Lord Of The Flies Conch Symbolism

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The conch signifies power, respect, and authority. The conch gives whoever’s holding it automatic authority and respect before Ralph even established what the conch is for. An example is when Ralph finished blowing the conch. “...the platform was crowded… before him, small children squatted in the grass. Silence now. Ralph lifted the cream and pink shell to his knees and a sudden breeze scattered light over the platform.” This suggests that the conch has a dominating essence to it. The conch is a symbol of authority in their second meeting. The symbol also signifies civilization, law, and peace. An example is when Ralph establishes how they “can't have everybody talking at once… [He'll] give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold …show more content…
When Jack challenges the conch, the conch loses its power and influence of keeping peace and order. As the story progresses, Jack starts to disrespect the conch, saying how they “...don’t need the conch anymore. We know who ought to say things….It’s time some people knew they’ve got to keep quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us (101-2).” Jack, even in the beginning, respected the conch, but when Jack and his group disrespect the conch, the concept of the conch loses its power to bring peace and law/justice. The conch showed power and respect and brought peace among the boys, but when the power of the conch decreases, that's when the peace and respect for others are gone. The function of the conch also changes because, in the beginning, where it was used to bring peace, it now causes arguments and problems between Jack and Ralph. In chapter 5, Jack continually challenges the power of the conch and becomes so fed up with the power it has that he goes on and makes his own tribe, saying how he’s " going off by [himself. Ralph] can catch his own pigs. Anyone who wants to hunt when I do can come too." Jack wants a system where he can do what he wants without any rules or laws restricting him. Because of the contrast between Jack and Ralph (jack being more primordial and Id-like and Ralph being more sensible) the conch ultimately is the reason why the boys break …show more content…
The conch reinforces this theme by once being described as magical and strong, to being fragile when compared to the savagery of Jack. The “fragile white conch still gleamed by the polished seat. Ralph sat down in the grass facing the chief’s seat and the conch.” The conch being described as fragile symbolizes how fragile its power has become since Jack and his crew broke off from the group. The conch becomes not enough to hold everyone together anymore because many of them chose Jack’s more enticing way of living over civility. Another example is when Ralph “...took the conch down from the tree and examined the surface. Exposure to the air had bleached the yellow and pink to near-white, and transparency.” The conch was described as magical, shining and beautiful in the story, now the way it is being described suggests that it's lost its power. When the conch breaks into little pieces, its power is destroyed and overtaken by Jack. When the conch is destroyed, Jack tells Ralph that “‘There isn’t a tribe for [Ralph] anymore! The conch is gone… I’m chief!’” The conch being destroyed signifies the fall of their civilization, destroying of hope of getting rescued, and the rise of their savagery. Jack doesn't even show any regret in breaking the conch. The boys regress into savagery and
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