The conch represents the boys’ attempt to build a society, the failure of their political structure, and the total breakdown of their civilisation.
The conch represents the fragility of the boys’ civilisation. Initially, the conch is utilised to establish order in a manner which is similar to the political and military systems of Great Britain. The conch is used to call the boys to gather, similar to the horns utilised by military personnel. The conch also represents order, as only the person holding the conch is allowed to speak. “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.” Ralph’s implementation of the conch as a political tool frames him as the leader, Golding utilises this framing device to show the fragility of political devices, as the power given to political tools or institutions is based on the prowess of the leader who bestows the power. As Ralph gives power to the conch, he is framed as the political leader, and the conch as a political tool is observed and honoured by the boys in the early stages of the narrative. As Ralph’s power starts to disintegrate, the conch loses power in the eyes of the boys, as the person who gave it power has lost their respect. The Lord of the Flies establishes the fragility of power, as the conch only retains its power over the boys, while the boys believe that the conch has the power to render them silent. When Jack questions Ralph’s authority and the chonch’s place in society, it loses its power as a political tool. The destruction of the conch symbolises the total destruction of Ralph’s political system and the fragility of a diplomatic, fair society.
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The conch also represents the boy’s understanding of capitalism, despite their understanding of the impracticality of the system in their situation. The conch is chosen because of its supposed monetary value, despite the lack of a financial system on the island. Piggy’s repetition of “pounds” emphasises his young age, while also establishing their lack of a practical understanding of finances. “—a conch; ever so expensive. I bet if you wanted to buy one, you’d have to pay pounds and pounds and pounds—” The value of the conch does not come from the boys’ monetary understanding of its value, but rather the power that they give it as a conduit of their political system. The ties to capitalism in relation to the conch subtly foreshadow that the conch, much like the boy’s attempt at creating a civilisation, is valueless.
Is there a Lord of the flies?
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The lord of the flies could refer to almost every character in The Lord of the Flies, at some point in the narrative, as the religious meaning of the term offers both a literal and a symbolic suggestion of who could be considered the lord of the flies. Lord of the flies is commonly used to refer to Belzibub, the flies are both suggestive of his followers and the physical manifestation of flies due to the stench of the creature. From the beginning of the narrative, Ralph emphasises the importance of cleanliness. The imagery of the boys bathing in the pool is similar to those of baptisms, and the cleansing of sins. As the narrative progresses, the boys become filthier, painting themselves with dirt in preparation for hunting and killing the “monster” that threatens them. The death of Simon represents both the figurative and the literal lord of the flies, as the boys murder him in an animalistic manner, spearing him with abandon like a back of wolves tearing their prey apart, this sin tarnishes their souls. It is Simon who becomes the literal lord of the flies, as it is his mangled corpse which becomes a vessel for the parasitic flies as he floats out to sea. In the fight between Jack and Ralph, the latter becomes dirty as he becomes covered in sand and dirt, while his soul is tarnished with the desire to harm Jack. As the boys bathe less and less and partake in murderous behaviour, the dirt accumulates on their skin, and their sins dirty their souls. To this end, the boys become the lord of the flies, in both their physical condition and their degenerative anti-Christian behaviour.
Another interpretation of Bealzibub is derived from the anti-Philistine stance, as Belzibub, believed to be worshipped by the Philistines, was possibly given his namesake to refer to the pests that follow him. In The Lord of the Flies, the pests are the boys who break from Ralph’s civilisation and follow Jack. If we are to take the anti-Philistine interpretation of the phrase “lord of the flies” then Jack could be considered the lord of the flies for the majority of the narrative, however, in the conclusion, it could be suggested that adults are the true lord of the flies. When the boys are rescued by the military, and the soldiers look over the damage the children have done, it is clear that the boys have acted as parasites, destroying the paradise of the island and stripping it of its resources. As soon as they are found, the boys become the followers of the adults, which suggests that the boys are the flies and that the adults who rescue them and raise them, are the lords of the flies.
It could be argued that Piggy is the one child to not be the lord of the flies. Piggy is killed when another boy pushes a bolder onto his head, while he preaches the need for civility. Piggy retained most of his clothing and his cleanliness. His desire to see everyone survive and return to a form of civilisation, suggests a lack of devolution and a strong tie to his humanity. When the bolder strikes him, the blood soils his face and clothes, his injuries resemble a crown of thorns, which frames Piggy as Christ-like. The narrative never explains what happened to Piggy’s corpse, however, as the boys are rescued shortly after the killing, it is likely that he was given a proper burial. The cleanliness of Piggy’s death suggests that he is not the “lord of the flies” as there is no mention of decomposition, his cause of death was relatively clean, and his adherence to Christian morals frames him as the Christ-like character in Golding’s novel.
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