Conch Shell Symbolism Essay

The most prominent symbol in Lord of the Flies is the conch shell found by Piggy and Ralph. This shell is an important part of the story throughout, and it has a sizable impact on the plot. The conch shell is displayed as a symbol of power and order, and it is what helps keep the boys civilized when stranded on a deserted island all by themselves. William Golding develops the conch shell as an object of extreme power and influence by writing the characters to have a dog like obedience to the shell, as well as whoever is holding it.

At the beginning of the book, Ralph and Piggy found the conch shell. “The conch, to take an obvious example from the story, stands for a society of laws in which, for example, people take their turn in speaking” …show more content…
The only two survivors left with a peaceful mindset were Ralph and Piggy. The island was at its most violent point, and all of the boys had transformed into primitive savages. They tortured one another and several murders were committed. The conch shell met an unfortunate and violent end, along with Piggy. The brutal Ralph rolled a massive boulder down the mountain, crushing Piggy and the conch shell. All order of any sort was completely abandoned, Jack proclaimed himself chief, and all of the boys started a manhunt for Ralph. The end of the conch shell signaled the lowest point for the boys on the island, and they truly became animals. Ralph, while running from the boys, saw the soldier on the shore of the island, and he immediately started crying. All of the boys dropped dead silent, and realized the animals that they have become. The soldier scolded them for their animalistic actions, and they realized what they were doing and were extremely ashamed. Piggy and the conch shell being terminated was the last shred of peace on the island. “The destruction of the conch symbolizes the destruction of what little civilization the boys possessed” (Lorcher