In what way are two of the following important to our understanding of the plot and ideas in the novel?
In what way are two of the following important to our understanding of the plot and ideas in the novel?
Fire
Glasses
Conch
Theses three elements obtain unique characteristics that represent symbolism, which gives us a clearer example of their uses involved in the plot and ideas of the novel. Their symbolism is an important part of the development of the story. They demonstrate the key issues, which are important to maintain a civilised world. Society holds everyone together, and without these conditions, our ideals and the basics of right and wrong are lost. As each of these elements fade away so does order and hope of a civilised community. People will also abuse power and will often single out another to improve their own security. We learn that without society's firm rules anarchy and savagery can come as a consequence.
Conch
The conch is a fundamental part in the story. It was the first important element to be 'spotted' by Ralph.
'Something creamy lay among the ferny weeds'.
This gives us an expectation that something as pretty like this represents the beginning of an organised order (the conch) amongst people who don't have the value of respect (the thorns). Also by the beautiful descriptions of the eye-catching shell we learn from the phrases,
'In colour the shell was deep cream, touched here and there with fading pink ... and covered with a delicate, embossed pattern'.
The beauty of the shell also demonstrates its weakness, being brittle representing the order and authority being brittle itself. We also learn how fragile the conch is afterwards by the repetitive reminder of Piggy,
'Careful! You'll break it-'.
Piggy is fascinated by the shell and appreciates it as he 'cradles' it, showing again that it is weak,
'Piggy paused for breath and stroked the glistening thing'.
At the beginning where Ralph and Piggy work together as a team to accomplish the task of collecting and being able to use the shell, we discover a united symbol shared amongst the boys. They together combine their intelligence (Piggy) and physical strength (Ralph) to the sense of a single body. Piggy can only supply his knowledge as to the operation of the conch whereas Ralph learns to perform the tasks,
'He said you blew from here' - Piggy
'Hit the shell with air from his diaphragm' - Ralph
The conch represents authority and the ...
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At the beginning where Ralph and Piggy work together as a team to accomplish the task of collecting and being able to use the shell, we discover a united symbol shared amongst the boys. They together combine their intelligence (Piggy) and physical strength (Ralph) to the sense of a single body. Piggy can only supply his knowledge as to the operation of the conch whereas Ralph learns to perform the tasks,
'He said you blew from here' - Piggy
'Hit the shell with air from his diaphragm' - Ralph
The conch represents authority and the call of civilisation as the tool itself is used to assemble all the survivors from the plane crash,
'Signs of life were visible now on the beach', 'A child had appeared among the palms' and also 'a party of boys'.
This shows that the power of the conch was able to guide and draw the lost people into a single 'crowd' where they were able to join in a united meeting. The meeting concluded with appointing a leader to take control. Piggy had felt Jack was the 'more obvious leader',
'But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out ... yet most powerfully, there was the conch'.
As the majority of the people were able to respond to the sound of the shell they instantly felt as their instinct it was necessary to have Ralph as their leader.
'Him with the shell' and 'Let him be chief with the trumpet-thing'
Here it is apparent that because of the conch, it makes the shell-holder to be seen as very important.
In the beginning of Chapter 2, the conch again is used to call meetings where a number of things were discussed.
'I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking'.
This shows that the person holding the conch had the power, as no one was allowed to 'interrupt' him. The conch created order and rules since it was called as everyone had to listen. Even Jack had respected it,
'Jack held his hand out for the conch'.
Later when Jack refused to use the conch and swore to the rules, he was in fact opposing the original social order because a society needs rules.
'Jack! You haven't got the conch' and 'bullocks to the rules',
This symbolises that human nature creates a newer standard if they rebel at authority. The new standard, which involved war paint symbolised the rejection of society and their savage inner selves.
When Piggy is killed he is still holding the shell and trying to maintain the order,
'Piggy still holding the talisman, the fragile, shining beauty of the shell'
The mention of 'fragile' ensures the expectation of the shell about to destroyed,
'the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist'
The destruction of the shell symbolises the loss of authority on the island, which leaves only Ralph to fight for survival.
Fire
The signal fire at the beginning represents hope for the people trapped on the island and their chance of rescue by communicating with the outside world,
'If a ship comes near ... we must make smoke on top of the mountain'.
Eventually a ship does pass but because the signal fire was out their chances of rescue were obliterated. The fire going out symbolizes the absence of hope but Ralph firmly believes the fire is the most important thing,
'we ought to die before we let the fire out'.
The fire itself was initially a community point whereby everyone had worked together as a team to make the signal fire,
'the tiny children went and did their best among the leaves and broken branches' and 'Together they ... crashed the log on to the great pile'
Afterwards the team were rewarded with a fire and learned that the best way to create smoke was to 'put on green branches'. When a ship had passed oblivious to the island, we see a symbolic end to the community because the original teamwork had failed to work together for their chance of rescue. As this dies out we see the start of a power struggle between Jack and Ralph because they both have different intentions. Jack is concerned with, 'pig, pig, pig', and Ralph with the shelters and fire.
Each time a fire is created Piggy's spectacles, 'burning glasses' were used to create the fire. The glasses symbolized knowledge and insight. Piggy was able to give advice like the signal fire while he had them. The fire was created because of the glasses. When 'one side's broken' because of Jack, society begins to dissolve and everything falls apart. The glasses symbolize an inevitable way towards anarchy and evil.
Next time when a fire is created, something terrible happens to a 'little 'un' with a 'mark on his face'. He is killed in the uncontrollable flames as,
'A tree ... exploded like a bomb' and 'The crowd was as silent as death'.
The explosion demonstrates the destructive force of the fire, as it was able to kill the boy. The killing by the inferno symbolises the murdering of soldiers involved during the War in the outside world by the use of deadly weapons like the 'bomb' mentioned above.
Jack finally realizes that the fire is important, but to cook the meat, so they raided Ralph's camp and grabbed 'half-burnt branches'. This demonstrates the transfer of power between Jack and Ralph and Jack is clearly doing better because he can offer food unlike Ralph who doesn't have 'hunters'.
Later on the fire represents the rescue from immorality, as Ralph wants to escape the wickedness of the island.
Later near the end of the story, Jack's tribe fail to hunt Ralph so in desperation they light the whole area on fire. Ralph is forced to progress from the advancing fire as,
'the fire was a big one' and 'the fire was nearer; those volleying shots were ... bursting'
The fire had potential to destroy the people and the environment as,
'The fire must be almost at the fruit trees - what would they eat tomorrow?'
The fire set on the entire island shows the tribe's pathetic ability to think forward because if they weren't rescued, they wouldn't have food or shelter.
Ironically the fire lit by Jack was initially meant for evil but it turned out to be what got the boys rescued. Also the smoke was very thick and had covered the whole island and symbolically had hid them all from the outside world but they were found because of the smoke. The ending seems happy and ironic because of the arrival of the Naval officer but actually it is an extension from a small war to a larger war.
As a conclusion Golding creates a better understanding of the plot, ideas and people by the use of symbolism. His symbolism of the conch and fire demonstrate different effects of the society maintained and the conflict between the constant struggles of power between Ralph and Jack. We also learn that the events taking place in the microcosm and in the real world correspond with each other to show the effects of actions on a larger scale in the 'Lord of the Flies'. Golding shows that these examples of symbolism (fire, conch) can be used in different ways to do good as well as bad as the boys turn from peace and civilization to savage rift.
