Fire is an important symbol throughout the book. Fire can be a good or a bad thing, depending on whether it is kept controlled. This is representative of the boys as well. In this chapter, Chapter 2, the boys try building their first rescue fire on top of the mountain. The fire gets out of control, and the system of order the boys started also breaks down, getting out of control just like the fire. The breakdown of organization parallels the introduction of the "beast", introducing fear into the minds of the boys. This is the beginning of chaos on the island. The fire becomes a symbol of the power of brute force. Uncontrolled, the result is destruction. The end of the chapter ends grimly since one of the small boys is presumed to have died in the fire. The boys learn that fire is power; used unwisely, it can only lead to death and destruction.
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