How Does Golding Present The Conch In Lord Of The Flies

In his novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding presents a conch shell representing the order of civilization. He uses this symbol to effectively portray the theme that humans are inherently evil and have savage desires, shown through the decline from discipline and peace among the boys on the deserted island. In the novel, civilization directly correlates to the boys’ past lives in England. Before coming to the island, there were adults present who maintained order by enforcing rules and punishing those who did not follow them. However on the island, the conch, representing this society, is a powerful object that demands the respect of the boys in a similar way that the adults do. As time passes, the conch’s influence over the boys weakens

Right away, the shell is established as something good virtuous because Ralph is the person to find it. In literature, appearance often correlates to morality and goodness. Golding presents Ralph as a very attractive boy, therefore his readers can infer that he is a moral character. It is also stated that Ralph “might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness of shoulders went, but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil” (Golding 10). The author explicitly states that although Ralph has the potential to be menacing and malicious, he is too virtuous of a character to do any harm. The beautiful conch itself is described in an awed tone, portraying its importance and its demand for respect. Golding states that it is “a deep cream, touched here and there with fading pink…and covered with a delicate, embossed pattern” (16). The beautiful, warm colors inspire feelings of comfort in the boys and and its intricate design represents the complexity of

When Roger hurls a boulder at Piggy and the shell, “the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (181). This marks the complete collapse of all forms of society among the boys as there is no longer a conch to represent it. Furthermore, it is significant that Golding uses the word “exploded” to describe the conch’s obliteration. This mirrors the atomic world war that is occurring at this time. With war, society and order crumble as terror and chaos reign. The boys too are in a war-like state on the island, thus the fragile conch violently explodes and all order is gone. Golding also uses the idea of war to strengthen his argument that humans are have innately evil. He emphasizes that in war, humans are gruesomely murdering one another. Immediately after the conch is destroyed, it is stated that, “viciously, with full intention, [Jack] hurled his spear at Ralph” (181). This shows how Jack, now completely savage, truly wants to, and tries to, kill another human being. He is able to reject the morals that civilization instilled in him because, without the conch, there is no reminder of the consequences that prevent him from carrying out this