The island in Lord of the Flies symbolizes many different things, but one of the most important is hope. The boys are not just on an island; they’re on their own island, with no adults around and no one to tell them what to do or how to behave. This gives them a lot of freedom and allows them to start over with their lives—something they’ve never had before.
The island is also a symbol of safety. This is especially true at first, when the boys don’t know any better than to think they might be safe there. It’s only later that they realize how much danger they’re really in.
The island can also be seen as a symbol of paradise—the place where all good things come from, where everything is perfect and everyone gets along perfectly well. However, this idea quickly changes as soon as Piggy dies and Jack takes over leadership over Ralph (who wants everyone to work together).
The island can also be seen as a fresh start for each boy individually: Ralph wants to forget about war and become friends with everyone again; Roger wants revenge against Ralph for killing Piggy; Simon wants peace between him and Jack.
