ipl-logo

Fear In Lord Of The Flies Essay

645 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Possible ramifications of fear in lord of the flies

The impact of fear on an individual's sense of safety is so strong that it serves as the primary contributor to the loss of innocence. Fear is a powerful emotion that can have a significant impact on an individual's sense of safety and security. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding explores the theme of fear and its effects on a group of young boys who find themselves stranded on an uninhabited island. This essay will examine three components: the death of Simon was caused by the fear of the beast, the fear that drives Jack to become more comfortable with killing, and the underlying fear that leads him to torture Wilfred. These points demonstrate how fear leads to savagery and violence, ultimately resulting in the boys' loss of innocence.
The fear of the beast in Lord of the Flies is a perfect example of how fear can have a profound impact on an individual's sense of safety and security, leading to extreme violence and chaos. Despite their attempts to control this fear through discussions and meetings, the boys' fear only grows each day, causing them to view the island as a dangerous place. This fear drives them to become violent, as evidenced by the death of …show more content…

He wanted to demonstrate to the other boys that he was more effective at guiding them than Ralph was. Jack chose a road of cruelty and savagery because he was afraid that others would not pay attention to him and obey him. He was initially hesitant due to the size of the knife and the sight of the blood, but he quickly overcame this as his fear of not being able to lead properly grown. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Jack's fear of not being the leader drove him to engage in violence and corruption. As Golding writes, "They knew very well why he hadn't; because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood." (Golding

Show More
Related
929 Words | 4 Pages

For starters, fear is what drove the existence of the beast thus confirming that fear is the fundamental cause of conflict in Lord of the Flies. Fear is what created the beast because fear gave the boys a false illusion of the island being a treacherous place. For instance, when the boy with the mulberry mark said he saw the ‘Beastie’(Golding 34), in reality, it was vines hanging from the trees. The kids are in a new environment where everything is tainted by fear.

Read More
146 Words | 1 Pages

Crazy /’krāzē/ to be mentally deranged, wild in an aggressive way. Richard Connell's short story “ The Most Dangerous Game “ deals with the hunter,General Zaroff who is passionate about hunting and takes it to a grotesque level. When introduced to General Zaroff he is described as “a tall man past his middle age,for his hair was vivid white: but his thick eyebrows and pointed military mustache were as black as night... the face of an aristocrat... his smile showed red lips and pointed teeth” (44).

Read More
818 Words | 4 Pages

Lord of the Flies Final Lord of the Flies by William Golding shows the amount of power and manipulative power that fear has. A theme in Lord of the Flies is that fear can make people do things that they wouldn't have even thought of doing before they were manipulated by fear. Fear will make people do crazy things some examples is 1. when Simon was running down the mountain and the boys killed him, 2. near the end of the book Ralph was so concerned for his life if anybody came near he would try to stab them with a spear, 3.

Read More
736 Words | 3 Pages

Fear has the ability to manipulate people into believing there is danger when there is not, causing them to make rash decisions. These decisions can result in a disobedience to one’s cultural beliefs, as seen in Lord of the Flies and Beowulf. Even though the characters from Lord of the Flies and Beowulf come from cultures built around nobility and loyalty, fear tears them apart from the society they had worked hard to achieve. Although the boys from Lord of the Flies tried to keep their culture’s morals, the fear of the unknown caused the children to betray their Culture.

Read More
539 Words | 3 Pages

Fear is a Battle with the Beast Within When fear is present, human beings have indescribable thoughts and actions. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, british school boys have to deal with the wrath of true fear. When the boys are faced with fear they push civilization aside and become unrecognizable to others. Fear changes a person by changing their thoughts and actions. William Golding explains throughout the novel that fear is always lurking, and fear will change our minds based on the thoughts of the unknown that controls the way we act and the emotions we feel.

Read More
235 Words | 1 Pages

Throughout the novel Lord of the Flies there are many quotes that can be applied to life in general. Intelligent but young , Ralph says, “ The thing is- fear can’t hurt you any more than a dream” (82). Behind this quote lies tremendous amounts of meaning; this quote can be applied to any ones life. Ralph, who did not realize at the time, told the children that they are only making themselves scared and there is actually nothing to be afraid of- in their case, the beast.

