Lord of the Flies Symbolism Essay Example

In books, objects and people often symbolize larger ideas and concepts, either in life or within the book itself. Lord of the Flies by William Golding was no exception, and perhaps one of the most prominent examples in the book was the conch, which symbolized the boys’ state in terms of civility on the island. Golding wrote this war-based fictional novel to prove an idea uncommonly believed upon; that in all people lies the potential for evil, and if not contained by the standards of civilization, will break free and wreak havoc. When the boys started on the island, they were civilized and familiar with the proper ways to act. The conch was a symbol of this by having been in perfect condition. Conversely, after disagreement stirred between the biguns, Golding described how the color of the conch was faded. When Piggy got killed, it showed the complete obliteration of their refined old normality, seeing as the conch got destroyed as well. The conch depicts the process of the boys’ turning into barbarians out of proper English boys as in the very first chapter.

Lord of the Flies began with a plane crash and the introduction of two characters. These characters were Ralph and Piggy who found a shell soon after crashing. Golding introduced the object early on in the book because this was the first step in the journey towards loss of sanity within the group of boys. When the conch made its first appearance, its state reflected the still-humane nature of the boys by being described as “the color of the shell [being] deep cream, touched here and there with fading pink.” (Golding 16). The conch was in near perfect condition, as were the boys in terms of civilization and humanity. This was additionally supported by Golding describing their clothing and by Piggy exclaiming how he had seen a conch in a house. Unfortunately, this was not a permanent condition for the shell nor the boys.

The condition of the shell and boys was that of a fading state, both in color and civility. The beginning of chapter 5 described the conch as “the air had bleached the yellow and pink to near-white, and transparency” (78). This reflected how the civilized manner of the boys was fading, as further proven in the way they acted in this chapter; arguing, disregarding the rules set, and less mannered. Circling back to how the conch reflected the state of order among the boys, Golding strategically placed the description before a brawl between the biguns.

The fights accumulated intensity within the following chapters and civilization, along with the conch, completely shatters in chapter 11 in the blasphemy that ensued as Jack’s tribe goes after Ralph and Piggy. Moreover, they sent a giant boulder towards Ralph and Piggy. As it flung Piggy towards the sea, “the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (181). The boys were beyond and sane thought processes and were but a tribe of barbarians.

The conch illustrated the dire state of the boys’ behaviors through its own state. When the boys first landed on the island, they were in good condition all around, and the conch mirrored that. However, throughout the novel, both of their predicaments decreased, as proven when the conch became faded and later obliterated.  Though just one of many creative symbols Golding used in Lord of the Flies, the conch is as important as the lesson Golding teaches in this novel; that in all lies the potential for evil.