He rationalized what would be done next as Ralph and him found the conch early on in chapter 1. He gave meaning to the conch by telling Ralph he could blow it to call others nearby, “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us-” (Golding 12). The conch symbolizes law and power. Piggy likes the capabilities it holds such as, the rule of only the person holding the conch will speak. This allows a democratic system to take place in which everyone could express what they are willing to say. Furthermore, the conch is the first object that is regarded as civilized and that’s what Piggy’s goal is to bring onto the island. He believes that it will solve all the boys’ problems.
“The booing rose and died again as Piggy lifted the white, magic shell.” (Golding 200). This quote shows how Piggy sees the conch as magical; however, later on it doesn’t show it’s still “magical” since it cannot quiet down the boys. This is an indication of how savagery has replaced civilization towards the end of the novel. Piggy literally protects the conch to his death. It shows how morally connected he is to society and once the conch breaks, there is another strong indication of civilization dieing out. “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.” (Golding