2.1.1

The Sound of the Shell

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Ralph and Piggy

At the start of the novel, we are introduced to our two main characters: Ralph and Piggy.

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Ralph and Piggy

  • At the start of the novel, we are introduced to our two main characters: Ralph and Piggy.
  • In the first line, Ralph is described as “the boy with fair hair”.
  • The adjective “fair” may have an alternative meaning here.
  • Ralph is identified as the boy who will try to be fair and treat everyone equally.
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The plane crash

  • The two boys emerge at the edge of the island and discuss what has happened: their plane has crashed onto the island.
  • They discover that there are no adults on the island.
  • Ralph and Piggy notice the damage caused by the plane crash – there is a big burned “scar” on the ground and a tree trunk has been damaged.
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Human damage

  • Piggy says that the plane had been attacked and had crashed. Then the plane’s cabin had hit the island (causing a “scar” on the land), before being dragged out to sea.
  • This exchange shows how the beautiful island has been damaged and scarred due to the actions of humans – the first time in the novel that the evil nature of humans hurts something innocent.
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Names

  • Piggy coaxes Ralph to ask for his name, but Ralph does not seem to care.
  • It is not until Piggy says that he doesn’t care what people call him as long as they don’t use the nickname he was given in school (“Piggy”) that Ralph pays attention.
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Ralph's attitude

  • Despite Piggy’s wishes, Ralph starts laughing and repeating “Piggy” over and over again.
  • This interaction immediately shows Ralph’s uncaring, nasty attitude towards others.
  • In his first conversation with Piggy, he deliberately humiliates him.

The Conch Shell

Piggy and Ralph are shown to be very different characters, and we learn of Ralph's desire for power.

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Piggy's vulnerability

  • Ralph runs into the water to swim and Piggy reluctantly follows.
  • We learn that Piggy has “asthma” and does not know how to swim.
  • This adds to the suggested vulnerability of Piggy.
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Differences

  • Ralph reveals that his dad is a commander in the Navy.
  • Piggy’s parents are both dead. He lived with his aunt for a while, and then he lived at school.
  • Piggy and Ralph are immediately shown to be very different characters.
  • The differences between them cause friction later in the story.
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The future

  • Ralph is convinced that his father will come and save them from the island.
  • Piggy tells him that the plane pilot had said that an atom bomb had been dropped and everyone at home was dead.
  • He says that the evacuated school boys from England will die on the island, as no one knows where they are.
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Power

  • Piggy suggests that he and Ralph should explore the island to find any other survivors.
  • Ralph smiles and Piggy thinks that Ralph appreciates his ideas and recognises his intelligence.
  • However, Ralph is smiling because he thinks that he can be the boss of the island. He craves power.
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The conch shell

  • Ralph sees something in the water – “a shell”.
  • They get the shell out of the water.
  • Piggy tells Ralph it's a conch shell and tells Ralph to blow into it to summon the other boys to their location.

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