G. Galindo
Pre-IB English I
5 September 2013
Conch of Wisdom:
The Importance of the Magic Conch within William Golding’s Lord of the Flies What if you could call everyone in your area just by blowing on a shell? After a plane crash on an island, a group of young men must find their way to survive on their own without any adults around to help. The importance of the conch was to call everyone together, the take turns speaking and because it represented a symbol of civilization. The entire book took place on an island after the plane crash. The important characters from the book were Ralph, Jack, Simon, Piggy, Roger, Sam and Eric. Ralph and Piggy both discovered the conch on the beach and found out how to use it. The conch was used to call all of the boys together to have meetings or to just call everyone. The conch was used during meetings so that the boys can take turns speaking, whoever holds the conch in their hands has the right speak. The conch was a symbol of civilization because the boys have their own rules and ways to be organized. The effect of the shell being broken symbolizes all civilization escaping from the island. The significance of the conch was to get everyone’s attention, to show whose turn it is to speak, and to symbolize civilization and order. From examining this topic, as an audience, one could realize the importance of the conch in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
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