisters on soldiers who were exposed to it. Empathy for those suffering young men was not present in those causing the pain.

Read More
1008 Words | 5 Pages

The same up here as down there" (Golding 42). This indicates that the conch has power over where the meetings are, which is where people’s points are heard out and the important things are said. This is to control and set the authority of the conch. The conch indicates the theme of control by showing that the conch was why Ralph was picked to be the leader and control the tribe, along with the conch dictating where a meeting is held on the

Read More
318 Words | 2 Pages

While in the water they save an adult from drowning. When they arrive at the island, Ralph and Piggy find a conch. Ralph calls an assembly with the conch. When all of the boys gather around Ralph, they decide to have a vote over who should be leader. Ralph is elected leader, and Jack becomes annoyed with the group.

Read More
808 Words | 4 Pages

Alongside the beach, Piggy discovers a beautiful conch shell, “covered with a delicate, embossed pattern” (16). Being ever resourceful, Piggy tells Ralph to blow into the conch to alert any surviving boys on the island, which heavily symbolizes the conch as an emblem of communication and diplomacy, bringing the boys together under the same ideals. Gathering on “a great platform of pink granite” (12), the young boys commune together and decide to instill a set of rules, including an agreement to only allow the person holding the conch to speak during meetings. The boys also choose Ralph to be chief, solely off of the power he exudes with the conch in his grasp. Golding portrays a heavy sense of irony in Piggy’s discovery of the conch, as though much of the planning and Ralph’s new role as chief is because of Piggy.

Read More
821 Words | 4 Pages

Piggy tells him to blow into the conch Ralph does and then other kids hear it and go to Ralph and Piggy. They then have a meeting in which the kids vote for the leader and Ralph wins the vote due to him having the conch. So early in the book we already see the power the conch has in winning Ralph the vote to become chief. In the text it says “Let him be chief with the trumpet-thing.” It is very influential because whoever has the conch it is believed that they should speak uninterrupted.

Read More
1951 Words | 8 Pages

In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses items and people to symbolize many different things. These symbolic things include Piggy’s glasses, Simon’s epilepsy, the Lord of the Flies, and arguably the most important symbol, the conch shell. The conch shell was first found in the water by Piggy, who then comes up with the idea of using the conch as a blow horn to call for meetings. Throughout Lord of the Flies, the conch shell becomes not only associated with Ralph and his leadership, but with Piggy and his intuitive and wise ideas and Jack and his dictator-like, irresponsible authority. The conch shell, representing law and order, assisted in the election of Ralph as chief and ultimately determines the future of the island.

Read More
549 Words | 3 Pages

“Let him be the chief with the trumpet thing” (Unknown page 22). Ralph was elected chief because the sound of the conch resounded throughout the island to gather survivors. This shows that the conch represents authority and power. Ralph would blow the to council a meeting and be able to silence everyone by holding it up. There

Read More
1193 Words | 5 Pages

Ralph notices the discord but resolves it by enforcing, “I 'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he 's speaking” (Golding 33). The conch represents the discipline of the boys and their civilization. Since Ralph thought to use the conch as a speaking system, the conch represents his leadership and authority over the boys. It also represents his authority because he is the only boy that does not need the conch to speak.

Read More
434 Words | 2 Pages

At first glance, Ralph is a central character who starts and completes William Golding novel The Lord of the Flies. From the onset of the novel, he is described as a “fair boy” with an “attractive appearance” (p7, 29). The author compares his stature as that of a boxer, “as far as width and heaviness of shoulders went, but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil” (p11). He has the physique and presence of a typical leader – strong but with a kind heart that makes him trustworthy.

Read More
836 Words | 4 Pages

Human behaviors are easy to be changed by the experiences and environment. As the time passes by, the changed behaviors can be worse or better than before. However, most people become worse because of the specific experiences in their life time. In Lord of the Flies, the changes of behavior are occurred obviously in the characters of Jack, Roger, and Ralph.

Read More
808 Words | 4 Pages

The boys believe that Ralph should be the leader due to his possession of the conch. The conch represents civilization and democracy on the island. No matter someone’s social profile, if they are holding the conch, they are the person everyone has to listen to. Holding the conch, Piggy says, “I got the conch, you let me speak!” (Golding 42) after losing his temper.

Read More
1009 Words | 5 Pages

In society, there are many standards that people must uphold to. In western society, it is uncommon for men to have long hair or for women to have short hair. Naturally, people will be conscientious of their differences between other people and try to change them or cover them up, and often times people who do not follow the standard are looked down upon. This leads to people trying to fit into the groups around them almost thoughtlessly. However, when people conform without thinking, it can lead to dangerous consequences.

Read More

More about Civility In William Goulding's Lord Of The Flies

Open Document