Friday, November 24, 2017

What is a good quote about the conch from Golding's Lord of the Flies that shows the kids being civilized?

Two quotes about how the conch demonstrates civilization on the island include the boys coming when the conch is blown or listening to the person who is holding the conch.
The conch is a special shell that makes a loud sound when you blow into it.  Ralph and Piggy find it, and Piggy tells Ralph to blow into it.  When he does, all of the boys come to join him.  The conch is the thing that brings them all together. 

Signs of life were visible now on the beach. The sand, trembling beneath the heat haze, concealed many figures in its miles of length; boys were making their way toward the platform through the hot, dumb sand. (Ch. 1) 

The boys use the conch from then on to run their meetings.  The person who has the conch is the one who talks, and the other boys are supposed to obey the conch and listen.  It works pretty well for a while. 
When the little kids are afraid that there is a Beastie on the island, one of the littlest kids speaks up at the meeting, which is unusual because they are normally dominated by older kids.  This shows that the conch allows the boys to be more democratic, giving everyone a chance to speak. 

“Let him have the conch!” shouted Piggy. “Let him have it!”
At last Ralph induced him to hold the shell but by then the blow of laughter had taken away the child’s voice. Piggy knelt by him, one hand on the great shell, listening and interpreting to the assembly. (Ch. 2) 

The conch allows for civilization because it symbolizes order and power.  It is what brought all of the boys together, so it has great meaning.  The boys come when called.  They raise their hands.  They listen to the person who has the conch, no matter how small.

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