The Conch Shell In Lord Of The Flies

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The conch shell is one of the major changing symbols in Lord of the Flies. Golding brilliantly uses it in almost every chapter and perfectly symbolizes the downfall of humanity among the boys on the island. The conch is introduced in the first chapter, Ralph finds it on the beach with Piggy and uses it to round up all the boys roaming the island for the first meeting. During this meeting Ralph is elected as leader of the boys because he found the conch and decides to use it as a talking piece. Right away the conch is shown as a symbol for unity and order on the island. This is further exemplified throughout the next chapters, the book mentions that even Jack, the most savage of the boys, respects the shell, he laid the conch with great care