The face paint allowed Jack to release his beast efficiently and not feel guilty of the actions that followed. “He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger.” This infers that Jack knew this wasn’t his true identity, because if he was at home, he would never dream of this, however this allowed Jack to be able to commit any evil act he wished but behind a mask as Golding writes “...the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness.” Jack wasn’t tainting his own name with his actions anymore, but rather the mask committed and held blame for them.
Jack lusts power and status, and this mask immediately offers him precisely that. “He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling.” His laughter and dancing instantly evolved into this animalistic behaviour subconsciously and automatically, and it was this ‘no fear’ attitude of his, and the absurdity of the mask which created fear within the boys which led to them being subservient to him. “The mask compelled them.” The boys had no other choice; it subjugated them. Golding uses this mask as if it is hypnotising the boys, and it is the new order in society which is in total conflict with their old society which only conditioned them to good and just acts; this order conditioned them to evil.
The conch represents the order and civilisation of society and when Ralph and Piggy first find the conch, Piggy warns Ralph, “Careful! You’ll break it-”, and although physically Piggy was referring to its fragility, he was also pointing out the frailty of civilisation and how one must caress it and not show harshness. Another interpretation of this could be that Golding is showing that the boys are treasuring the order of society and respect it initially, and they carry on this respect throughout their assemblies, “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.”; the conch is what upheld the order. Also the conch is what collected all the scattered boys on the island together, and Golding is highlighting the fact that civilisation and order is what unites people together, so in effect, he is saying that we should eradicate evil in society as it only causes humanity to drift apart.
The fire symbolises the boys’ rescue and it represents hope. When the boys worked hard to get rescued, the fire burned brightly symbolising that the chance of rescue was very high, but when the fire was put out, it reflected the fact that Jack and others were not trying hard, and their hope had also been put out. Ironically, even though the fire represented hope and rescue, the boy with the birthmark was killed by the fire, and Golding suggests that even things with inherent good can also commit bad. Also, it is symbolic that Jack couldn’t light the fire, “’Will you light the fire?’ Now the absurd situation was open, Jack blushed too. He began to mutter vaguely.” He blushed in embarrassment at the fact that he couldn’t do it and this symbolises that he cannot ignite his own hope. However Piggy had an immense amount of hope and belief such that even his glasses was sufficient to light the fire.