Name _______________________________________ Date ______________Period ________
The Lord of the Flies
Symbolism: The Conch Shell
Directions: See what you can recall about the appearance of the conch. Without looking at
the text, insert the missing words in the following passage. If you can’t recall the exact
words, use an appropriate alternative.
In colour the shell was _____________________, touched here and there with __________ pink.
Between the point worn away into a little hole, and the ____________, ____________ of the
mouth lay eighteen inches of shell with a slight _____________ twist and covered with a
______________ embossed ___________.
Directions: Read the passage below and answer the following questions in complete
sentences.
Ralph and Piggy discover the conch shell on the beach at the start of the novel and use it to
summon the boys together after the crash separates them. Used in this capacity, the conch shell
becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order in the novel. The shell effectively governs the
boys’ meetings, for the boy who holds the shell holds the right to speak. In this regard, the shell is
more than a symbol – it is an actual vessel of political legitimacy and democratic power.
1. Who blows the conch?
2. Why does he blow it?
3. Does it bring order or chaos?
4. Who respects it?
5. Who ignores it?
Why is the conch symbolic?