"Lord of the Flies" Guiding Question # 2

1/26/2014

Consider the following symbols that appear in the novel:

1. The conch
2. The glasses
3. The spears
4. The parachutist

Choose one. Discuss its use as a symbol of power and include at least one quote from the text to support your analysis. Be specific when discussing power -- what kind of power does it symbolize and is this power beneficial or detrimental to the group's survival?

41 Comments

Joshua Younger

1/26/2014 05:34:29 am

In "Lord of the Flies" the conch, as a symbol of power, means unity. I think that this is the correct symbol because after Ralph finds and blows into the conch, everyone else starts to show up. specifically, when the conch made a "deep, harsh note that boomed".This power is in fact a valuable asset for their survival because more things get done when people work together. For example, the rebels from Star Wars survived by working together against the Empire.

~Tony Marquez

1/26/2014 07:03:39 am

Josh,
I agree with you because the conch does indeed symbolize a society that is united in an island trying to survive using the conch to call off each other. Although, the text does impose a picture of the conch being symbolizing a united tool between the boys, do you think the conch symbolizes something else as well?

Alyssa Welch

1/30/2014 08:50:22 am

As I agree that the conch possibly is the symbol of unity, but I do.t agree that then the conch is blown at anytime in the book it seems to not progress any work. It seems to just diminish it. Like with the fire, or in chapter 8 when Jack blows the conch.

Ethan Adams

1/31/2014 10:56:39 am

Joshua, I agree that the conch symbolizes power, but I would say more power from a political standpoint rather than a brute one. It also shows unity, like you said. Not sure why you pulled the Star Wars reference though...

'Tony Marquez

1/26/2014 06:59:26 am

In the horror and dystopian novel, "Lord of the Flies" written by William Golding many resources are used as symbolism rather than just used as what they really are such as the spears, the conch, and the specs. The spear symbolizes a form of hunting tool used to keep the boys alive by helping them kill pigs and live off of them. They also symbolize a form of protection against the monster if there really is a creature tormenting the boys stranded on the island. It is also symbolizing crime because since the spears were made the boys were armed, started making up the monster being a true thing, and since then the boys have been killing, not necessarily each other but they have been murdering the pigs on the island. "Piggy-where re the spears?" is a thing Ralph says once they suspect the creature is real and they are going hunting, the spears are used as weapons that can be used to murder anything and can be a crime. However, the spears are not just dangerous, they are beneficial because they do pose a survival techniques for the boys as protection.

Lisette Zamora

1/27/2014 12:31:52 am

Tony,
I agree indeed that the spear is a form of symbolism of survival to hunt for animals yet could there be a deeper meaning to it? Generally speaking, the spear demonstrates the change that the boys are taking in society as they are confronting not only puberty but also good vs. evil. The spear kills and could be detrimental to the decisive turning point in the boy's life. They could either choose to be evil or good.

Joshua Younger

1/30/2014 09:12:23 am

I agree, the spears could be a symbol of survival, but the spears mean something else to me. To me, the spears could mean being the leaders of rhe pack, "something" else in particular, or a sign of the chosen ones. I think this because the hunters are the most dangerous in the "pack", the scene where they catch the pig, and the fact that the hunters left the group first, similar to how the hero in a story generally leaves first.

anders harrison

1/26/2014 12:29:04 pm

The conch symbolizes the power of government. The holder of the conch may be the one to speak according to the text. This represents something of a president giving a speech. Everyone has a chance to hold the conch diffusers the power somewhat among the group. Piggy saying " I got the conch. I got the right to speak." Shows this well. While this may be in place, the other children still ignore piggy. This may very well show that "society" is crumbling. That is not a good thing.

Lisette Zamora

1/27/2014 12:25:40 am

In William Golding's novel, "Lord of the Flies", the conch symbolizes power and control. As the primary holder of the conch, Ralph is the leader as all the boys pay attention to what he has to say. At the beginning that is what united all the boys together as a loud melodic sound boomed while Ralph blew. Later on in the narrative, Piggy wishes to express a few words and to express this he says," I got the conch. I got the right to speak". The conch is power and is necessary asset in their survival. It keeps order and maintains the group of boys as a democracy.

Joaquin Barrios

1/27/2014 09:43:05 am

Lisette,
I agree with you, but the conch isn't the only thing that symbolizes all power and strength, as i said in my statement. I feel that the weapons stand for the most control because they are either beneficial or detrimental to the group and its all up to the holder of the weapons.

Sarah M.

