When first blown, it calls the children to an assembly, where Ralph is elected leader. They also agree that only the boy holding the conch may speak at meetings to forestall arguments and chaos, and that it should be passed around to those who wish to voice their opinion. The conch symbolizes democracy and, like Ralph, civility and order within the group. However, it is smashed into pieces (by the same rock which is used to kill Piggy at a later point in the story). Therefore, the conch's destruction signals the end of order and the onset of chaos.[3] Originally the conch is portrayed as a being very vibrant and colorful, but as the novel progresses, its colors begin to fade, the same way society begins to fade on the island.