What is the conch in Lord of the Flies?

In Lord of the Flies, the conch shell is the first discovery, and it brings the scattered boys together, beginning as a mystical symbol of leadership and order. Ralph uses it to assemble the boys after they are stranded on the island, and as a result, he is elected chief.

Considering this, what does the conch symbolize Lord of the Flies?

The conch represents civil discourse on the island, and only works as long as the boys all believe in its power and the necessity of the idea it symbolizes. Both literally and symbolically the conch is a fragile, vulnerable object, which is why Piggy, Ralph, and even Jack treat it with care.

Subsequently, question is, where is the conch found in Lord of the Flies? Piggy and Ralph find the conch in the novel when they are exploring the lagoon. They work together with Ralph working the palm sapling and Piggy reaching until they retreive the conch from the water.

Keeping this in consideration, why is the conch important in Lord of the Flies?

In the Lord of the Flies, the conch shell represents the rise and fall of democracy through its physical depiction of unity and demise in a society. The conch in this novel was used mainly as a way to keep the boys on the island in-check and organized. Ralph had the power and authority but only by blowing the conch.

What are the rules of the conch in Lord of the Flies?

Ralph establishes the rule that whoever is holding the conch has the right to speak. Anyone else must listen. This is similar to raising one's hand in school and establishes the conch as a symbol of authority. At this point, a democratic order is established around the conch.

34 Related Question Answers Found

What does Jack say about the conch in Chapter 9?

In chapter 9, Ralph and Piggy attend Jack's feast at the other end of the island, and Jack asks if any of Ralph's followers will join his tribe. When Ralph challenges Jack by saying that he possesses the conch, Jack responds by saying, You haven't got it with you . . . You left it behind.

Why are we not given their names at first?

Why are we not given their names first? We are given the imagery first so we can form our own thoughts about the character, then later on the author starts to make the reader feel that they are a character in the story instead of just reading the story.

Why is the conch important?

As such, the conch begins to symbolize rules and civilization. Particularly because Ralph and Piggy are very serious about maintaining rules and order, the conch begins to symbolize those things. Particularly because Ralph uses it to call meetings, the conch is important.

How does the conch get destroyed?

Ralph, who hears the rock falling, dives and dodges it. But the boulder strikes Piggy, shatters the conch shell he is holding, and knocks him off the mountainside to his death on the rocks below. Jack throws his spear at Ralph, and the other boys quickly join in.

How is the Conch a symbol of democracy?

The Conch, which is a big shell that can be seen at the beach symbolizes many things in the Lord of the Flies. The Conch represents power because it once was able to control the boys with it, and it also symbolizes democracy because of anyone who has their ideas and can speak their thoughts.

Why does the conch represent power?

Piggy tries one more time to use the conch as a right to speak. Ralph and Piggy discover the conch shell on the beach at the start of the novel and use it to summon the boys together after the crash separates them. Used in this capacity, the conch shell becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order in the novel.

What do the Littluns represent?

"Littluns" refers to the young boys on the island. They represent the weak and helpless members of society, and are unpopular amongst the older boys. Most of them have unknown names and are made to look like pawns in a game of power. They follow the Biguns and mainly are controlled by Jack Merridew.

What do glasses symbolize?

The spectacles represent the boys' only means of obtaining fire through reflecting the sun's rays, and fire itself is symbolic of survival and rescue. The glasses are also symbolic of Piggy's character; his rational thinking and ability to see a solution to the boys' predicament.

Who said we dont need the Conch anymore?

Jack interrupts Piggy while he is speaking and Piggy defends himself by acknowledging that he is holding the conch. Jack demonstrates his adversarial attitude towards civilization by saying, "We don't need the conch any more. We know who ought to say things.

How does Jack represent savagery?

In Lord of the Flies, Jack represents the savagery or evil in man. He loses his ability to remain civilized while he is stranded on the island. He gives in to his innate savagery and becomes dehumanized. He becomes a wretched evil person.

Why did Jack not kill the pig in Lord of the Flies?

Jack is unable to kill the piglet because he has only just come from his very civilized and orderly world and has not yet tapped into any primal urges. But, he resolves that he will never falter again. In Chapter One, the boys explore the island on which they now find themselves.

What does blowing a conch shell mean?

Sounding the conch shell horn (blowing the conch) is a tradition in the Conch Republic used to call attention to an important event or celebration. It ads a unique, local touch to your wedding ceremony that you will recall anytime you hear the sound of the shell.

What does Piggy's glasses symbolize?

Piggy is the most intelligent, rational boy in the group, and his glasses represent the power of science and intellectual endeavor in society. This symbolic significance is clear from the start of the novel, when the boys use the lenses from Piggy's glasses to focus the sunlight and start a fire.

What do Piggy's broken glasses symbolize?

Piggy's glasses symbolize civilization and when they are broken it symbolizes the destruction of the civilization the boys had at the begining of the book. The conch represents 'Democracy and free speech' or order between the boys and how they could not speak out of turn if they didn't have the conch.

How does the conch changed throughout the story?

To me, the significance of the conch changes when they argue over whether Jack should be quiet while someone else has the conch. Before, the shell was the symbol of authority and the rules. So now the significance of the conch is that it is a symbol of the conflict between the hunters and Ralph's group.

What does the destruction of the conch symbolize?

when the conch is destroyed it signals a shift of power on the island - jack's tribe (representing chaos and savagery) is officially in control. there's no hope for order or coming back after that. so basically if the conch represents civilization, destroying it is the destruction of civilization.

What is the scar often mentioned in Chapter 1?

On a very basic level, the scar is the path that the boys' wrecked plane has cut across the island. Literally, it is the plane's crash site. As chapter one begins, we meet our protagonist, Ralph, and the novel describes the scene as follows: 'All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat.