Fear In Lord Of The Flies

there aren’t any beasts to be afraid of on this island….Serve you right if something did get you, you useless lot of cry-babies!’” (Golding 82-83). In the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of boys crash and become stranded on an island. Using nothing but their wits and skills, they must learn to survive in order to see the day of their rescue. In the beginning, the boys start off as a whole group who act civilized and cultured, however as the plot progresses the boys turn into the very definition of savages, not caring for the consequences that lie ahead of them. The main factors leading to the boys’ decline in civilization were fear, which they had to deal with constantly, and their demand for dominance among one another. Fear led the boys to irrational decisions while the thirst for power led the boys to disagree upon one another’s choices, which consequently led to the separation between the
In the midst of danger, one will make irrational decisions. On the island, the boys are faced with many types of fears. Once the boys hear that there is a “beastie” on the island, one of Jack’s first ideas is to hunt it down. When Ralph doesn’t agree that they should be out searching for the beast, conflicts arise among Jack and Ralph which result in the separation of group. Without Ralph and Piggy, Jack’s group eventually turn to savages and do as they please, not feeling guilty or caring for a thing that happens. The boys recite an incantation right before Simon stumbles upon the camp and is brutally murdered by the boys, thinking that Simon is the beast. “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” (Golding 152). The death of Simon is a major turning point in the story because it signifies the boys’ major deterioration in morality and how less and less careless they’ve gotten since the crash. Another type of fear the boys are faced with is the fear of Jack. As the novel advances, Jack becomes more and more of a ruthless tyrant. He uses Roger to torture Samneric and by that action, he shows that he is powerful and whoever doesn’t listen to Jack will be punished
The group of boys who, once had innocent and pure lives turned into a group of monsters who wreaked havoc against anyone who opposed them. Fear led the boys to make illogical choices and the overall thirst for power and dominance caused them to act uncivilized to one another. After being on the island for so long, the boys became aware that it wasn’t crashing on an island that drove them to savagery, but that it was having to deal with each other that led them to the lifestyle they lived. The deterioration of morality among the boys caused them to act in ways they wouldn’t have if they hadn’t crashed on the island. As a group, the boys were not able to live in peace with each other due to their fear and greediness for control and that soon led to the downfall of their