1/27/2014 03:38:55 am

The spears symbolize the power of a man. Masculinity provides a patriarchal sort of power. The spears provide a means of hunting and protecting ones self while on the Island. "Lord of the Flies" demonstrates this when the boys need the spears because they begin to suspect that the "Creature" the little boy at the beginning of the book was afraid of was possibly real. Ralph and Jack want to hunt the thing to get rid of it or at least have the power to protect themselves and the others boy should it come after them.

Fernanda Villalobos

1/30/2014 09:01:55 am

Sarah-
I agree with your statement the spears do symbolize power of man and the hunters feel secure and powerful when they have a weapon to defend themselves with. Though do you think the power will affect who they are ?

Fernanda Villalobos

1/27/2014 07:55:22 am

In "Lord of the Flies by William Golding the glasses symbolize the power of knowledge and clear thinking. The glasses are worn by Piggy, the only boy who is capable of thinking situations over and pointing out the flaws. Piggy has brains and the glasses symbolize that knowledge, all the other boys don't have glasses or think the way Piggy does. When the glasses are taken away from Piggy he can no longer see clearly his power of seeing things clearly is taken away. The glasses give Piggy the ability/power to see things in a way others don't. "But Piggy , for all his Ludicrous body, had brains" (78). The glasses symbolize good thinking and are beneficial to the group's survival. The group is stranded and needs a signal to be rescued. Piggy's glasses are taken to start a fire, which if seen by an airplane will be the key to being rescued. The glasses are used in an intelligent way to hopefully resolve the issue of being stranded, a form of warmth and heating source for the meat that is captured. The boys can find another way to start the fire without Piggy's glasses. The glasses are key to starting the fire, which is crucial and beneficial to the groups survival. "We've got to start the fire again.You haven't got Piggy's specs said Jack, so you can't" (115). The glasses symbolize the power of knowledge/good thinking ,and when used properly can be the key to survival.

Claudia Vera

1/27/2014 09:50:01 am

Fernanda,
The glasses of Piggy do symbolize the power of knowledge.The way the Piggy is the only person who has the brains than the other boys shows that he is the unique one in their group who only has the glasses on. The specs is a powerful symbol. It makes Piggy see things more clearly than the other guys. He is the voice of reason.

Susana Bedoya

2/2/2014 12:14:28 pm

I agree with you the glasses do symbloize the power of knowledge and clear thinking. Piggy is clearly the one who has distinct thoughts as the other boys because of the glasses represent knowledge. The glasses were used as a powerful symbols through the book and have helped the boys in the island.

Asia Shields

2/3/2014 08:08:01 am

-Fernanda
I agree with you that the specs are a symbol of power, knowledge, and good thinking. Also I believe that the specs are a barrier for piggy because they hold him back from his true potential, and if they would never have been used to start that fire he would have never discovered this hidden ability.

Joaquin Barrios

1/27/2014 09:39:27 am

In "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding, the spears seem to be the strongest symbol of power. I say this because it is used to kill animals in order for food the help the group survive. Also the holder of the spear gets a level of masculinity and respect from the others as if they are in charge. Even though the conch seems to be the most powerful, the spear is second in line and but has the most power and control over everything. Compared to the Ottoman Empire where the Sultan (the main leader) and Grand Vizier (second in charge but more powerful). For the most part, the spears are beneficial to the group, for hunting and killing off predators. But it can also be detrimental because the sense of betrayal lingers with in the group and that can potentially cause the holder of the spears to began killing off the rest of the group so that they can survive longer and wouldn't have to worry about the survival of others.

Eddie Marmolejo

1/28/2014 09:06:00 am

I agree with your opinion with the spears..although not with the fact that their the strongest symbol of power. Yes, I understand where your coming from with your reasoning but wouldnt you think you would require atleast some intellegence in order to kill? The glasses are a great example of this... they symbolize intellegence and wisdom and without those abilities, it would be impossible to hunt. On the other hand, I like the way you included reasoning from history to prove your point. Never would have thought of that~ c:

Claudia Vera

1/27/2014 09:43:18 am

Through out the novel, "Lord of the Flies," by William Golding has many symbols that show power in the book. For example, the conch, the specs, the spears , and finally the parachutists.The one symbol I will talk about is the conch. The conch shows power of who is in charge of the group. Who is able to talk and be listen to. "That's what this shell is called. I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking." (page 33) It shows social order. "And another thing. We can't have everybody talking at once. We'll have to 'Hands up' like at school." (page 33)When they got the idea of having the person with the conch to speak it made the group assemblies easier to talk. In this way it shows social order. It's also all about respect. The one holding the conch can address to the crowd. Thus, the conch shows social order, respect and control in the book of "Lord of the Flies."

Anahi Figueroa

1/27/2014 10:07:45 am

Claudia, I agree on your agreement. The conch for sure represents power in society. However, do you think the conch manipulates the children in the island to accept Ralph as a leader or is Ralph consider a leader by his character traits?

