What Is Fear In Lord Of The Flies

Fear is a concept that is prominent in everyone’s life. Whether it is rational or not, we all fear something. Fear is the distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, pain, or evil. The differences in fear arise in how one copes with their fears and where their fear is derived from. The fear that humans most commonly succumb to would be the fear of the unknown. The epitome of the fear of the unknown is found throughout the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding. In the novel, several boys are stranded on an island where a great fear is provoked by a beast, that depending on how one rationalizes fears, may or may not actually exist. As the boys adjust to the lifestyle they have created for themselves on the island, the beast becomes

Jack’s belief in a heinous beast that is roaming the island is due to his longing for power that would be gained through slaying the beast consequently earning both respect and honor from the other boys. Jack is able to harness the boys’ fear of the beast to his advantage, weaseling his way into power. One way this is accomplished is by acknowledging the beast as the island’s common enemy. Jack shouts, “Bollocks to the rules! We are strong, we hunt! If there’s a beast, we'll hunt it down! We’ll close in and beat and beat!” (Golding 130). For one thing, this is effective in deterring the leadership of Ralph who is in full support of order and rules. Additionally, it proves Jack’s strong will and determination to give up everything in search of the beast. Jack believes that killing the beast is the way to gain immediate and ultimate control on the island. Not knowing the actual identity of the beast allows his innate evils to emerge. This emergence of evil applies to the boys on the island as well. Fear has the ability to bring out the worst in people. With no assurance of what is to come they cannot dismiss their fears of the unknown, allowing savagery to prevail. The newfound savagery gives Jack more leverage in taking charge. Jack pushes to stray from civilization to reveal their inner savage that has surfaced, so they can fend off the beast. This is done by beginning chants like, “Kill the beast. Cut her throat. Spill her blood” (Golding 96). Jack’s belligerent promises to protect the boys from the beast gives them a feeling of safety and security, manipulating them to fall under his