Fear, vital to human survival, has been embedded in every person since birth. The Lord of the Flies shows how fear can affect the minds and actions of the boys of the island. William Golding suggests that fear is the most destructive and dangerous force on the island. Jack’s fear to lose power leads to his manipulative nature. Ralph’s fear and Piggy’s fear of the unknowable leads to his downfall. The Lord of the Flies is a novel by William Golding that uses fear to show the destructive nature of fear towards the island’s reaction through Jack’s desire for power, Ralph’s fear of the unknow, and Piggy’s fear for her own survival.
Jack is the protagonist of Lord of the Flies. Jack is also a character that is the most affected by fear. Jack is the Lord of the Flies’s most power-hungry boy. Jack fears losing control of the island’s boys. Jacks notices that the island’s boys are gradually leaving Jacks for Ralph. Jack scares Ralph with his mysterious and bloodthirsty beast. Jack shouted. ‘You, listen. The beast is sitting there, whatever its name is. Jack said, “Hunting”… “I have the conch.” Ralph thinks your cowardice is a sign that you don’t want to be with the beast and boar. It’s not the only thing. ‘” (Golding 138). Jack uses his Beast to force the boys to follow his will. He also suggests that the magical and carnivorous Beast would take them out sooner or later, and that it’s not worth running from the Beast. Jack is fearful of losing his power. To remove Ralph, his only opposition, he burns the whole island. “They’re coming after you tomorrow!” … They had put the island on fire and had killed him” (Golding 209, 219). In the Lord of the Flies’ final chapter, Jack was overcome by fear. It shows just how fearful Jack was. Jack, despite being power-hungry and driven by fear, drives the story.
Piggy is also one of the island’s most fearful children. He worries about everything in Lord of the Flies. Piggy is driven by his fear for his survival throughout Lord of the Flies. Piggy is a big fan of his glasses. It is his only way to see clearly and his only hope for survival. Piggy is afraid of not being able to see clearly, especially on an island full of savages. This fear leads him to death and the destruction his conch. “‘I know. They weren’t there for the conch. They came to find something else. Ralph – what’s the matter? Ralph – What am I going to do?’ … ‘…I need my glasses’. Piggy was hit hard by the rock. It landed on her knees. Piggy’s fear of losing her vision was unavoidable and led to the destruction the island. Piggy’s self-centered outlook on survival on an island is a sign of fear. After the conch goes extinct, Ralph and his savage friends lost any sense of civilization or society. Piggy is now afraid of becoming a savage. Piggy is a firm believer in survival and civilization, even when he’s on an isolated island. This fear causes Piggy to feel isolated from the other boys. Piggy would like to appear civilized and clean towards the savages. Humans? What about animals? Or wild people? …… washed with water and had his hair brushed. We are not savages, so being rescued is not an option. Piggy is one of the most intelligent, but fearful boys on the island. His fears lead to society being destroyed and him being separated from the other boys.
Ralph, the leader of all the boys, is plagued by some serious fears. These fears are crucial to the survival and well-being of the boys. Ralph, the leader of all the boys, is for most of the novel utterly afraid of the unknown. This fear eventually leads him to his doom. Ralph’s greatest fear is that he won’t be rescued.
This fear leads to Ralph’s obsession with the sign fire. Ralph’s obsession over the signal fire causes a heated argument between Jack, Ralph and eventually leads to them becoming rivals. Ralph is unhappy that Jack let go of the fire and allowed a ship to pass. Jack Merridew said, “You and you blood! You and the hunting! You and your hunting! You talk. You don’t have the ability to build huts. Jack raised his knife, which was bloodied, and he stood up. … They faced eachother” (Golding, 74, 75). Jack’s hatred grows towards Ralph and Ralph’s obsession to light the fire continues. Jack’s demise is caused by Ralph’s obsession. Ralph repeatedly brings up the uncertainty of being saved. Ralph is also obsessed with Jack and his father, the navy. He has insecurity about staying on the island. Ralph’s fear of not being saved was his greatest flaw. Ralph was terrified of the carnivorous beast. Ralph and Jack were on the hill looking for the mythical beast. “They could see a rock-like hump just three to four yards away. Ralph could make out a little chattering noise, maybe from his own lips. He joined his will to his body, fusing his fear with hatred and standing up. He made two slow steps forward. (Golding 135) Ralph’s fear of the beast was described by William Golding as a mixture of fear and hate. William Golding shows the dangers of combining the two emotions. Fear and hate are two vital emotions in Lord of the Flies. Ralph, though a courageous leader, is dependent upon emotions that could make him an incoherent leader. This results in Ralph’s downfall along with all the other characters from the Lord of the Flies.
William Golding demonstrates that fear is a controlling and destructive force. Jack sets the whole island ablaze to show the destructive power of fear. Secondly, Piggy shows how selfish his fears can cause destruction to others. Finally Ralph’s fear is a catalyst for conflicting ideas and hatred. He becomes enslaved by emotion and ends up setting the entire island ablaze.
Golding is one of the dystopian authors. He uses violence and fear to communicate a bigger message. Golding’s setting leads the reader to believe that the boys live in utopia. It is surrounded with exotic fruits and beaches. This novel reinforces the notion that suffering is inevitable because of their flawed nature. Golding shows the characters suffering constantly. Jack oppresses and punishes the boys, making them hungry and filthy. People will see fear, however natural it may be to humans, in a different way.
