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Conch Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Essay

584 Words3 Pages

In Lord Of The Flies, William Golding uses many different symbols to show the boy’s development on the island as time goes on. Two of the most important symbols in this book are, the conch shell, and the pig’s head on a stick. The conch shell is used to show civilization and power. The pig’s head on a stick symbolizes loss of innocence, evil and the “beast” in all of the boys. Throughout the novel, the reader’s perception of these symbols tends to be different than the boy’s perception. In the novel, the conch is used to symbolize civilization. The boys have a rule that whoever is holding the conch will get to speak, and won’t be interrupted. As time goes on and the boys are shown becoming less and less civilized, the shell is the only …show more content…

At first, the boys thought of this as a sacrifice to the beast, or something that would keep them safe. However, that changed when the Lord Of The Flies talked to Simon, saying “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast. . . . Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! . . . You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are the way they are?” (Golding, 143). This just confirms Simon’s earlier fears that maybe the boys had nothing to fear but themselves, and maybe the boys were the beast. The Lord Of The Flies symbolizes evil, and loss of innocence. The readers may see these symbols differently than the boys see them. While the boys see the conch shell as an object that represents power and order, it is more clear to the reader that it is actually a symbol of civilization, and eventually the loss of civilization. The boys view the pig’s head as just a sacrifice to the beast, and then the beast itself. The pig’s head is seen as a symbol of the loss of innocence in a young group of boys by the reader. Overall, the reader has a deeper understanding of what the symbols

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