What is the significance of the mirages in Lord of the Flies?I think that the first reference is at the start of chapter 4 on page 59, and then...

The mirage is very significant as in the beginning, it
fools the boys into thinking that the island is ideal; a paradise, even. But as they
continue to live on the island, and are exposed to the practicalities of living away
from society, from what they have known all their lives, the mirage slowly starts to re
arrange itself until the boys see the island for what it is. This is of course very
literal. But I also think that it has a wealth of meaning, metaphorically speaking. For
example, the mirage hiding the island's true nature is very similar to the way the boys'
civilised exteriors, in the beginning, hide their innate
savagery.

Hope this helps :)