What do the conch, beasty, and fire symbolIze in Lord of the Flies?

These are three important symbols in Lord of the
Flies. The conch represents a sense of order and
the freedom of speech. The possessor of the conch is always allowed to speak his mind
while the other boys listen. It is also the symbol of communication; when the conch is
blown, it serves as a signal for the boys to gather. The
beast represents the fear of the unknown, misidentified as
a scary creature with evil intent rather than the reality of it being the corpse of a
parachutist. Fire symbolizes a source of rescue (the signal
fire) and sustenance (the means of cooking the wild pigs); when controlled, it
represents the best of science, providing warmth and light in the night. But when out of
control, the fire serves as a means of destruction.