rt their own visions of the island. As the authority of leadership by default falls to Ralph, the conch then becomes symbolic of their conscious. Its possession rotates between Ralph and Piggy in determining the logical course of action for the boys. Jack however, constantly refrains from the authority of the conch, consistent with the id remaining in the subconscious, but fully able to exert influence over decision-making. The masks and face-paints that Jack's group of hunters wear, are very suggestive. The hidden and secretive nature of the boys' faces beneath their disguises helps them to camouflage, blending them into the background of the island foliage, and making them feel like one with the island. At one point Golding writes He looked is astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger This shows the transformation between the boys and the warriors that they want to be. The boys think that when they have the masks on that they are no longer them selves, that this gives them the right to hunt and kill. I think that the boys wear the masks so they can tell themselves that it wasnt them who is killing and that way they wouldnt feel guilty as society has taught them to. Their actions go generally unnoticed, but still have great impact on the island as they kill and destroy, eventually overhunting the pigs they so desperately need to survive. The general assembly of the island is torn between the conch and the hunters. This becomes symbolically valid. The conch was a symbol of authority using it to limit ones talking time and to gather everyone for a group meeting. The hunters didnt follow the rules of the conch rebelling against its meaning. The initial "scar" caused by the boys' arrival on the island, presents the first sign of damage to paradise. The scar is caused by the plane when it went down when the bias had first arrived. The plane left a huge gash in the woods, this shows that even before t...
