Lord Of The Flies Conch

Earth is a place filled with many differing cultures and ideas: Germany celebrates Oktoberfest, Brazil has Carnival, and China has Chinese New Year. The main source of stability found in this diverse world is created through governmental systems. Whether the system be controlling, competent, or ineffective, structure is what guides a civilization through its successes and failures. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the evolving symbol of the conch, which represents the idea of structure, to further his message that when organization is lost, destruction and chaos will arise. In the early chapters, the conch is used to symbolize hope and unity. When Piggy first notices the conch lying on the beach, he is filled with the belief that he and
Starting in chapter two, the boys agree that if one wants to speak “He can hold [the conch] when he’s speaking...And he won’t be interrupted” (33) to assure that everyone has the opportunity to share their ideas. Whoever is holding the conch during an assembly holds the attention, and therefore has authority over the tribe until he is finished speaking. That authority is given to the boys by the conch, and is not reflected by holding any true power over the tribe. Even those who are not leaders gain influence when the conch is in their grasp. The conch, though an inanimate object, has the ability to assert its power through the respect it gives to the boys. In the chaotic early meetings, if one was interrupted, all the speaker has to do is say “‘I’ve got the conch’” (82) and the other boys would retract their claim and wait for their turn. The conch is the most prized possession because it brought them all together, leading it to be the most important object on the island, which made it the perfect item to express their authority. Because the boys found hope in the conch, it is the greatest symbol for power they possess on the