What does the smoke symbolize in Lord of the Flies?

The paint symbolises the savagery which Jack's tribe has descended into. The face paints are real, made of earth, and their effect is real too. The paint serves to reduce the boys to almost animal like status, concerned with the basic fundamentals of life, killing, eating and shelter from wild beast and 'enemies.' Ralph's desire for smoke is insubstantial and it represents something insubstantial too, the possibility of rescue and the return to a so-called civilised world.