Fear In Lord Of The Flies
The presence of fear in Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies is a relatively short book, but within its small amount of text William Golding is able to do much more than tell an exciting story. He digs deep into human nature and the natural corruption in people's souls. He specifically explores the impact that fear has on people and how it makes them act. In Golding's eyes, humans are doomed just as the children on the island are, and that is because of fear. He believes that just the presence of terror causes people to overreact and lose common sense, tearing away at the bonds that hold society together. In an attempt to calm or soothe their worries, people end up separating, singling out others and letting their inner savage take over, leaving …show more content…
By page 59, the fear of not knowing what would happen to them and if they would ever be rescued had grown to the point where the "little'uns" "suffered from untold terrors in the dark and they huddled together for comfort." The "little'uns" were certainly afraid but had no way to really explain their fear or anything to blame it on. It is for this reason that they subconsciously create the "beast." At first the "biguns" are too old and mature to believe in this beast. They realize that it is a figment of the "little'uns"' imaginations and don't give it much thought. However, as their fear of being alone and not being rescued grows, so does their need for something concrete to aim their insecurities toward and to distract them from their real problem. This causes the "biguns" to begin to lose their common sense and to believe in the beast as well. Simon sees this, but when he tells the others "maybe it's only us," (89) referring to the beast; he is laughed off. The other boys will not even consider Simon's ideas because they have convinced themselves that the beast is …show more content…
Fear corrupts the human mind and tears at the bonds that hold society together, leading to the destruction of ourselves. On the island, the boys were lucky to be rescued before they completely killed off each other. After all, on the hunt for Ralph they managed to burn down the whole forest. Where would they find food and shelter if they had not been rescued? They destroyed the island out of fear. Had they all been able to keep cool minds and work together without the influence of fear, everyone probably would have still been alive, but because of fear, three were dead and many more were soon to follow. Fear destroyed the island and the boys; Golding is trying to say that if we are not careful, we may let the same thing happen to
Lord of the Flies is a relatively short book, but within its small amount of text William Golding is able to do much more than tell an exciting story. He digs deep into human nature and the natural corruption in people's souls. He specifically explores the impact that fear has on people and how it makes them act. In Golding's eyes, humans are doomed just as the children on the island are, and that is because of fear. He believes that just the presence of terror causes people to overreact and lose common sense, tearing away at the bonds that hold society together. In an attempt to calm or soothe their worries, people end up separating, singling out others and letting their inner savage take over, leaving …show more content…
By page 59, the fear of not knowing what would happen to them and if they would ever be rescued had grown to the point where the "little'uns" "suffered from untold terrors in the dark and they huddled together for comfort." The "little'uns" were certainly afraid but had no way to really explain their fear or anything to blame it on. It is for this reason that they subconsciously create the "beast." At first the "biguns" are too old and mature to believe in this beast. They realize that it is a figment of the "little'uns"' imaginations and don't give it much thought. However, as their fear of being alone and not being rescued grows, so does their need for something concrete to aim their insecurities toward and to distract them from their real problem. This causes the "biguns" to begin to lose their common sense and to believe in the beast as well. Simon sees this, but when he tells the others "maybe it's only us," (89) referring to the beast; he is laughed off. The other boys will not even consider Simon's ideas because they have convinced themselves that the beast is …show more content…
Fear corrupts the human mind and tears at the bonds that hold society together, leading to the destruction of ourselves. On the island, the boys were lucky to be rescued before they completely killed off each other. After all, on the hunt for Ralph they managed to burn down the whole forest. Where would they find food and shelter if they had not been rescued? They destroyed the island out of fear. Had they all been able to keep cool minds and work together without the influence of fear, everyone probably would have still been alive, but because of fear, three were dead and many more were soon to follow. Fear destroyed the island and the boys; Golding is trying to say that if we are not careful, we may let the same thing happen to