Lord of the Flies Group

Question:

esperanzadc
esperanzadc
Student
High School - 11th Grade

In "Lord of the Flies," is it fitting that the conch and Piggy should share the same common fate?

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Posted by esperanzadc on Friday October 24, 2008 at 8:54 AM and tagged with conch, lord of the flies, piggy, plot, themes.

Answers:

  1. eabettencourt
    eabettencourt Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    Absolutely!  This is one of the most stunning parts of the book.  When Piggy falls to his death, the conch also drops, smashing into innumerable pieces.  Symbolically, Piggy cannot survive on the island without the conch because it represents order and civilization, two things Piggy thrives on.  Once both Piggy and the conch are gone, the boys are free to fully pursue their more savage sides, without any remnants of civilization, order, and rational thinking to interfere. 

    When Golding writes this event, he writes two separate sentences:  the first describing the fall of Piggy, the second that of the conch.  Golding only separates the two sentences with a semi-colon, therefore proving even through his syntax that the two are irrevocably linked.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/flies/character-analysis
    http://www.enotes.com/flies/critical-overview
    http://www.enotes.com/lordoftheflies

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    Posted by eabettencourt on Friday October 24, 2008 at 9:52 AM