Authors often use symbols to convey a theme or main idea to the reader. In Lord of the Flies a group of British schoolchildren become stranded on an island during World War III. They are left on the island to fend for themselves without adults. The boys must create a civilization for themselves or risk being consumed by savagery. Lord of the Flies uses symbols such as the conch, the pig's head, and even the boys themselves to convey the theme that without civilization and without rules we turn into savages. The author, William Golding, immediately considers the conch to be an important symbol. At the beginning it serves to bring the kids together via Raplh and to establish who is speaking. This shows that the shell is the symbol of civilization. But then some boys begin to turn into savages and people like Jack stop obeying the conch, "And the conch doesn't count on this end of the island" (150). This leads to their civilization falling apart and collapsing. Without civilization to keep us on the moral path, the boys begin to become evil and savage, eventually killing Piggy and destroying the conch, the final nail in civilization's coffin. After this symbol is destroyed, the boys become more savage and treat Ralph like a pig, "Roger sharpened a stick at both ends" (190). In conclusion, without the authority of the conch as a symbol of civilization, the boys turn into savages. While this is an important symbol, there are other important ones as well. The pig's head is one of the most important symbols in history. The head is the opposite of the shell, representing chaos, ferocity, lawlessness and evil. When Simon speaks to the pig's head he is called the Lord of the Flies. The flies are the boys of the island and the Lord of them all is... in the center of a sheet of paper... a third in diameter, into which he dares not throw himself. Here, invisible but strong, was the taboo of the old life" (56). This shows that Roger is slowly freeing himself from the restrictions of his old life and his old rules. The characters are extremely important and represent civilization, l humanity, and the breakdown of that into savagery. Lord of the Flies conveys the theme that without civilization we would turn into savages using symbols such as the conch, the pig's head and the boys that represent civilization, savagery and humanity the laws that control us and protect us from the ferocity and collapse of civilization. The pig's head is our ferocity and desire to commit evil and the boys are different aspects of human nature by which they all succumb to the ferocity authors of transmitting their. theme to the reader.