Ali Theorine

1/27/2014 11:49:48 am

In "Lord of the Flies by William Golding the spears symbolizes hunting tool used to help the boys to kill the pigs. Also protecting ones self while on the Island. "Piggy where are the spears?"

Lilybeth Valles

1/27/2014 12:00:10 pm

In William Golding's novel, "Lord of the Flies", the parachutist symbolizes the fear that the boys have on the island.I believe he also symbolizes the beginning of a great fall as many of the boys now are more savage and don't follow the rules, civilization among the boys is pretty much destroyed.The parachutist is reffered to as the beast since Jack, Ralph, and the others found him & confused it to be the beast that is such a big part in every mind of every boy on the island.This causes the boys to act in an even more savage way and even the group to split into two parts at last where the leaders have different motives.Golding writes in his novel, "Call me a coward then.' Jack turned to the hunters. 'He's (Ralph) not a hunter... He just gives orders and expects people to obey for nothing..."(Golding,126).Here, both Ralph & Jack, the two boys fighting for leadership have admitted they're both fearful of the beast, even calling eachother cowards. The parachutist has caused even the leaders to show fear of the beast like everyone else, savagery to rise, & the boys who are all stranded on an island to split and have different motives.

Anahi Figueroa

1/27/2014 12:49:06 pm

In Golding's, "Lord of the Flies", Piggy's glasses suggest knowledge. For example, since the beginning of the novel, the speaker uses Piggy's glasses to symbolize knowledge. Even in today's modern society, glasses represent knowledge. Furthermore, Piggy's glasses symbolize knowledge because even in the beginning of the novel, Piggy acquires helpful communication ideas that helped the children communicate with the conch. " His specs- use them as burning glasses"(40). Piggy's glasses become a key of acquiring knowledge. The glasses becomes an allegorical symbol throughout the novel. The fact that Piggy's glasses are a key of knowledge that are crucial for the story. In conclusion, Piggy's specs comes to symbolize the knowledge and the benefit from being stranded on an island.

Shanel Francisco

1/31/2014 06:54:38 am

Anahi, I agree with the fact that you believe the glasses symbolize knowledge. I believe without the specs, the group wouldn't have survived as long as they have, but mostly because the specs in a way "gave" the boys fire.

Ethan Adams

1/28/2014 06:33:03 am

Piggy's glasses are a constant symbol of power. They have the power of fire. Since the glasses are the only fire starter the kids have they are of great importance. The glasses also represent knowledge. This goes toward the saying "knowledge is power." Piggy's.glasses are the first and arguably the most important.

Angel Salazar

1/28/2014 11:46:48 am

I agree with you Ethan.The glasses are of great importance in this novel.The fact that the fire is the main priorty and the only way to get out of the island is great but without the glasses there wouldn't be no fire and therefore the glasses are a great and powerful symbol in this novel.

Eddie Marmolejo

1/28/2014 08:57:41 am

The glasses show a great amount of power, symbolizing knowledge and wisdom. The glasses are one of the most needed in order for survival, and the carrier can have complete dominace when it comes to heat, light, and overall a way of survival. Piggy out of all is cleary the only one capable of controlling their situations and thinking things through.. therefore it seems most reasonable for the glasses to be his. On the other hand, when the glasses are constantly taken away by jack or ralph, they take his ability of knowledge and wisdom. The glasses serve the most importance for rescue. Its the only way the boys can give out a signal for salvation. ""Piggy's specs!" Shouted ralph. "If the fires all out, we'll need them" he stopped shouting and swayed on his feet. Piggy was only just visible, bumbling up from the beach. Ralph looked at the horizon, then up to the mountain. Was it better to fetch piggy's glasses, or would the ship have gone?" (Pg. 67) this passage shows how dependent the boys are on the glasses, as well as how important the glasses are. This type of power is mostly beneficial for the group because it gives them even the smallest chance of being rescued.

Angel Salazar

1/28/2014 11:41:42 am

In the novel "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding there is a lot of symbolism used in a very good way.The most noticeable one would be the "conch."The conch is a very powerful symbol in this novel.It is a symbol of authority, as it allows people to speak in the nightly meetings of the young boys.Piggy is the one that Illustres and really brings it to life.Whenever Piggy wants to talk he uses the conch to speak,"oh great fatty has something to say, I GOT THE CONCH so let me speak."Piggy continuously says this and they always let him speak.The conch is a great symbol of authority.

