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The Conch symbolizes civilization, more specifically, rules and structure. In the beginning of the book, when everyone is focused on civilization and rescue, the Conch has the ultimate authority. As the book goes on and the boys become "savages" as the narrator emphasizes often, the Conch loses its power, and the boys lose their hope for rescue and returning to civilization. Short answer: The Conch represents structure and order.

Adding on to the deterioration

The book mentions the conch losing its original luster meaning there is less power than before. The kids start to ignore the calls.

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14y ago

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Piggy and Ralph discover the conch together- as it is Piggy who sees it and identifies what it is but Ralph who fishes it out of the water. Thi si the start of their relationship where Piggy theorises and uses his wosdom, yet Ralph is the one who takes action and actually gets things done.

The conch then continues to be a symbol of order and civilized society throughout the novel, as the one thing that the boys follow and brongs them together into their meetings. However, near the end of the novel as it is shattered during Piggy's death it demonstates the complete breakdown of society and turn to savagery.

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14y ago
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in Lord of the Flies the conch is a great symbol of the boys beging there own civilized society and order .whoever is in its power will be given the authority to be herd.it will have rules applied to the conch

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11y ago
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The conch symbolizes a law, and unity in government. If you noticed when the conch was smashed with piggy, jack's tribe went nuts and every rule they set up were broken. Not to mention they start to hunt ralph.

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13y ago
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Ralph and Piggy discover the conch shell on the beach at the start of the novel and use it to summon the boys together after the crash separates them. Used in this capacity, the conch shell becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order in the novel. 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 an actual vessel of political legitimacy and democratic power. As the island civilization erodes and the boys descend into savagery, the conch shell loses its power and influence among them. Ralph clutches the shell desperately when he talks about his role in murdering Simon. Later, the other boys ignore Ralph and throw stones at him when he attempts to blow the conch in Jack's camp. The boulder that Roger rolls onto Piggy also crushes the conch shell, signifying the demise of the civilized instinct among almost all the boys on the island.


I hope this helps! Credit goes to Spark Notes.

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12y ago
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The conch represents civilization, freedom of speech, and power.

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15y ago
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it symbolizes unity.

It also stands for democracy and freedom of speech.

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11y ago
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The conch symbolizes authority.

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12y ago
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power

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12y ago
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Q: What does the conch represent in the Lord of the Flies?
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