Answer to Question #285446 in English for Kelsey Jand

Question

Lord of the Flies Study Guide Questions

Direction: Your answers need to be thorough, and where possible, quote the text (with citation).

Chapter 12

Figurative Language and Symbolism: Interpret the line: “The skull gleamed as white as ever the conch had done.” Why is Golding connecting a skull with the conch?

Answer 1

Ralph sees a "skull that shined as white as ever the conch had done" when he meets the Lord of the Flies. This metaphor represents the eternal and universal fight between good and evil. The skull is imbued with the information that was revealed to Simon: evil exists in all of us, and we must fight to keep it from dominating our lives. Ralph's modest success over the beast is knocking the skull to the ground and splitting it into pieces. More to the point, he takes the stake on which the head rested and sharpens both ends of his own stick. He'll protect himself against them with the savage's stick, which slices both ways like a blade.