In an odd sort of way, the conch is a symbol and practical tool of "symbiosis" in that it is the means for which the boys live together in harmony.
If you meant, "How is the conch symbolic," I'd say it represents order, law and maybe even camaraderie. Given that it was first used to summon the boys together, it is a symbol of unification, community, and unity. And since it is the means by which each of the boys has the right to speak, it also symbolizes power: political and otherwise. So, it represents law, order, unity, power, and in as much as it is used to keep the boys living together in harmony, it does represent a symbiotic catalyst.
As the order and civilization the boys had established begins to fade, the conch is destroyed and the general result is anarchy. The transition is interesting: kind of a descent from a rudimentary democracy (as long as each gets to speak) into anarchy.
No comments:
Post a Comment