Oh boy, I think that these boys should give me the conch by the way that They've been talking, especially in chapter 5. They are crazy! Power has definitely been a huge part of this book so far and I think that it will continue and possibly escalade as we dive deeper into the story. Through the first four chapters I have spotted many times where the conch has ruled all. This shell gives the people who have it rights, and therefore it has lots of power. The conch has been quoted as having "reverence" amongst the group and even between Ralph and Jack. If the conch wasn't there there would really be no way to keep everyone in line and this would be an even worse train wreck than it already is. The conch has been a recurring theme of power through the first couple chapters, but in chapter 5 the conch's pink color has faded and I think that this could be a sign of a possible power shift or even something grimmer.
Two other things involved in power have obviously been Ralph, as chief, and Jack. Ralph has the given power by being the chief, but it appears that he is a little bit overcome by it, and is trying to be as fair as possible. The power that he has has really showed up in two, maybe three places. One was at the beginning of the story when he finds the conch and brings everyone out of hiding and calls the first meeting. He is elected chief and he is given a new kind of power. Another spot is after Jack goes hunting and lets the fire go out and he gives an order and then expects it to be followed. He also shows his power by taking charge of the meeting that they just had. I didn't really get to Jack, but he shows his power through his hunting and toughness. He also rebels against Ralph having all the power in some ways and really wants to rule the whole group. He feels like he should have this power because he leads the choir and is very cocky.
I could not agree more with what you first said. I too am starting to get fed up with these kids and I will be surprised if they live another week considering they've "banned fire" the island.
ReplyDeleteAgain we see the reoccurring pattern of power and the fight for dominance amongst the tribe. Before this chapter I didn't really like Jack, but considering he seems to be the only sane person on the island, I now think he is the right person to run the tribe. Yeah he still is full of himself and is a little bossy, but his morals are set on survival and living, not debating weather or not the fake night mare creature is a beast, a squid, or a ghost.