Lord Of The Flies Conch Analysis

In the novel, the destruction of the conch successfully depicts the conflict between human impulses and demands of a structured society while the boys are disconnected from that society. At the start, the boys look to the conch, and Ralph, for authority: “They obeyed the summons of the conch, partly because Ralph blew it, and he was big enough to be a link with the adult world of authority...” (61). The stranded boys adhere to the rules of the conch as it symbolizes social order of the society they are separated from. Though as time goes on and as the boys gradually disconnect from civilization. As Jack’s tribe savagely murder Piggy, they also destroy the conch, and it “exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (200). The
two incidents occurring in one juncture are not a coincidence. The act of killing Piggy verifies the annihilation of order as their individual impulses take over; this is further indicated as the conch, a symbol of authority, is destroyed beyond repair. The conch is a significant symbol in the novel as it illustrates the idea that when one is removed from society, human instinct can overthrow In addition to the conch, the signal fire as well acts as another connection to civilization for the boys; when maintaining the signal fire becomes insignificant to them, so do the rules of society.
When Jack and his hunters fail to continue the fire, Ralph calls an emergency meeting and stresses the importance of the fire by saying, “The fire is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don't keep a fire going...Don't you understand? Can't you see we ought to - ought to die before we let the fire out?" (86). Ralph and very few others are the only ones who seem to care about the fire and returning to civilization. The act of letting the signal fire out is highly symbolic of the boys’ rejection of society; Jack’s hunters care more for satisfying their blood instinct than they do for rescue. Even Ralph, who was determined to keep the fire going and get rescued, starts to lose hope; when talking to Piggy, Ralph says, “We can’t keep one fire going. And they don’t care...What’s more, I don’t sometimes” (153). When removed from society, it’s evident through this quote that even the best of people can lose interest in returning to a civilized society as they resort to savagery. The boys’ lack of use of the symbolic signal fire on this isolated location evidently shows the struggles between individual desires and rules of a civilized
society. Moreover, the drastic change of physical appearances in this novel symbolize disconnection from society and its customs. When arriving on the secluded island, the boys come in school uniforms, illustrating the rules and order of their society. Though after only a short period on the island, they begin to wear less clothing, soon wearing none at all; Jack is described to be “naked to the waist” (176) as he conducts a meeting. This removal of clothing symbolizes the removal of adult authority. For Jack’s tribe, clothing is seen as a restriction to their hunting capability; for Ralph’s group, clothing is one of the few remaining links to civilization. Jack’s arrival on the island contrasts their rescue as Jack faces the officer in “the remains of an extraordinary black cap” (224). In addition to being bare, Jack’s tribe adopt a mask for them to literally and figuratively hide behind. Their once civilized personalities, displayed by proper british uniforms, are hidden behind the face paint. Ralph is opposed to the idea of the mask, aware that it contributes to the descent into savagery; “Well, we won’t be painted...because we aren’t savages” (191). The mask lets the boys’ “beast” emerge as it liberates them into savagery; the mask frees them, allowing the boys to act in ways a civilized society would forbid. Being separated from civilization allows for the boys’ human instincts to take precedence over rules and authority, shown by both the use of masks and deterioration of clothing.