Throughout the novel, the conch is a symbol of authority and control. In the beginning, the conch is an effective conductor of the boy's attention. However, over the course of their stay, the significance of the conch begins to diminish as the boy’s primal instincts are awakened. So much so until the conch is eventually fragmented during a dispute when it "Exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist" (Golding 152). This becomes a major turning point in the story that truly highlights the fragility of structure and cooperation.
