According to Merriam Webster, a symbol is "an action, object, or event that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality." In his book "Lord of The Flies," William Golding uses loads of symbols to convey much deeper messages that unveil his thoughts about humankind and society. One of the most important symbols used by the author is the Conch. The Conch is a very powerful symbol introduced to us from the very beginning and develops as we go further in the book. In this essay, I will be exploring the evolution of the Conch from the beginning where it was powerful to the end where it became insignificant and its meaning to the boys and society. .
The Conch is first introduced to us at the very beginning of the novel. Ralph was the one that first encountered the object but didn't know what it was. He thought it was just a simple toy he could play with. Piggy was the one that recognized the object, knew how to use it, and most importantly, knew how it could be used. As a matter of fact, Piggy had a brilliant idea to make an effective use of the conch instead of just playing with it. He advised Ralph to use the object as a communication tool: "We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They'll come when they hear us." From the moment Piggy had this idea, he unintentionally gave power to the conch causing it to become a powerful symbol of order and civilization. Looking back at history, a conch shell has been used in Greek Mythology. Indeed, Triton, a minor sea god, uses a conch shell to calm or raise the oceans. Likewise, in the novel, by listening to Piggy's advice, Ralph uses the conch to calm the inner animal spirits of the boys. This brought organization and togetherness within the group of boys. Once the boys were united, it was necessary to vote for a chief. They elected Ralph rather than Jack, who is a skilled leader, because of his charismatic character but most importantly because he was holding the conch and was the one that brought the boys together.