Bullies can be found anywhere in the world. They victimize, torture, and threaten others for their own benefit. Every bully has a weakness they attempt to conceal, but it is never truly hidden. This insecurity leads them to act out against seemingly inferior people to achieve a false sense of strength and security. The deep emotional struggle bullies face is evident in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Without adult supervision on the island, the boys must guide themselves through their weaknesses. They act out as uncontrolled, dangerous boys to cover up their insecurities. By acting as strong, ruthless killers, the boys look stable and invincible to the others. In order to appear strong, boys in Lord of the Flies exploit the weaker boys and conceal their own insecurities.
Although Simon ー a calm, quiet, choir boy ー struggles with epileptic episodes, his real insecurity lies in his introverted tendencies. The boys first notice this remote behavior when he “wormed his way… into a little cabin” (57). Because there is such a small group, the boys pay obvious attention to the one member who removes himself from situations and does not participate in discussion. Simon’s departure suggests that he does not have a grasp on how others can deal with the stress of surviving on a deserted constantly, while he cannot. Simon, therefore, feels more fragile compared to the other boys. Fearing that the other boys think he is “batty” (111), Simon tries to mask his weakness. Unlike the