Lord of the Flies by William Golding Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. In William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies, a group of children are stranded on an island when their plane crashes. The freedom of not having parents while living in a society that does not impose rules and laws is eliminated. As the novel progresses, the children find use for different objects, each symbolizing something of different meaning. In this novel William Golding uses several objects to symbolize the difference between civilization and wilderness. Throughout the novel, the conch represents a way to maintain organization and unity within the group. Ralph and Piggy discover the shell on the beach and use it to inform and reunite the boys after the crash separated them. The conch then becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order in the novel. This shell actually influences the rules during meetings. This rule is; whatever boy has the conch has the right to speak. “He can hold it when he speaks” (Golding 33), this explains how whoever holds the conch has the right to speak; this demonstrates a sense of civility. In this regard, the shell is certainly a symbol. As the island's civilization dissolves, the boys become wild; the conch loses its power and influence among them. Furthermore, the boulder that Roger rolls onto Piggy crushes the shell, signifying the end of the civilized instinct among nearly all the boys on the island. Another symbol in this novel is the fire signal. This symbol is a representation of life. The boys create a surveillance system to make sure the fire always stays lit so they have a chance of being rescued. This signal fire burns not only on the mountain, but also on the beach. Hopefully this will attract the attention of passing ships. As a result, the signal fire becomes a test for the boys' connection with civilization. At first, the boys holding the fire is a sign that they want to be saved and return to society. "There was a ship. Out there. You said you'd keep the fire burning and you let it go out!" (Golding 70). This quote explains how Ralph is angry at Jack when he let the fire go out.