Shanel Francisco

1/28/2014 11:46:38 am

In "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding, symbols of power are used as beneficial or detrimental to the group's survival. One of these symbols include the conch which symbolizes civilization and control. For example, in chapter 5, "He faced the place of assembly and put the conch to his lips. The others were waiting for this and came straight away." This proves that the conch has control over the boys to make them follow the sound, like lost puppies. This kind of power over the children is beneficial to Ralph because it gives him the authority to say what goes. The conch also represents civilization because it gives the boys something to "worship", something that they need in order to keep themselves under control. In conclusion, the conch symbolizes civilization and control which is beneficial.

Cynthia Sanchez

1/28/2014 12:11:25 pm

I agree that the power the conch has over the children is great and that it is almost as if they worship it. But would the control it has over them eventually be detrimental if it causes them to turn against each other in a fight for power?

Cynthia Sanchez

1/28/2014 12:06:47 pm

In William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" the re-occuring symbol of the conch represents hope, civilization, and power.In the beginning of the book it represented hope because it united the boys and with them being together, in created hope that with each others help they can get off the island. It represents civilization because the boys use it when they need to talk. This is shown where it says " Simon opened his mouth to speak but Ralph had the conch, so he backed to his seat."(p.86) The conch's power is shown when they fought over the conch. The text says,"There was a sound of brief tussle and the conch moved to and fro.Ralph...wrestled the conch from someone and sat down breathlessly."(p.90) This shows the strong hold the conch has over the boys.

Kayla Prieto

1/30/2014 11:02:16 pm

The Conch symbolizes Power: Power in society and power of one. Anyone could speak if they're holding the Conch. If your not holding the conch you have to listen and not speak. This way things stay under coontrol within the group of the boys, so they wont talk over eavhother. " We cant have everyone talking at once, we'll have to "hands up" like at aschool. (page 33) The conch keeps their society not so crazy and not have a lot of problems. Also, its power over one because it gives you the right to speak, without gettiing interrupted. The boys will respect you if you have the conch in your possesion. they'll have to listen to you now. "I got the conch, "said Piggy bleakly. HE turned to RAlph. " I got the conch, aint I Ralph ... I got the right to speak." (page 45)

Shanel Francisco

1/31/2014 06:49:59 am

Kayla, I agree with you that the conch symbolizes control. But when it doesn't automatically give control because almost every single time Piggy has the conch, he is interrupted.

Shanel Francisco

1/31/2014 06:50:34 am

Kayla, I agree with you that the conch symbolizes control. But it doesn't automatically give control because almost every single time Piggy has the conch, he is interrupted.

Susana Bedoya

2/2/2014 12:28:23 pm

In "Lord of the Flies" the glasses were a great symbol of power because it symbolized strength and knowledge. The glasses are a symbol of strength because helped the boys to make fire in the island. The text says, " You haven't got Piggy's specs said Jack, so you can't." This power is beneficial because it helps to stay alive in the island

Iona Martinez

2/4/2014 05:07:38 am

Susana I agree with the symbol of strength because without Piggy's specs there would be no fire to help their survival instincts.

Asia Shields

2/3/2014 08:02:01 am

In William Golding's novel "Lord of the Flies" the conch shell was a great symbol of power because without it there would be no order and then everyone would be in chaos, and then nobody would have any power. Whoever has the conch gets to speak what they want like it says in the book, "And another thing. We can't have everybody talking at once. We'll have to "hands up" like at school."(Golding, 33) This is a solution to keeping order on the island and to keep it in one piece. The conch overall is just a huge symbol of authority.

Kayla Prieto

2/11/2014 01:05:33 am

I had the same thoughts about the symbol of the conch, but now that we read more into the book, Even if Piggy or Ralph had the conch they were being interrupted by Jack and his tribe. So at first the conch is a symbol of power but by the end the conch doesnt really mean anything.

Noemi Galdean

2/4/2014 03:19:15 am

I believe that the spears represent a phallus symbol in the book "The Lord of the Flies". For example when the kids Ralph, Piggy and Roger chase down the "Female" pig and start cutting down with a spear but the fact that the pig is screaming and wanting to run away that can represent "rape" in todays society. The fact that there were no woman in the island and the fact that the little kids chased her down and killed her with a "spear" that represents a penuis in todays society and it represents rape and abuse towards woman and teenage girls. It represents how girls or females these days get chased down by guys and they get raped or hurt by not being able to run away from them.

Iona Martinez

2/4/2014 05:04:35 am

In William Golding's novel, "Lord of the Flies", the conch symbolizes power. The Conch symbolizes power because once the conch is possed by someone they gain the power to speak.The boys will respect whom ever is in possesion of the Conch.The Conch is the necessary boon or the important item that leads them to their survival.

Jennifer Mijares

4/1/2017 03:18:28 pm

Book Blog

"Lord of the Flies" Guiding Question # 2

Leave a Reply.

Archives

Categories