Examples Of Misjudgment In Lord Of The Flies

Throughout the vast oceans of literature, one can find that the misjudgment of a character is quite common. Though misjudgment is plentiful and even expected in the art of writing, the aftermath of these fallacies are often devastating to the characters and thought-provoking to the reader. In the novels The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and Lord of the Flies by William Golding characters were subjected to immense amounts of misjudgment, resulting in disastrous consequences for both the character and the reader.
An excellent first example of misjudgment having consequences is in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, with Piggy showing that the misjudgement he experienced led to the decline of society on the island and the boys embracing savagery;

E. Hinton’s The Outsiders is another grim example of misjudgment having consequences, with one of the protagonists, Johnny, being subjected to indescribable amounts of misjudgment that eventually led to his death and the tarnished reputation of both the Greasers and the Socs. The two groups violently clash in the duration of the plot, with insults, violence, and murder taking place because of the long-standing feud. Together with the refusal to come together, the great divide of society finally expands beyond amends when Bob and Ponyboy hurl their words at each other, with Bob stating, “You know what a greaser is? White trash with long hair” (Hinton 55). Ponyboy, with his mind clouded with revenge, retorts with “You know what a Soc is? White trash with Mustangs and madras” (Hinton 55). Due to this, the two hate-driven sides thrust themselves towards each other, eventually leading to Ponyboy’s touch with death and Bob’s embrace of it. The greasers- Ponyboy and Johnny- are forced to run from the society that has determined their fate. Because of the assumption that greasers are the inferior social class, Ponyboy and Johnny are forced to spill blood on their hands, and must run from their crimes. The stage is set for a devastating event, and that event comes with Johnny’s heroic act and his subsequent death. From the moment the first words of The Outsiders were written, from the pen’s first touch with the paper, the reader sees how misjudgment can have such an impact. The reader’s eyes are opened to the world around them- the world where even teenagers are capable of the greatest act of evil, and how one false note of assumption can change the lives of