In William Golding's dystopian novel Lord of the Flies, the conch symbolizes democratic authority.
The boys find the conch on the island and use it to call meetings. Whoever holds it is granted the right to speak, creating a simple rule-based system of discussion. Ralph and Piggy initially treat the object as a tool for cooperation and orderly decision-making.
The conch is often confused with the signal fire, which represents the hope of rescue, or Piggy's glasses, which enable the boys to make fire. These objects carry important meanings, but they do not specifically symbolize the meeting rule and speaking authority.
As the boys' society collapses, respect for the conch diminishes. Its destruction near the end of the novel marks the breakdown of the political order the boys had tried to establish. Golding published Lord of the Flies in 1954.