Throughout the novel, the masks are predominately used to show the safety from shame or self-consciousness, when a boy is covering up his face by wearing a clay mask. The first time the boys used masks was in chapter 4, when they pasted clay on their face, in order to sneak up on their first pig and kill her. The masks made them more daring and bold, and ultimately made them successful in their hunt. Because they were wearing the masks, the boys, especially Jack, were able to forget that they were still boys stranded on an island, and envision themselves as different people. Their real identities were, in a physical and moral sense, covered by the masks. The boys had forgot about their real duty (keeping the fire lit) and their ultimate hopes of getting rescued, because they forgot about who they were in those moments of the first successful hunt. The masks therefore were the first thing that led the boys down the wrong path, because they missed their only chance of getting rescued.
Another notable point in the story for the masks was when the hunters and the beginning members of Jack’s clan used masks to raid Ralph’s clan for fire. These masks allowed them to be “demonic”, and obviously not who they really were, while they were performing the raid. Time and time again, the worst things that happen on the island, happen when some of the boys are wearing masks, to cover their identities. Concealing their faces is a freeing feeling for the boys, and they are able to forget about their pasts or even what their future goals are, and just act crazy, in the moment.
Towards the end of the novel, the masks symbolize much more, as they are directly contrasted against the power of the conch. Jack’s power, which comes through fear and coercion, is derived directly from the power of the masks, whereas Ralph’s power has always been through the democratic power of the conch. Ultimately, the masks help Jack’s power to reign on the island, because of their concealing, and therefore freeing, powers.