Power In Lord Of The Flies Conch Essay

Society is full of corruption, authority issues, and abuse of power. All over the world, no nation is ever identified as perfect or ever will be utopian, due to the imperfection of people themselves. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, in a society filled with isolation and dysfunction, civil people become less sane. From the beginning to the end, the former proper British boys, deteriorate into unruly savages. Piggy and Ralph discover a rare shell called a conch and soon after, it becomes a placeholder for authority and civilization throughout the book. In Lord of the Flies, Golding uses the conch as a symbol of communication to convey to the readers that the communicative power provides order in society. In the beginning of the book,

When Piggy and Ralph first arrive on the island, while getting to know each other they discover the unique shell in a lagoon. "S'right. It's a shell! I have seen one like that before. On someone's back wall. A conch he called it. He used to blow it and then his mum would come. It's ever so valuable--" (Golding, 15). When Piggy explains Ralph what the shell can be used for, it introduces the idea of using the shell to signal an assembly of people. At the first assembly containing all the boys, they notice that Ralph was the one who blew the conch. “Him with the shell! Ralph! Ralph! Let him be chief with the trumpet thing.” (Golding, 22) When Jack and Ralph are voted upon, the majority agrees that Ralph should be their chief, due to the fact that he was the one who blew it. The conch calls attention to one person, in an effort to stay organized, and civil. Throughout the book, the conch and Ralph are observed to have a strong connection. "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. The being that had

The communication between the boys weaken and they form into two separate, rivalling groups of Piggy and Ralph against Jack and his guards. When Ralph blows the conch and no one appears, it demonstrates that the conch’s value and significance have been abolished. By this point, the boys have destroyed their chances of having a well organized system, considering the main object that provided them with order is now worthless. When Ralph and Piggy approach Castle Rock to retrieve piggy’s glasses, Jack and Ralph have a fight. Then, Roger rolls a massive boulder on to Piggy, killing him and crushing the conch. "The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist" (Golding, 181). Roger's act of savagery destroys the conch and Piggy, the voice of reason. As the conch shatters, so do the last remnants of civilization and order on the island. Lastly, after everyone realizes the conch has been shattered, they decide to take measures in their own hands. “The conch is gone-- He ran forward, stopping. “I’m Chief” (Golding,181) Jack’s impulse about deciding he will now be chief demonstrates that their order within the island is gone, and Ralph is no longer powerful, meaning that anyone can seize the control. Overall, through the end of the book, the conch goes from losing its purpose,