Since the beginning of time, man has shown his capacity for evil. To this day, war is still raging around the world, with people fighting against other people. Yet, what keeps man from completely destroying himself? William Golding reveals his view of man's nature through the central theme of his novel, Lord of the Flies. He explains that man is inherently evil and the only aspect holding him back from man's primitive behavior is the moral influence of civilization. For it is society that holds everything together with its rules, values, and consensus of right and wrong. A person's morality is developed because of civilization's emphasis on respecting others. When the rules of society no longer govern a person's action, he loses all sense of moral identity.
             First, society causes people to respect each other. This is symbolized in the beginning by the presence of the conch which summons and unites the boys in order to form a civilization. The conch serves as a regulator of democracy. " 'We'll have to have hands up, like school... then I'll give them the conch [to speak]' "(Golding 31). This quote shows the universal understanding that everyone would follow and respect the rules of the conch, allowing every individual to speak his mind and be a functioning member of society. In contrast, the decreasing power of the conch represents the increasing absence of respect for others. As time progressed, the mutual respect for authority and the power of the conch begins to diminish. The assembly begins to disrespect the conch's possessor, and the rules of their society starts to falter. Finally, the shattering of the conch symbolizes the end of moral civilization and authority. All of the strict rules, the morals of their previous lives, as well as respect for human life, were lost along
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