1970 Also. Choose a work of recognized literary merit in which a specific inanimate object (e.g., a seashell, a handkerchief, a painting) is important, and write an essay in which you show how two or three of the purposes the object serves are related to one another.
Order and governing are necessities in any society. Without a leader, and the people obeying that leader, a society would turn into a state of chaos, full of violence and insane people fighting for power. In the Novel Lord of the Flies, the author chooses to use a physical object to get this important point across to the reader. Throughout the story, a conch shell is used to symbolize civilization, order, and a powerful way of governing. It is also used to show the reader the way in which the boys were accustomed to being governed before they crashed on a deserted island and were left to fend for themselves. When it gets down to it, the conch shell is an object that has great symbolism for government.
Ralph is a natural leader. Once the boys crashed on the island, Piggy, a smart, chubby boy, finds the Conch Shell. Ralph takes the conch and blows it, getting everyone’s attention. He talks to them and tries to figure out the best way to have control and keep everything sane. The boys agree, to call a meeting, the conch must be blown. They also decide that whoever is holding the conch is the only one who may talk and voice their opinion. These ideas keep a level of civilization and order the boys follow to keep everything controlled and running smoothly. Some of the boys, including Jack and his tribe, rebel and do not follow the conch’s rules. This causes the government and order the conch has to be brought down and questioned by all. The conch shell is a symbol of control and government that is played with throughout the novel.
The boys stuck on the island have an idea of government in their minds they think will be most effective. They have watched how the adults in their society back home interact with each other and how the government works best in general. These presumptions the boys have about the interaction of people and government are brought to the island. The conch is a symbol of government the boys are familiar with and feel will be most successful due to observing adults back home.
The conch shell plays an important role in the story, not only bringing the boys a sense of unity and control, but also a government set up that they are comfortable with due to the adult leadership seen in their lives. Order and government make up the conch’s main function, making the fight for power significant within the story.
I remember reading this novel a while ago, and I remember talking about all of the symbols used in it as well, and based on what I do know, I feel like this does an excellent job at analyzing the symbols, especially the conch shell. The conch shell was more or less the most important symbol, as I remember, and your analysis of it is detailed and well written. However, I don't quite see how you analyzed the two meanings of the conch shell to be interrelated. Also, I felt like the conclusion could have been a bit more... conclusive?
ReplyDeleteGreat job though! I completely agree with your analysis!
Erin
Hi Kelly! Overall, I thought you did a great job with this analysis. I think the point about the conch shell symbolizing government and order was completely accurate. You showed this well when you talked about how the kids on the island try to remember what the government is like back at home with the adults, and how they try to make this same system work for themselves as well. The only thing that I would suggest is the author's intentions in putting the shell in the story weren't very clear. Maybe you could state the reasons why it is important to have the shell in the story in the first place. Also it seems to be a little bit redundant, since it says what the conch represents a number of times. If you change those two things, then I think it will be a great paper!
ReplyDelete- Nikki
Hello again. I think you made some good points in this, particularly about how the conch represents familiarity to the system the boys knew back home. This was a good point that i think you could have elaborated on. You spend most of the essay summarizing the book, which isn't necessary and slows you down. You mention two aspects of the conch in the novel, but don't expand on them, which i think is the point of the essay. Also, you dont really mention the way that the two functions of the conch are related to each other, which is a part of the prompt. I think that this essay could benefit from removing most of the summary and replacing it with analysis. I like your organization and writing style though, and i think we wrote this before we talked about how to break down a thesis, haha.
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