Discussion Topic
The symbolism of masks and camouflage in "Lord of the Flies."
Summary:
In "Lord of the Flies," masks and camouflage symbolize the loss of identity and the emergence of savagery. Characters like Jack use paint to mask their true selves, which allows them to commit acts of violence without feeling guilt or shame. This transformation highlights the theme of civilization versus savagery as the boys descend into barbarism.
In Chapter 4 of Lord Of the Flies, what does "The Mask" symbolize?
In the first part of Chapter Four of Lord of the Flies, there is foreshadowing of the boys increasing release of the vestiges of civilization. Although they followed the "northern European tradition of work, play, and food throughout the day, the "littluns" cried for their mothers less than before, and they played among themselves, ignoring the older boys as they play in the sand.
Roger and Maurice, who emerge from the forest, kick sand into the eyes of three littluns.
Now, though there was no parent to let fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of wrongdoing.
Later, Roger hides behind the palm trees and he picks up a stone, aims, and hurls it at little Henry, but threw it with the intention of missing.
The stone, that token of preposterous time, bounced five yards to Henry's right and fell in the water....Here was the taboo of...
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the old life.
Further, Jack tells Roger that he is making a mask to "try to look like something else" in order to throw the pigs off. When Jack finishes with his mask, he peers into the water at himself. Now, he is astonished as he is "an awesome stranger." As Bill sees it, he begins to laugh, but suddenly "he fell silent and blundered away through the bushes" recognizing the savage appearance of the mask. With the painted mask on his face, Jack can hide his civilized face and is, therefore, freed some any shame or self-consciousness. And, yet, "[T]he mask compelled them" forward into the forest.
*The mask, then, is symbolic of the entrance into savagery. the throwing off of all the vestiges of society, even those final ones which prohibit Roger from striking Henry with the stone and that which makes Maurice feel somewhat guilty about kicking sand into the faces of the littluns. The mask creates a new face, a new facade behind which Jack and the hunters can release savage urges and taboos.
In Lord of the Flies, what do the mask and camouflage symbolize?
The face painting Jack does to prepare for the hunt is at first an attempt to solve a problem. He thinks that the pigs can pick out his face while he is stalking them, so decides to smear some clay and charcoal on his face as a form of camouflage. However, his mask becomes much more than a hunting aid. It becomes, in essence, a new persona for Jack.
Jack's first attempt at face painting is not successful. When he looks at his reflection in the water, he is displeased. It's significant that on the second try, he "plans" his face, drawing a specific design:
He made one cheek and one eye-socket white, then he rubbed red over the other half of his face and slashed a black bar of charcoal across from right ear to left jaw.
This was better:
He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger. He spilt the water and leapt to his feet, laughing excitedly.
The mask has transformed Jack from the sandy-haired, freckled boy into a fearsome killer. More than that, all the limitations and emotions that Jack feels are forgotten with this new persona. For instance, the mask helps Jack assert dominance over the other hunters, and in a sense it frees him from the need to tend the signal fire.
In that sense, the mask can be seen as a departure from rationality. Jack's bloodthirstiness is enabled by the mask; his new personality is in stark contrast with Ralph's rationality. Ralph wants a ship to see their signal and rescue them; Jack, in his mask, simply wants to kill, both for the fun of it and the personal glory that it can bring. For him, this is an imperative that supersedes all other considerations.
In most literary works, masks function as a concealment of one's true identity, both literally and figuratively. In the case of the masks/painting/camo, Jack becomes separated from himself, and is freed from accountability by becoming a "new person." The masks allow the boys to function within the realm of a new identity, and as they don their new personas, they are led to act in ways that are primal at best, and atrocious at worst.
Beyond Lord of the Flies, other authors have also used masks for symbolic reasons -- think of the masquerade ball in Romeo and Juliet, for instance. Other authors have also used masks in their literary works for similar reasons. A quick Google search of "masks in literature" should guide you to more information.
The mask created by painting the face serves the main purpose of allowing Jack, and later, the other boys, to let the inner beast out. The mask is something for the boys to literally and figuratively hid behind. The civilized personality can be hidden behind the face paint just like a person's true looks can be hidden behind a plastic mask. When Jack paints his face, he feels free to let out his inner beast. The mask also removes a degree of humanity from Jack and the rest of the boys. Humanity, or civility, is what keeps the beast inside of most people, according to Golding. Society has rules that most people learn as they go through life, this makes the people more human and less like animals. The face paint removed that somewhat. In chapter 4, when Jack gives a command after painting his face, the narration tells us that the twins responded because "The mask compelled them." The mask also affords just enough anonymity to help relieve the wearer of responsibility. If no one knows who to blame, then no one has to take responsibility for actions. The mask gives that degree of freedom to the wearer, thus again, making it easier for the evil inside to come out.