The Beast And The Conch Analysis

The Beast and the Conch Throughout the novel Lord of the Flies, the young boys on the deserted island face various struggles that test their humanity and innocence. When the boys crash, the protagonist, Ralph, finds a conch. This conch is used to establish order and creates the basis of their society. All is well until rumors of a beast begin to circulate, instilling fear in the children. Panicked and distraught, the group splits and spirals into savagery. The conch is destroyed, along with organization and humanity, while the beast holds authority of the boys through fear. Lord of the Flies uses symbolism to show how an innocent society evolves into savagery. One of the most crucial pieces of symbolism is the conch. Ralph first found the

Starting as a figment of the boys imagination and fear of the dark, the beast drew each boy to care about their own survival rather than the state of the society . Being Ralph’s rival as leader, Jack, says the beast is not real and brings a group to hunt it(Golding 75). On their mission, they discover the deceased pilot from the plane hanging from a tree but mistakenly believe it is the beast, thus greatening the boys fear. The more fearful they are, the more savage and the more primitive they become. As the conches color fades, so does everyone's humanity(Golding 78). Slowly but surely, the group splits. Jack, whom now believes the beast is real, surrounds his group in the beast’s ideals and engulfs them in savagery. His barbarian group killed a mother pig, severed its head, and mounted it on a stick as a sacrifice(Golding 136). To them, the beast was a religion and seemed to bring out mankind's essential illness rather than create evil. The “religion” gained power from fear and humans want for self preservation. On the other hand, Ralph had the conch. His group lived civilly and held assemblies. The conch was a symbol of society and innocence while the beast resembled fear and