How can something be safe and dangerous? Society considers lots of things safe and dangerous; money, knowledge, marriages, promises, and most importantly people. In the novel Lord of the Flies two things in particular stand out as safe, but dangerous. Ralph and fire. The children on the island all consider the fire safety and the little ones think of Ralph as comfort. But fire kills, and every person have a potential to be dangerous. For reasons unknown people are drawn to safe things even though it could hurt them.
What is about a fire that draws us in? Is it the light, or the warmth? Maybe it's the mesmerizing way the flames fly into the air. Towards the end of the novel especially, the fire provides many things for the boys, "One was to be a hearth now and comfort until they slept" (Golding 162). The fire is so important to the boys, so much that they are willing to risk it spreading while they're asleep and burn. It’s comfort, safety, and protection. It's a lot like a parent, actually, which is why the boys are so drawn to it. Children always seem to need something like a parent, don't they?
Ralph also plays the role of safety in the novel, but not quite the same way as …show more content…
But no matter what if a person finds something safe, they are naturally drawn to it, even if it could hurt them. The safety in Ralph can be dangerous for them. It represents people becoming codependent on one another. In some ways it's good, but if a person becomes too codependent, it can become a dangerous and unhealthy relationship. This is because one person's mental and physical health relies completely on another's. They find safety in it, but people outside the relationship see the danger. This is a lot like reading Lord of the Flies because you can see the boys turning on each other even though Ralph can’t. The book teaches a great lesson in making sure people aren't relying too much on one safe thing. So ask yourself, are you independent