Conch Shell In Lord Of The Flies

In Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the conch shell is a symbol for order and structure which furthers the novel’s theme that civilization is needed to diminish the savagery of humans or else they will fully embrace their wild side and lose any sense of moral responsibility. After Ralph is voted chief, because he held the conch, he tells the choir that “they can be… hunters” (20). Initially, Jack’s eagerness to kill was directed into helping the group of boys as a whole and he posed no threat to the well-being of them. By requiring Jack to contribute to the building of a productive society, Ralph is able to divert his impulses to the improvement of the civilization. As time went on, Jack began to rebel against the authority and exclaimed “we