Levi Wenzel
1/20/2014
Mr. Jackson
Period 2
Lord of the Flies Symbolism

Symbolism is an object, animal, idea, or a person that stands for itself and something beyond itself. Symbolism is used many times in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The Conch is one example of this symbolism. Another example is the fire and Piggy’s glasses. The Beast is a great example of symbolism. The Conch is used to summon the boys after the crash and later used to call assemblies or meetings. The shell effectively governs the boys’ meetings, for the boy who holds the shell holds the right to speak. In this regard, the shell is more than a symbol: it is a vessel of political legitimacy and democratic power. “Which is better--to have laws and agree, or to hunt and kill?” This quotation states what the conch originally stood for. The conch shell becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order in the novel. As the civilization erodes and the boys descend into savagery, the conch shell loses its power. The boulder that Roger uses to kill Piggy also destroys the conch shell, signifying the demise of the civilized instinct among the boys on the island. One of Ralph’s original ideas to create a signal fire to catch the attention of passing ships. The only way fire can be started is by using Piggy’s glasses. Piggy is the most intelligent, rational boy in the group: his glasses represent the power of science in society. This is clear from the start of the novel; when the boys use the lenses from Piggy’s glasses to focus the sunlight and start a fire. The fact that the boys maintain the fire is a sign that they want to be rescued and return to society. This slowly changes as the novel progresses. When the fire goes out, the boys have lost their desire to be rescued and have accepted their savage lives on the island. The signal fire thus functions as a kind of measurement of the