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How Is The Conch Used In Lord Of The Flies

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In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses symbols for the reader to have a better understanding of the novel. The symbols that Golding uses are the conch and the pig on a stick. The conch is used as a symbol of civilized society and the lifestyle on the island. The pig on the stick symbolizes the savagery and evilness of the boys. Both of the symbols perceive the boys differently. William Golding uses the conch shell as a major symbol for the reader in the novel. Golding uses the conch shell to symbolize a civilized society and how it is used to assemble meetings. “We can use this to call others. Have a meeting. They'll come when they hear us–” (Golding 7). The conch also symbolizes Ralph as the leader.” By the time Ralph finished blowing the conch the platform was crowded” (Golding 18). The conch represents a call for an order. …show more content…

The pig on the stick is referred to the Lord of the Flies, and it symbolizes the beast. The beast represents the evil in the boys. “ They were black and iridescent green and without number; and in front of Simon, the Lord of the Flies hung on his stick and grinned” (Golding 9). The pig on a stick may seem innocent until it grins at Simon. The Lord of the Flies is also manipulative and mind-tricking. "Well then," said the Lord of the Flies, "you'd better run off and play with the others. They think you're batty. You don't want Ralph to think you're batty, do you? " ( Golding 13). He tries to scare Simon by saying that everyone thinks he is the

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Lord of the Flies                                                                    Brianna Poole Symbols are used in everyday life. Symbols such as a conch represent and explain different meanings. Writers use symbols such as this to help readers understand what is taking place in a story without describing it in words. In terms of this Golding uses the conch in the Lord of the Flies as a symbol of power and order to prove civilization is essential in the battle of evil.

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653 Words | 3 Pages

Two of the main characters, Jack and Simon, represent other figures. One of the symbols Golding included in the novel was the conch. The conch represented order and power; it was found by Piggy and Ralph when they first met in the beginning of the story. Each time the conch was blown, a meeting was called. Then soon after, the conch was decided to act as a talking stick.

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1160 Words | 5 Pages

Golding successfully presents the conch shell as a symbol of power as the boys strive to be rescued. During the exposition of the novel Ralph and Piggy discover the conch and soon begin to understand its role on the island. Ralph shouts, “We can use this to call others. Have a meeting,[...]” (Golding 16). The conch is used to assemble the boys and make things civilized.

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497 Words | 2 Pages

In "Lord Of The Flies,"by William Golding, the conch shell is a powerful symbol that represents order, democracy, and civilization on the island. The conch plays a significant role in the novel, and its symbolism evolves as the boys' society as the island changes. "The shell was no longer a thing seen but not to be touched, Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering"(104). This quote illustrates the initial power and respect that the boys have for the conch.

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431 Words | 2 Pages

In chapters five to six of the novel, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, the author uses the conch to symbolize order and power. In chapter five, Ralph uses the conch to have a meeting, using the conch to show that he is the leader and tries to keep the boys in check. In chapter six, the conch lost its power to keep all of the boys in order. Throughout these chapters, the significance of the conch changes. For instance, in chapter five, Ralph uses the conch to call the boys for a meeting.

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981 Words | 4 Pages

He tries to argue that the conch is not necessary, as people should just say what they believe. This represents Jack’s idea that they don’t need to be civilized and instead should just do what they want. Jack rejecting the conch symbolizes his dismissal of civilization and manners. The conch is also a huge symbol of Ralph and his power. It illustrates Ralph’s role and power as leader, but as the conch loses its worth, Ralph loses control over the boys.

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1331 Words | 6 Pages

When Ralph blows the Conch and summons the tribe, they have a vote on who should be chief. “But 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 entire tribe except for the coir votes for Ralph, simply because he had the Conch. I think this could be symbol for power, because of the way all the other kids respond when someone holds it.

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641 Words | 3 Pages

Right from the start, the conch was represented as a way to hold order, as Ralph used it to call assemblies and to determine who was speaking in an orderly way. “‘I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking,’” (Golding 33) said Ralph in an attempt to make rules and order. The conch was used through the entirety of the novel to call assemblies and prevent people from interrupting. Order was held whenever the conch was present.

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567 Words | 3 Pages

For the boys, the shell symbolized the organization of the clan. The conch specialized in bringing everyone together and distinguishing who was talking. In some ways, it expressed democracy's power; the individual who had the conch shell communicated power. Throughout the novel, one may gather that the boy’s organization and civilization began to deconstruct. The band of boys split, leaving two groups:

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762 Words | 4 Pages

The significance of the conch shell is first mentioned in the story as a symbol of law and order. In Chapter 2, Ralph blows the conch to summon the other boys back to the assembly and reports the findings of the excursion. Jack interrupts almost quickly to emphasize the need for an army for pig hunting. Ralph institutes, “‘ Another thing. We can’t have everybody talking at once.

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882 Words | 4 Pages

Symbolism of the Conch in Lord of the Flies by William Golding represents civilization. The novel Lord of the Flies is about a group of boys from England who have been stranded on an island after an airplane crash. They are expected to fend for themselves and are slowly reverting back to their primal savage ways. The group is quickly split into two a savage side and a rational, civilized side. Throughout the novel a key symbol was the conch.

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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.

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1119 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, the conch is a primary symbol, which represents civility and order. Throughout the book it served as a power tool that the boys highly respected, in fact, the symbolism of the conch begins before it is even blown. Ralph is the one who originally discovers and posses the shell, but it’s Piggy who explains it’s significance. Piggy has to teach Ralph how to blow it; this shows how from the beginning the conch is linked with both Piggy and Ralph.

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1036 Words | 5 Pages

This is an example of the rules the conch symbolizes because, when Ralph holds the conch up they all know they need to be quiet and do as he says. Another example that shows the conchs rules is when the author writes ¨He held the conch before his face and glanced around the mouth. ´ Then i 'll give him the conch. ´ ´

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459 Words | 2 Pages

5,431,707. That is the number of baby lives that have been taking from them without their will involved in the past year of 2016. Many more are to come. What if that child held the key to success of our country or other countries? If you think about it, we as americans are nationally in debt above our heads.

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