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How Does Zimbardo Use Fear In Lord Of The Flies

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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.
In Lord of the Flies, it wasn't long before chaos ensued. Fear quickly rose from time they crashed on the island. The rules that were set in place quickly began …show more content…

Humans? Or animals? Or savages? What's grownups going to think? Going off--hunting pigs--letting fires out--and now!" A shadow fronted him tempestuously. "You shut up, you fat slug!"... "And you shut up! Who are you, anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do. You can't hunt, you can't sing--" "I'm chief. I was chosen." "Why should choosing make any difference? Just giving orders that don't make any sense--" "Piggy's got the conch." "That's right--favor Piggy as you always do--" "Jack!" Jack's voice sounded in bitter mimicry. "Jack! Jack!" "The rules!" shouted Ralph. "You're breaking the rules!" "Who cares?" (Golding …show more content…

Zimbardo had a completely different environment and scenarios but ultimately had similar results to the Lord of the Flies. In both the novel and the experiment, the characters and participants acted in ways that were not who they truly were but were the most comforting and instinctual actions in a time of fear. The prisoners of the experiment felt threatened and scared by the actions of the guards. Using their instincts and their knowledge from observing the guards, they acted in a way that would comfort and make them feel safer. Their actions were “submissive and depersonalized, taking the abuse and saying little in protest.” The change in their behavior and personality led to the prisoners having mental breakdowns eventually leading to the extermination of the experiment after six days. The experiment which was supposed to last two weeks only lasted six days because of the responses and reactions from the prisoners as a result of

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