When rules vanish and innocence is left to fend for itself, what can emerge from the depths of human nature? In William Goldings Lord of the Flies, the answer unfolds as stranded boys descend into chaos and savagery. As the boys find themselves left behind on a deserted island with no adult supervision, they must create their own society, establishing rules to maintain hierarchies and order. It becomes clear that three key elements - Jack, Roger, and the symbolic Beast - are key factors in the island's demise. Jack's thirst for power, Roger's cruelty, and the boys’ fear of the Beast lead to the collapse of the island. Jack Merridew, with his thirst for power and dominance, creates a major force behind the breakdown of the island. Jack challenges Ralph's leadership and seeks to establish his own authority. When the group gathers to elect a leader, Jack exclaims confidently, “I ought to be chief because I’m chapter chorister and head boy” (Golding 22). This …show more content…
Initially, the Beast is a figment of their imagination, representing their fears of the unknown. As the boy's fear grows, so does the influence of the Beast reflected in their actions. “Last night I had a dream, a horrid dream, fighting with things, those twisty things in the trees. He paused and the other littles laughed in horrid sympathy” (Golding 84). The littles’ description of his nightmare vividly tells us the helplessness felt by the younger boys. The dream reflects the fear the boys have about the beast on the island, causing them to feel unsafe and confused. Citing Goldings article it states, “Add to that the sudden fear of capture or prosecution-or simple fear of what they had unthinkingly done- and one can see how horrors come about.” This fear makes them imagine things and act irrationally, which adds to the chaos on the island. Through this quote, Golding shows how fear shapes human behavior and hallucinates in things that aren’t