Read More
813 Words | 4 Pages

Have you ever wondered how bullies negatively take control of situations so easily? Fear is primarily the main way they do so, and in the novel “Lord of the Flies” the author portrays it perfectly. Jack, the main antagonist in the novel, shows countless times that if fear is utilized correctly, you can govern any situation. Although “The Beast” isn’t a bully, Jack exploits it, so it affects the boys to the point of them going insane because of the fright and terror. Finally, Piggy, who is one of, if not the most important character in the story, gets bullied throughout the novel and doesn’t stand up for himself because of his fear of what the others will do.

Read More
660 Words | 3 Pages

Our most natural goal in life is to survive using our knowledge and instincts. Fear is our instinctive emotion felt when presented by a potential threat. The characters in Lord of the Flies by William Golding and the participants in the Stanford Prison experiment, conducted by Dr. Zimbardo, use their instincts and knowledge to make the best decisions possible in favor of their safety. Although very different, the fear that presents itself in both the Lord of the Flies and the Stanford Prison Experiment acts as a powerful motivator ultimately modifying behavior in the name of safety.

Read More
668 Words | 3 Pages

As they express “fight or flight”. In the story Lord of the Flies, the boys on the island are affected by fear. The boys let this fear manipulate their situations they have gone through, throughout the story. Golding lets fear be known throughout the story and shows us this through the characters. For example, Jack’s fear of losing power results in him being manipulative towards the others on the island, Ralph’s fear of not knowing what’s up next for him resulted in his downfall as a leader.

Read More
946 Words | 4 Pages

(Golding

Read More
792 Words | 4 Pages

¨Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise (Adolf Hitler).¨ Fear, an emotion that is caused by the belief something is dangerous. You are manipulated through fear by those in power. They spout information that could be a real or fake, but could both be used to control you. In the Lord of the Flies Golding explores how humans use fear to manipulate people. A threat, real or fake is frequently used to apply anxiety and fear into numerous people.

Read More
1497 Words | 6 Pages

The book Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, is a young adult fiction novel that shows the journey of British school boys stranded on an island with no adults in the middle of a war. Throughout the novel the boys had many hardships and struggled to find an equilibrium between all the kids. The book itself highlights the thin line between being good and evil and that’s why some people may believe that the most important theme of Lord of the Flies is that all people have cruel impulses they must try to control, which makes sense since there were many acts of cruelty even shown by the “good and logical” kids. However, the theme that it is crucial to think and act logically is more important. Some examples of logical acts in the novel

Read More
943 Words | 4 Pages

Fear is an unpleasant caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat.(Mariams Webster). Fear is a thing we all hold inside of us, we are all scared of something or someone it 's just human nature. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses a unique way of showing how fear affects human behavior, he used the boys on the island to show how fear affects the behavior of humans and how the boy 's manner and mentality changed over time. From when the boys first came on the island they are actions were normal then later on as the boys started gaining the fear of the beast they started doing abnormal actions they took certain steps because of the fear in them that had been planted by the beast in this case. One of the main reasons fear is spread through the boys is the beast, though we find out the beast is nothing but their imagination.

Read More
731 Words | 3 Pages

Fear, "an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger" (Merriam-Webster), lurks within us all; it can either ignite growth and resilience or keep us in a cycle of misbehavior and inhumanity. By analyzing and having a full understanding of the power that fear holds, we can make sense of how it impacts people's behavior and actions. We can look into "Lord of the Flies," written by William Golding, who does a great job illustrating the consequences of fear and the significance it holds when survival comes into play. Furthermore, Psychology Today’s article "The Complexity of Fear", by Maria C. Lamia, has her take on the intricacy of fear as she dives into analyzing fear and the response humans have towards it.

Read More
733 Words | 3 Pages

The Power Of Fear in “Lord of the Flies”: No Greater Illusion Than Fear Fear is intangible yet has perceptible effects. It plays a significant role in human behaviour. Each individual reacts to fear differently, some overcome it, while others give in to it. In William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” the theme of fear is discussed and it becomes clear that fear has the power to take over not only one’s mind but also control one’s actions.

Read More

More about Fear In Lord Of The Flies Essay

Related Topics

Open Document