Lord of the Flies: The Breakdown of a Society A group of young boys stranded on a deserted island does not leave much room for the development of a society. William Golding managed to not only form a society among these boys, but also to develop it and eventually break it down as well, all within a few short pages of The Lord of the Flies. There are two main symbols in the story that show the gradual loss of rules that lead to the breakdown. The first is the conch. The conch's main purpose is to keep order and control among the boys. It is a sense of power for whomever holds it.