signal fire shows how civilized the boys are When they work together the fire burns bright When they fight it dies out When Jack neglects the fire for hunting Ralph becomes angry A ship passes by but there is no smoke This marks their loss of discipline Fire becomes a test of order When the fire fades their moral sense fades too It shows how far they have moved from reason to wildness Fire as a Source of Destruction In the end fire becomes deadly Jack and his tribe use it not for rescue but for revenge They set the whole forest on fire to hunt Ralph Ironically that destructive fire brings a rescue ship Golding shows that human knowledge like fire can destroy or save The same symbol shows both civilization and chaos Thus fire in Lord of the Flies stands for both hope and ruin It begins as a sign of life and rescue but ends in destruction Golding illustrates mankind s capacity for both creation and destruction