The conch represents civilisation and order. In the beginning of the novel, the boys on the island were called up to settle in a meeting through the blowing of the conch by Ralph. The conch is used to summon the boys and is also used ceremonially as the sign that the meeting is called off when Ralph lays the conch on the trunk beside him in Chapter 5. This means that the conch is a symbol of civilisation within the boys as it is used to summon both the littluns and the biguns in an orderly manner for a meeting. The person that holds the conch has the right to speak, clearly showing us the power of the conch because of the regulations and order behind it, allowing anyone to speak in a meeting of all the boys. As the boys descend into savagery as their time on the island passes, and as the conditioning of society is gradually lost, the significance of the conch also deteriorates. This is evident in Chapter 5 when Jack interrupts Piggy while Piggy has the possession of the conch, later disagreeing with Ralph that rules are important on the island. Hence, the conch symbolises civilisation and order, due to the way it is used on the island.
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