Fire In Lord Of The Flies

If you were stranded on a desert island would you choose power or rescue? The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding follows the lives of a group of boys after they are stranded on a desert island. Ralph takes control and focuses on rescue. Jack begins to gain power and focuses growing his power. Two groups form each with different survival methods and uses for their fire. The fire in Lord of the Flies is the key to power on the island.

First Paragraph: The fire alone is powerful and therefore, he who has or he who can start fire holds power. The first time the fire is started the boys are overjoyed. “The flame flapped higher and the boys broke into a cheer” (40). Comfort is a feeling that the boys want and it is obtained with the fire. Wherever there is fire the boys will go and whoever has fire the boys will follow. All throughout the book, when a fire is started it is a thrilling experience. Fire becomes a necessity and an item of value. It becomes something worth stealing and a conflict of the island. Jack decides he needs fire and takes it during a raid. Taking the fire not only gives the savages a
When the fire is lit for the first time, it takes over and burns through the forest. There is no ways of stopping it “Beneath the capering boys a quarter of a mile square of forest was savage with smoke and flame” (44) The fire is the first sign of savagery on the island. It goes wild and becomes dangerous and unstoppable. With the ability to consume an island in a matter of minutes, the fire shows its extreme power. Taking in the power, the boys use it to their advantage “Feeling the beginnings of awe at the power set free below them. The knowledge and the awe made him savage.” The original use of fire for rescue is forgotten and it is instead used in savage ways for hunting and cooking. The fire brings out the savage in the boys and Jack uses the natural force of the fire to enhance his