The Symbolism of the Conch
For centuries philosophers have debated the question of whether man is innately
evil. William Golding poses this question in his realistic novel Lord of the Flies. Set on a
tropical island during World War II, the novel begins when schoolboys from Great
Britain are being flown to safety and their plane is shot down. No adults survive, and the
boys are left to govern themselves and get rescued. William Golding uses symbolism in
the form of the conch to represents the concept of society. The boys’ evolving
relationship with the conch illustrates Golding’s theme that humans, when removed form
the pressures of civilized authority, will become evil.