Sagan om ett hjärta

The conch sell is in itself a very important character of the book. It is a symbol of how fragile our society is and how simple it is to rely on something just because it is there. The conch represents everything the boys are used to, all the rules they have lived after all their life. As most of the boys move further and further away from civilisation, the conch loses its importance. If no one wants to be reminded of the old ways or simply do not remember, then the conch is useless. The conch can only be a symbol of democracy if it is believed to be. When it is destroyed, together with Piggy’s death, is it a symbolic way to say that democracy and civilianisation has died and that there is no turning back.

As the book progresses, we get a deeper look at the main characters and what kind of people they really are. Their emotions, their values and their changes throughout the novel. The scene is set for rivalry between Ralph and Jack right from the start. But while Ralph is the humane one, the one that wants a functional community and democracy, Jack is the right opposite. He wants to break free of all the rules and has very hard to see on anything from a long-term point of view. If he wants something, he gets it: no concern of the consequence, not even a single though what his decision will lead to.