Post #1: The Conch

"He could see a whiteness in the gloom near him so he grabbed it from Maurice and blew as loudly as he could. The assembly was shocked into silence."

     In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, the conch represents a sense of order and authority. Toward the start of the novel, the conch could keep the boys in line but as we slowly move toward the end, the conch's power begins to disintegrate.  "In a moment the platform was full of arguing, gesticulating shadows. To Ralph, seated, this seemed the breaking up of sanity." (p.88)  With the loss of order and structure, the boys become uncivilized. Therefore, leading to the chaos throughout the book. 

     Passage five shows the savage assembly disturbed at the idea of a beast on the island. At this point, Simon realizes something important. That there may be a beast, just not one they could physically see. "What I mean is...maybe it's only us" (p.89) Simon becomes aware that the boys have nothing to fear except themselves. "Mankind's essential illness", the evil inside each and every one of them.

     The theme is that without laws and rules, our world would be full of constant chaos and confusion. That is why in the Lord of the Flies, the conch plays a vital role to keep the peace. Throughout the novel, Golding brings in the conch to give authority to whoever carries it. It is a symbol of order, structure, and authority. That is why the conch is important in many aspects of the book.