Whats your opinion to these questions? (the book lord of the flies)?

Question

What does the conch symbolize?

What is significant about its destruction?

What does the murder of Piggy symbolize?

Answer 1

1. The conch symbolizes order, civilization and democracy in general. With it, they have a leader - someone they all listen to, someone to organize them and keep them safe, both from the wilderness and from themselves. It is the singular object that keeps things sane on the island. Despite it being an inanimate object, it is the one thing they have that connects them to civilization as they know it.

2. Without it, they lose all touch with humanity. They basically resort to caveman antics - the strongest will lead and the leader will attract followers. Without the only sort of structure they've ever really known (society and government), chaos freely reigns.

3. Piggy is intelligent, resourceful and scientific. He is clear-minded, if slightly useless in the physical aspect. When he dies, so does all manner of intelligence and common sense. For some of the boys, it symbolizes the destruction of all traces of humanity - they've killed, they've lost their innocence, and thus they turn completely wild; into something even they can't recognize. For others, it curbs their craziness slightly, but they follow their chosen leader all the more loyally.

Answer 2

The conch can be seen as a symbol for civilization and democracy; when it shatters it can be seen as a symbol of the destruction of civilization and democracy on the island. Since Piggy was a very logical, scientific-minded boy, his death can be seen as a symbol for the destruction of logic and rationality on the island.