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What Does The Conch Symbolize In Lord Of The Flies

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What Does The Conch Symbolize In Lord Of The Flies
Tao Orion
Ms Shaw
ENG2D1
May, 31st, 2013
The Importance of Symbols in Lord of the Flies To quote Stephen King, "Symbolism exists to enrich". The author William Golding was noted for using symbolism, especially in the Lord of the Flies. Three examples of symbolism that enrich the reading experience in the Lord of the Flies are the signal fire, the Beast and the Conch.

The Beast is an important symbol in the Lord of the Flies. It represents fear and the need for savagery. In the novel Lord of the Flies, the Beast is a god-like figure in Jack 's savage society. Since the Beast is more prominent in the savage society it suggests a symbolic link. Also, the least savage characters Piggy, Ralph and especially Simon are the least affected by the Beast. Simon the symbol of purity and innocence, knows that the Beast is just the collective imagination of the boys. When he finds the truth he tries to bring it to the others but is killed by an act of savagery and the Beast … acts of savagery continue to thrive. In the world savagery thrives in the absence of truth, innocence, and purity and in the novel the …show more content…
At the beginning of the book it is the call of the conch shell that brings the boys to the beach and they later form a civilized society. Also, holding it gives you the right to speak in the children’s democratic civilized meetings. When Ralph and his civilized society falls apart, the respect for the Conch does too. Finally, when Piggy is killed the conch is broken into many pieces. Savagery has complete control and there is no civilization. What was an integral part of the civilized society is now shattered and savagery has free reign. Again, these correlations prove the fact that the Conch is a symbol of civilization in the Lord of the Flies. Also, its links with civilized or uncivilized acts help the reader draw stronger conclusions on the authority of civilization on the
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