The Conch Shell In William Golding's Lord Of The Flies

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“Being human is given, but keeping your humanity is a choice”. The conch shell is a natural communication tool the boys find and use within the island. Without it, an order of behavior cannot constructively be established. The gradual fading of color in the conch shows how the boys lose their humanity over time and become uncivilized savages. Unbalanced power in the hands of children will undeniably lead to an uproar of arguments and frustration. The conch shell was the one symbol that bound the boys to society, and kept them fair minded. It was an influential representation of justice and equality, because everyone had their chance to stand up in front of the crowd and give their opinion. The shell’s value was first determined when Piggy …show more content…

Earlier on in the story he had cornered Henry when he was sure no one was around, and began throwing pebbles at him to miss. The point of what Roger had been doing was to see if anyone was going to be like an adult figure and tell him he couldn’t do what he was doing. After guaranteeing that no one will put a limit to his abilities, Roger takes his actions a step further when he kills Piggy while he was delivering his speech about being rescued, not to mention after both of his spectacles had been broken. With “a sense of delirious abandonment," Roger released the boulder that went speeding down the hill and crashing into Piggy, knocking him off a cliff causing him to fall to his death (180). In the process, the conch exploded into thousands of white fragments and ceased to exist. In comparison to the boys humanity and civilization, the moment their adult role model and peace symbol were destroyed was the moment they all lost it. Golding shows the reader that all hope for civilization has been crushed. Both acts of savagery between Roger and Jack were derived straight from the pleasure of others’ suffering. Jack and his hunters have pushed Ralph over the edge to the point where Ralph begins acting as savage as the rest of the boys. This very clear path of savagery throughout the novel leads to the demolishing of the conch and Piggy, the voice of reason, and in several foul movements the remainder of civilization on the island is

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